Approximately 25 years ago, OSHA instituted the Subpart M Fall Protection Standard for construction workplaces implementing protection from falling objects, falls from tripping over holes, falling through holes, and protection while working around dangerous equipment. Employers were instructed to use fall protection systems such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. As
The construction industry continues to evolve with heightened awareness of safety hazards and a push towards safer work environments and practices. The challenge for all contractors is to maintain a reasonable balance of productivity, quality and safety to ensure an injury-free outcome. When schedule and budget are compressed and greater emphasis is placed on
If you’ve ever had an on-the-job fatality, it’s not something you’ll ever want to experience again. Yet, while we keep pushing the boundaries on elaborate, multi-million dollar structures, the construction industry isn’t making much progress in stopping serious injuries and deaths on construction sites. In her Construction Superintendent article, “What keeps you up at
Fatal Four Hazards in Construction Would you rather free fall from a high elevation, get crushed, get electrocuted or struck by a falling tool? In this Construction Executive article, Hilmerson President and CEO Deb Hilmerson shares her frustration that the same “Fatal Four” hazards in construction are still the most common causes of worker
Running a lean construction business can help you gain several competitive advantages. Construction Executive magazine invited lean construction industry vendor Deb Hilmerson to share her advice on eliminating, or at least minimizing, the eight most common areas of waste in lean construction. Hilmerson has spent much of her career working with construction industry leaders
OSHA reports that non-fatal construction injuries are on the rise. Even if you have a relatively clean safety record, it is prudent to consider using better, safer and more efficient options as they become available. As Hilmerson President and CEO Deb Hilmerson advised Construction Executive readers in this article, “Now is not the
“Reusable safety systems don’t fall into the ‘nice if you can afford it’ column. They actually save money by reducing costs and inefficiencies, as well as providing additional revenue streams,” wrote Hilmerson Safety® President and CEO Deb Hilmerson. In her exclusive article for Construction Executive Magazine: “Why every commercial contractor should be using reusable
Lean Safety is the all-important plank of the 6S System. What is 6S? As an equation: 6S = 5S + Safety. President & CEO of Hilmerson Safety®, Debra Hilmerson, explains the direct correlation of eliminating the 8 Wastes with improved safety and discusses how “Lean” and “Safety” are interconnected and the three ways they support
Construction inspections comprise 60% of OSHA’s total inspections. Our non-fatal injury rates are 71% higher than other industries. For this article "Do's & Don'ts from the Field: Would Your Jobsite Pass a Safety Inspection?" in Construction Superintendent, Deb Hilmerson stressed that because better solutions now exist, now may be a good time to reevaluate jobsite
Are you handing your workers a bucket of bull$#!^? When I started in construction setting precast concrete, I was given a safety belt and a 6' lanyard to safeguard me when working from heights. I would walk, most often unprotected from falls, to the nearest pick loop to tie-off. Once tied
