A Reminder About the 11 Construction Workers Who Died Building the Rio Olympics Sites

August 15, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Maracana Stadium in Brazil, location of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Rio Olympics and a location of the 2014 World Cup.  Photo by Rodrigo Soldon, CC BY-ND 2.0 — Maracana Stadium in Brazil, location of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Rio Olympics and a location of the 2014 World Cup. Photo by Rodrigo Soldon, CC BY-ND 2.0

Though the venues of the Rio Olympics may look great on camera, the behind the scenes issues that occurred left Olympic officials stunned. It seemed that Rio was behind schedule from the start, which may have fueled some of the job site conditions that resulted in 11 construction workers’ deaths over the course of the project. Even back in 2014, John D. Coates, the Vice President of the Olympic Committee told reporters that Brazil was not ready for the Olympics “in many, many ways” and also called their preparation worse than Athens, Greece in 2004. Brazil was also the host of the 2014 World Cup and 8 construction workers were killed on the job, including 2 that were killed by a collapsed crane at San Paulo Stadium. Zero deaths were reported during the building process for the 2012 London Olympics.

Report: North Korean Construction Workers Given Crystal Meth to Finish Building on Time

August 11, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Meth pipe.  Photo by Drew Stephens, CC BY-SA 2.0 — Meth pipe. Photo by Drew Stephens, CC BY-SA 2.0

OK look, there are certainly a lot of pressures to get buildings completed on time, but I’d never thought I’d hear of construction workers being GIVEN crystal meth in order to finish a building on time. But, that’s what multiple sources are telling Radio Free Asia (RFA) is happening right now in North Korea. According to RFA, the project managers working on a “showcase” construction project in Pyongyang, which includes many different buildings, are under extreme pressures to finish on time.

7 Tips for Safe Heavy Haul Trucking

August 10, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Heavy haul or over-dimensional trucking is no small feat (yes, pun intended). Such a task demands careful execution and planning in order to ensure success and avoid injuries or crashes.

Listed below are seven tips that will help you to move your load safely.

[VIDEO] New Safety Gloves Can Keep Your Fingers From Being Smashed By A Hammer

August 9, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Keeping your feet safe on the job site is a no brainer and boots with toe protection are almost always required. The problem with gloves has always been trying to find a balance between adequately protecting hands and maintaining dexterity and functionality. Too much protection could cause your hands to be immobilized or reduce your ability to actually use the tools you’re being protected against. But gloves that are too comfortable may only act as an extra layer of skin and you’re left nursing a black and blue index finger.

[VIDEO] This is What It Looks Like When a Wrecking Ball Hits a Minivan

August 2, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Wrecking balls got a big publicity boost in 2013 when Miley Cyrus released her hit song, but, they’re not really that popular with regards to demolition. Wrecking balls are slowly becoming extinct in the construction industry, making way for more precise hydraulic excavators and explosives. Made of forged steel, wrecking balls typically range between 1,000 to 12,000 pounds. Needless to say, they’re big, they’re heavy, and they don’t belong around operating streets and buildings. Which leads us to the video below…

3 Simple Steps to Reduce the Risk of Falling Objects on Your Construction Site

July 29, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Remember that day in school when the lesson was about the acceleration of free falling objects. The science teacher asked an interesting question. If you dropped a feather and a hammer out the window at the same time, which would hit the ground first? According to Galileo, all things should fall at the same rate, regardless of their weight, right? That’s a valid theory and it was actually illustrated at the end of the Apollo 15 moon walk. In 1971 astronaut, David Scott, performed the experiment and had both items land simultaneously.

Initial Investigations and Theories Have Begun After Crane Collapse on New York Bridge

July 28, 2016 Shane Hedmond

Photo from Tappan Zee Bridge in New York by Raellyn & Melissa, CC BY-ND 2.0

On Tuesday, July 19th, a crane, with its boom extended 25 stories high, buckled and collapsed onto the active Tappan Zee Bridge in New York. Thankfully and amazingly, no one was killed and only a couple people sustained minor injuries, but traffic on the bridge was stopped for hours. All but one lane was re-opened on the bridge within 8 hours of the collapse. After the collapse, work began to try to determine the cause of the accident.

[VIDEO] Construction Workers Forced to Jump Off 6 Story High Boom Lift That Caught Fire

July 22, 2016 Shane Hedmond

construction workers jump from burning lift

A lot of safety discussions center around how to keep yourself from falling off or being launched from lifts, but not many safety discussions involve how to get off of them when you’re in danger. Just recently, two construction workers in Boise, Idaho had to make some quick decisions as their welding blanket caught fire while they were in the lift.

[VIDEO] Crane Collapses On Busy New York Bridge

July 19, 2016 William Lucus

A crane being used to construct the new Tappan Zee Bridge in New York has collapsed across active lanes of traffic. The collapse happened on Tuesday and is blocking all lanes of traffic on the bridge that it was replacing. So far the news outlets report 5 people are injured due to the incident.

OSHA’s Controversial New Injury Reporting Rule Enforcement Has Been Delayed

July 15, 2016 Shane Hedmond

In May of 2016, OSHA announced a new rule hoping to gain valuable data regarding workplace incidents would go into effect starting August 10, 2016. After the announcement, several construction industry groups spoke out about their apprehensions of the new rule and the effective date has recently been pushed back to November 1, 2016. The new rule will not only help OSHA gain data into workplace injuries, but it will also require construction companies to make their injury records public, much like restaurant health records are made public. Personal health data will still be kept private, but the injury numbers will be counted against employers. OSHA also requires employers to allow workers to report injury without fear of retaliation under the new rule.

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