Safety Posts
Developing a Safety Committee
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. A safety committee's purpose is to create a hazard-free workplace environment for all employees. Safety committees are a valuable resource and should not be overlooked as part of your overall safety culture. It is a prudent objective for your company to have one and listen to ...
OSHA Inspections – What You Should Expect
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Don't be blindsided by your upcoming OSHA inspection. Here are some tips for getting prepared. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) averaged approximately 32,000 inspections, and State-operated plans averaged 42,000 per year in the three prior years to the pandemic in 2020. Though inspections were ...
The Sound of Safety
By Cass Jacoby, RCS Reporter. You want to create buildings that are a safe space, but the effects of noise can cause problems. Learn why being thoughtful about acoustics is so important to the safety of a building. In the RLW, All About Roof and Wall Acoustics, Heidi J. ...
OSHA’s Heat Illness Prevention Efforts
By Trent Cotney. In April 2022, OSHA created its National Emphasis Program that focuses on indoor and outdoor heat-related hazards. Across the nation in recent weeks, we have seen record heat. These alarming temperatures are not merely an annoyance. They can put thousands of workers at risk. The Occupational Safety and Health ...
Indicators Your Company Needs To Improve Its Safety Culture
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Avoid OSHA violations and keep crew members safe by improving your company's safety culture. As professional roofing contractors, we are always thinking about safety — yet our industry is still one of the most high-risk. OSHA statistics show seven of the top ten cited violations and ...
With Safer Practices Come More Opportunities
By Jessica Chavez, Labor Central. Learn about the benefits of training roofing crews in safe practices, including decreased risk of injury and increased paychecks! Everyone in roofing knows about the high potential for injury. Whether it’s falling, high wind or extreme heat, roofing crews need to be prepared for anything. ...
OSHA's Silica Standard Increases Costs and Adds Confusions for Roofing Contractors
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Learn about some roofing contractors' traditionally used tools that expose their workers to silica and the practiced control methods to limit exposure. OSHA began enforcing the silica standard for the construction industry in September of 2017. The critical provision with the most significant impact on the ...
Rescue Planning as Part of Your Fall Protection
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. Learn more about the importance of fall protection rescue plans and how to implement them. Falls are among the most common workplace injuries in our industry year after year. Rescue plans are often overlooked as fall protection components, but rescue plans are necessary for Roofing Contractors. ...
Safety in Contracts
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. This article aims not to give legal advice but real-world information and guidelines on safety and health requirements in construction contracts and assist roofing contractors when reviewing the safety section of your contracts. Contracts are essential to the construction process and may be defined ...
The Economics of Safety
By John Kenney, Cotney Consulting Group. This article will look at the economic aspects of safety in roofing, including costs, benefits, return on investment (ROI), investment optimization, and evaluation. Although efforts have been made to improve safety, many barriers remain, and those influenced by economic considerations are particularly dominant. The dynamic characteristics ...
