[GIVEAWAY] The Halo Light, a 360 Degree Hard Hat Light!

Many contractors and repair technicians live out of their truck and Milwaukee Tool knows this.  That’s why they’ve just released an M12 and M18 battery charger that plugs into the c12V DC outlet in your truck or van! As added security, the charger will automatically shut down if it senses that your vehicle’s battery is getting too low. Smart and ultra-convenient.

We know a lot of you out there could use this charger, so we teamed up with Milwaukee to give YOU the chance to WIN one! There are 4 ways to enter below!

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[VIDEO] Roofer Amazingly Escapes Burning 6 Story Building By Hanging On to Crane Hook

As recently highlighted by several multi-story building fires, contractors should always be prepared in the event a fire starts on a job site.  There have been dozens multi-story building fires in the past few years and many were started when the building was topped out.  In most cases, the project was completely destroyed, leaving developers and owners to deal with years of delays from insurance claims.  A massive five-alarm fire at an Oakland construction site is one of the more recent examples.

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New Augmented Reality App Turns Your Phone into a Tape Measure

It’s pretty amazing all of the things that smartphones can do right now.  While some wish phones would go back to “just making dang blasted phone calls, like the good ole days,” it’s clear that phone’s will always be more than that moving forward. Through apps and other attachments, phones can now turn into a thermal imagine camera, an x-ray vision scanner to see what’s behind walls, a laser measure, and now an augmented reality tape measure.

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OSHA Changes Policy on Monorail Hoists in Construction

In a year that OSHA can’t seem to enforce any new rules, it appears to have found a way to remove a rule from its books. As announced last week, OSHA has removed monorail hoists from Subpart CC – Cranes and Derricks in Construction.  Employers are still required to follow other OSHA regulations regarding the hoists, but this rule should help clear up some inconsistencies.

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Cool Tools: A Belt Clip for Your Tablet

For many construction superintendents and project managers across the world, tablets are becoming one of the most important tools on the job site.  They’re great for looking at plans, taking pictures, making notes, and running your favorite construction apps. Carrying a tablet does take up at least one of your hands, however, so it can be a hindrance if you need to help a co-worker lift material or climb a ladder.

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[VIDEO] Watching an Early 1900s Antique Nail Gun Be Restored is So Satisfying

In today’s race for most powerful cordless tools, it’s important to remember the humble beginnings of hand tools, especially those with mechanical parts.  Much like cars of the early 20th century, mechanical and power tools were simple machines, as opposed to the heavily electronic tools that are becoming popular now. Easy to understand and easier to repair.

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Milwaukee Tool Expands Safety Warning on M18 High Demand 9.0 Battery Packs

High demand battery packs have allowed many construction workers ditch the cords on jobsites throughout the country, by providing more power and longer runtime. As with any battery packs, it’s important to follow safety warnings, but with a higher capacity can sometimes mean greater consequences when those warnings are not followed.

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[UPDATE] OSHA Proposes Delay for Electronic Injury Reporting Rule

Since the beginning of the year, OSHA has had a pretty hard time enforcing any of its new rules due to delays.  The silica dust exposure rule was delayed 90 to September 23,  the crane certification rule is facing yet another possible delay, and now the electronic injury reporting rule is facing another delay. 

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[VIDEO] Construction Worker Rescued After Suspended Scaffolding Fails 15 Stories High

Two construction workers in Sarasota, Florida were recently trapped 15 stories in the air after one of the lines on their suspended scaffolding snapped.   One of the two men was able to be pulled to safety by some co-workers on site, but the second was stuck on the scaffold for an hour before the fire department could rescue him.

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