[VIDEO] This is Officially the Most Terrifying Construction Site on Earth

If you’re into heights, then China may be the place you need to be.  The country recently unveiled the world’s highest and longest glass bridge and, as scary as many tourists may find that, it was way more dangerous while it was under construction. New footage of another construction site in the Laowang Monutains is giving that bridge a run for it’s money.

Read more

NIOSH Releases Sound Level Meter App for Smartphone

NIOSH

NIOSH

Occupational hearing loss is talked about a lot in the construction industry, but noise levels have always been difficult to quantify for the everyday worker.  A company may have a professional sound level meter or noise dosimeter, but how often are they actually used?  With the advancement of smartphones, the power to avoid the lasting effects of hearing loss is being given back to individuals.

The lack of available technology or general lack of concern has most likely been the major contributing factors for the 23,000 people who suffered from occupational hearing loss 2007 (the last year this data was published by NIOSH). That same year, 14% of occupational illnesses were the result of hearing loss.

For iOS users, NIOSH has just released a free new smartphone app, called NIOSH SLM, to measure sound levels on the job site.  The app underwent extensive laboratory testing in order to meet the approved criteria for sound measurement, within 2dB of a type 1 sound meter). If used with a calibrated external microphone, the app has proven to work within 1dB of the type 1 sound meter. NIOSH states that the key benefits of the app are: raised worker awareness, helps workers make informed decisions about potential hazards, serves as a research tool to collect noise exposure data, and it promotes better hearing health and prevention measures.

In November of 2016, NIOSH also updated their evaluation of almost 200 different sound level meter apps available on both Android and iOS.  Of the 130 iOS apps researched, only 10 passed within the testing limits.  Of the 62 Android apps researched, only 4 apps passed. The study suggests that the Android apps were not nearly as reliable as the iOS apps and did not have many fo the same functions.  But since NIOSH has not released an Android app themselves, users will have to choose between the four listed in the study, which are: SPL Meter by AudioControl (free), deciBel Pro by BSB Mobile Solutions ($3.60), dB Sound Meter by Darren Gates ($0.99), and Noise Meter by JINASYS (free).

Featured
hilti+exo-01+exoskeleton.jpg
Hilti Officially Releases EXO-01 Exoskeleton, Names Price

Last summer, Hilti announced that they had developed their first exoskeleton designed for construction tradespeople in a partnership with Ottobuck, a prosthetics, orthotics, and exoskeleton provider. Earlier this month, Hilti officially released the exoskeleton, announced more details, and published its retail price on their website.

unsplash-image-sgYamIzhAhg.jpg
How to Minimize Risk on Your Construction Site

[guest post] It’s a morbid statistic, but the construction industry experiences more workplace deaths than any other. With so many potential hazards, heavy-duty machinery, and power tools, it’s perhaps not surprising that serious accidents are relatively commonplace.

balfour beatty covid-19 safety orientation video.PNG
[VIDEO] How Balfour Beatty is Handling COVID-19 Safety on the Jobsite

Even though we’re over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus is still threatening the health of construction’s workers and taking a toll on project timelines. It’s likely that your company has already determined the best course of action to help mitigate the risk of spreading the virus on your jobsites, but it’s never too late to learn from another contractor.

effects of pandemic on construction.png
1 Year Later: The Effects of Coronavirus on Construction

It’s been a little over a year since the coronavirus pandemic sent the entire world into a period of uncertainty, heartache, and panic. The construction industry itself has undertaken many different challenges, above and beyond keeping their people safe on the jobsite, many of which no one could have expected.

doosan transparent bucket.jpg
Doosan Announces Industry First “Transparent Bucket” to Wheel Loader to Eliminate Blind Spots

“You make a better door than a window!” is what I imagine loader operators constantly yell at the bucket in front of them (or maybe I’m just projecting based on my experience of having the habit of sitting right in front of the TV as a kid). Either way, operators may not be yelling that in the future, as equipment manufacturer, Doosan, has introduced what they claim is an industry first “transparent” bucket.

iq228 3.PNG
Cool Tools: World’s First Dry Cut 7-1/2” Portable Tile Saw

Reducing dust when cutting tile is important for many reasons (including safety and cleanliness), but wet tile saws can be a pain to use, with the slurry created spraying all around the work station and cold weather making the saw much more difficult to use outside. iQ Power Tools has a solution for that: the world’s first 7” portable dry table saw with integrated dust control.

Fall_Stand-Down_Tweets1.png
National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction Starts May 3

In the construction industry, falls from height are continuously the leading cause of jobsite injuries, fatalities, and, as a result, OSHA citations. From May 3-May 7, OSHA invites construction employers and stakeholders to take part in their 8th annual National Safety Stand Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.

syracuse+crane+collapse.jpg
Crane Collapses on Jobsite in Syracuse, NY, No Injuries Reported

On Tuesday morning, February 23, the Syracuse Fire Department responded to a call about a collapsed crane on a construction site near the university. Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Feher ACHardhat.JPG
Finally, an Air-Conditioned Hard Hat is on the Horizon

It seems a little odd to be talking about air-conditioning when much of the United States hit some incredibly low temperatures in recent days, but a product that I learned about recently is just too exciting to ignore. Announced at CES 2021, a research company has unveiled an air-conditioned hard hat (ACHH) that can reduce the ambient temperature up to 22 degrees Fahrenheit!

7 Biggest Safety Stories 2020.png
The 7 Biggest Construction Safety Stories of 2020

2020 was a challenging year in many respects, but none greater than from a safety standpoint. The coronavirus pandemic placed the notion of “people over profits” under the microscope, while also balancing the needs of their employees to continue to make an income under difficult circumstances. While the pandemic was a large part of the construction safety conversation last year, there were several other developments to take note of for your projects in the future.

[VIDEO] Crane Suspending Skid Steer During Demolition is a Bad Idea

Since Construction Junkie was conceived in 2015, we’ve seen a lot of construction equipment flip for some really stupid reasons.  Like this crane, this other crane, and this third crane dropping a bulldozer.  Those are just some of the ones caught on video and they should be enough to convince you not to go out of your way to do dangerous things with a crane. 

Read more

Report Confirms Cause of 2013 Washington State Bridge Collapse

A portion of the Skagit River Bridge, located in Mount Vernon, Washington catastrophically collapsed into the water below after a semi hauling an oversized load clipped a cross beam in 2013.  Luckily and amazingly, no one was killed by the incident, but 3 people were taken to the hospital for minor injuries as several cars fell into the river.  It took over 3 years to determine a cause and the report states that there were several causes.  First, below is security camera footage of the collapse, uploaded to Youtube by newschannel500, in which you can see just how quickly the collapse happened.

Read more

Crane Collapses onto Busy Dubai Road

Cranes are a staple of many construction sites throughout the world, but they’re susceptible to damage caused by sudden bursts of high wind.  Winds were blamed for the collapse of the New York City crane collapse that killed one man and injured 3 others in 2016 and again for the devastating crane collapse in Mecca, which killed over 100.

Much like the stories above, a crane collapsed last week in Dubai, UAE, after sudden heavy winds burst through town.

Read more

3 Construction Workers Died in Florida After Collapsing During Underground Work

Tragedy struck a Florida construction company last week after 3 construction workers passed away while working underground below a newly paved road.  Another volunteer firefighter is in critical condition, and possibly in a coma according to WSVN Miami, after entering the manhole trying to save the victims.

Read more