White Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords on 1/1/17!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees:

We begin a new quarter for our Assured Grounding Conductor Program on January 1st, 2017. To all Safety Advocates/Coordinators - please help keep our employees safe and help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding conductor program.  We need your help in overseeing that we inspect, test and color-code with white tape, all 3 pronged electrical tools and extension cords. All electrical tools and cords need to be visually inspected. If you see any defects in the cords such as bare wires, severe kinks, missing or damaged ground prong, the cord pulling away from the plug end housing, etc., then that tool or cord would need to be immediately removed from service and reported to your lead field supervisor. If your tool/cord passes the visual inspection, your next step is to test the cord with a receptacle tester. First, you should test the outlet that you will be plugging your cord into to ensure that it is properly wired. You should see 2 yellow lights lit up on your tester and the red light should be off. This means the outlet is working appropriately. Next, plug your cord into the outlet and then test the cord with the receptacle tester. Again, you should see the same light pattern as mentioned above and this would mean the cord passed the test and it is good and safe to use. Any other light pattern means that there is a problem with the cord and the cord needs to be removed from service and reported to your lead field supervisor. If the cord passes the visual inspection and the cord tester test, you should then remove the previous quarter's orange electrical tape and install the white electrical tape about 1" down from both plug ends. Your cord is now in compliance with our 1st quarter's Assured Grounding Program. The white tape shall remain in place from 1/1/17 through 3/31/17. You are not quite done yet! You now need to visually inspect all electrical cords and tools on a daily basis and if any defects are found, the cord needs to be immediately removed from service.

If you do not have white electrical tape, please contact your superintendent so we can coordinate getting the white tape to you.

Thank you for taking the time to ensure your electrical tools and cords are in safe working order. Your actions may prevent one of our family members from sustaining an electrical shock type injury or worse yet, an electrocution. If you have any questions regarding our Assured Grounding Program, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Working in Extremely Cold Weather Safety!

Good afternoon to all I.D.I. employees:

It is dangerously cold out and working in the cold can cause several types of cold stress injuries.  People who are exposed to lower temperatures are at risk for injuries ranging from frostbite to serious loss of body heat (hypothermia) which could result in brain damage or death.

Dress warmly, in layers. Preserving an air space between the body and the outer layer of clothing will help retain body heat. Choose fabrics such as cotton or wool, which insulate but also allow sweat to evaporate. It is especially important to protect the feet, hands, head, and face. These parts of the body are farthest from the heart and are the hardest to keep warm. Almost half your body heat can be lost through the head, so cover it up as well. 

Keep dry. Wetness greatly increases the chance of cold stress. Always have extra clothing available if there's a chance you could get wet. Keep your feet dry, they are very susceptible to frostbite.

Take a break. You may think it's wise to keep on working in cold temperatures. After all, working makes you break a sweat and you feel warmer. But if you become fatigued during physical activity, your body loses its ability to properly retain heat. This causes rapid cooling which can quickly lead to cold stress. When you take a break, be sure to replace lost fluids and calories by drinking warm, sweet, caffeine-free nonalcoholic drinks and soup.  If you are getting overly fatigued in cold weather, developing frostbite or hypothermia discuss with your Field Supervisor and/or Superintendent about taking a short break.

Eat right. A proper diet provides your body with the nutrients it needs to withstand cold stress. A restrictive diet may deprive your body the ability to work well in cold temperatures.

Learn what to look out for. The effects of cold stress may not be apparent to its victim. The first symptoms of hypothermia are uncontrollable shivering and the sensation of cold. The heartbeat slows and may become irregular, and the pulse weakens. As the condition worsens, severe shaking or rigid muscles may be evident. The victim may also have slurred speech, memory lapses, and drowsiness. Cool skin, slow, irregular breathing, and exhaustion occur as the body temperature drops even lower. This is a serious condition requiring immediate medical attention.

Frostbite can occur without accompanying hypothermia. Frostbite occurs when the fluids around the body's tissues freeze. The most vulnerable parts of the body are the nose, cheeks, ears, fingers, and toes. Symptoms of frostbite include coldness and tingling in the affected part, followed by numbness; changes in skin color to white or grayish-yellow, initial pain, which subsides as the condition, worsens, and possibly blisters. Frostbite can cause irreversible tissue damage and requires immediate medical attention.

If you work in lower-temperature environments, always be alert for the possibility of cold stress. Follow these guidelines to help protect yourself from injury. Remember that it doesn't have to be freezing for cold stress to occur. Take steps to protect yourself.

If you are working outside or in spaces that are not protected from the exterior environment, communicate with your field supervisor and Superintendent of any cold-weather safety related concerns or issues that you may have.  Should you have any questions about working in the cold, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

2016 Volunteer Safety Training Incentive Catalogs - In The Mail!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

Just letting everyone know that our 2016 Volunteer Safety Training Incentive Program catalogs went out in the mail yesterday on 12/5/16.  Everyone who participated in the incentive program should be receiving a catalog in the mail over the next few days.  If you do not receive a catalog, that would mean that you did not participate in the volunteer safety training incentive program by attending a volunteer quarterly safety meeting in 2016.

The mailer that you will be receiving includes a letter that advises of your point total with instructions on how to redeem your points.  It also includes the 2016 catalog and order form.

The instructions advise to return the completed order form to our Safety Director, Peter Graham, by the end of the day on Thursday, 12/15/16.  You can take a clear picture of the order form and e-mail it to pgraham@4idi.com.  You can also fax it to (847) 526-7444 or you can mail it to our office at 28059 W. Commercial Ave., Barrington, IL. 60010 to the attention of Peter Graham.

Please remember that the incentive points cannot be carried over to the next year so use all of the points you can up to the amount of your point total that is on the letter that you will be receiving.  If you feel there are any discrepancies with your point total, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham.

We want to thank everyone who participated in this program as your volunteer attendance at our quarterly safety meetings is what helps us to create a safe work environment that enables all of our employees to go home to their loved ones in the same condition as they arrived at work.

Lastly, this year, all adult T-shirts will have our safety mission statement printed on the back side. "Everyone goes home alive and in the same condition as they arrived; your loved ones count on it!"

Again, thank you to all of you who attended our volunteer quarterly safety meetings!  You are what creates a positive safety culture.

Have a Safe Day!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety "Make-Up" Meeting on Wednesday, 11/30/16 at 4:00pm

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

As you all know, we held our 4th volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016 on Saturday, 11/19/16. We offer a volunteer make-up meeting for those that could not attend the regularly scheduled safety meeting either due to working for I.D.I. on the Saturday of the meeting or due to unforeseen circumstances, etc.

The volunteer quarterly safety make-up meeting is being held on Wednesday, 11/30/16 at 4:00pm at our Barrington office in our warehouse. The safety training topic is: "I.D.I.'s Safety Culture."

Included in this safety meeting is a follow up for our last volunteer quarterly safety meeting in which we trained on Behavioral Based Safety.  At our last safety meeting, we trained on the 4 mind states that are known to lead to injuries which are: Rushing, Frustration, Fatigue and Complacency which can lead to not having your Eyes on Task, Mind not on Task, Being in the Line-of-Fire or Loss of Balance, Traction or Grip.  We had asked all of you at the last safety meeting to keep the behavioral based safety training on your mind as you are at job sites and think about whether you noticed the above occurring to you or witnessed it occurring to others and then to be prepared to discuss it in our small group break-outs at our 11/19/16 volunteer quarterly safety meeting.  Maybe you were involved in or witnessed an incident, near-miss, or injury?  If so, what mind states and contributing factors were reasons for the incident?

  

Each field employee who attends this volunteer safety training session will earn 400 safety training incentive points for our current year.  

Should you have any questions about this meeting, please ask your Superintendent or contact           our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689 or at pgraham@4idi.com.

See you at the meeting!

Final Reminder - Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting - This Saturday, 11/19/16!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting Notice

You are invited to attend our 4th volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016.  

Who is invited?   All employees

When is the meeting?  Saturday, November 19th from 7:00am to 9:00am

Where is the meeting?  At our Barrington Shop/Office

                           (28059 W. Commercial Ave., Barrington, IL)

What is the topic?  “I.D.I.’s Safety Culture”

                          

International Decorators is offering volunteer safety training for all of our employees.  Our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting will be on Saturday, 11/19/16 from 7:00am to about 9:00am at our office. The safety training topic for this meeting is: “I.D.I.’s Safety Culture.” Included in this safety meeting is a follow up for our last volunteer quarterly safety meeting in which we trained on Behavioral Based Safety.  At our last safety meeting, we trained on the 4 mind states that are known to lead to injuries which are: Rushing, Frustration, Fatigue and Complacency which can lead to not having your Eyes on Task, Mind not on Task, Being in the Line-of-Fire or Loss of Balance, Traction or Grip.  We had asked all of you at the last safety meeting to keep the behavioral based safety training on your mind as you are at job sites and think about whether you noticed the above occurring to you or witnessed it occurring to others and then to be prepared to discuss it in our small group break-outs at our 11/19/16 volunteer quarterly safety meeting.  Maybe you were involved in or witnessed an incident, near-miss, or injury?  If so, what mind states and contributing factors were reasons for the incident?  

  

Each field employee who attends this volunteer safety training session will earn 400 safety training incentive points for our current year.  

Should you have any questions about this meeting, please ask your Superintendent or contact           our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689 or at pgraham@4idi.com.

See you at the meeting!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting Notice

You are invited to attend our 4th volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016. 

Who is invited?   All employees

When is the meeting?  Saturday, November 19th from 7:00am to 9:00am

Where is the meeting?  At our Barrington Shop/Office

                           (28059 W. Commercial Ave., Barrington, IL)

What is the topic?  “I.D.I.’s Safety Culture”

                         

International Decorators is offering volunteer safety training for all of our employees.  Our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting will be on Saturday, 11/19/16 from 7:00am to about 9:00am at our office. The safety training topic for this meeting is: “I.D.I.’s Safety Culture.” Included in this safety meeting is a follow up for our last volunteer quarterly safety meeting in which we trained on Behavioral Based Safety.  At our last safety meeting, we trained on the 4 mind states that are known to lead to injuries which are: Rushing, Frustration, Fatigue and Complacency which can lead to not having your Eyes on Task, Mind not on Task, Being in the Line-of-Fire or Loss of Balance, Traction or Grip.  We had asked all of you at the last safety meeting to keep the behavioral based safety training on your mind as you are at job sites and think about whether you noticed the above occurring to you or witnessed it occurring to others and then to be prepared to discuss it in our small group break-outs at our 11/19/16 volunteer quarterly safety meeting.  Maybe you were involved in or witnessed an incident, near-miss, or injury?  If so, what mind states and contributing factors were reasons for the incident? 

 

Each field employee who attends this volunteer safety training session will earn 400 safety training incentive points for our current year. 

Should you have any questions about this meeting, please ask your Superintendent or contact           our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689 or at pgraham@4idi.com.

See you at the meeting!

Complacency is Dangerous!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,  

As you know, our recent volunteer quarterly safety training meeting was on Behavioral Based Safety which included the 4 mind-states that are known to be leading causes of injuries.  The 4 mind-states are Rushing, Frustration, Fatigue and Complacency.  These 4 mind-states can cause or contribute to these 4 critical errors: Eyes not on Task, Mind not on Task, Being in the Line of Fire and/or Loss of Balance, Traction and Grip.  

I found a toolbox talk in regards to complacency and I wanted to share it with everyone.  Please see the toolbox talk below.  

Complacency can be defined as self-satisfaction, especially when accompanied by unawareness of actual dangers or deficiencies. Complacency is extremely dangerous in the workplace.  We get so used to things being done the same way every day and we don’t always look at the hazards in our surroundings.  We may also underestimate the risk of tasks that we perform regularly, or fail to notice a change in our environment when we become complacent in our daily routines. When working on the job, there is danger when a person goes on auto-pilot.  All too often we don’t realize how complacent we are until we have a near miss or incident. When something like this happens, it jump starts our heart and then we refocus our attention.  Most incidents are caused by unsafe acts. Companies and employees work hard to create a safe workplace and eliminate unsafe acts.  But what happens to one’s own unsafe behavior?  If you read between the lines of incident reports, you may see that workers involved in the incidents had become complacent about safety.  When workers begin to work in auto-pilot mode, and stop paying attention to what they are doing, that can lead to taking short cuts and taking risks. If employees aren’t thinking about what could go wrong every day, all day while they work, they are not completing the task safely.  Workers need to be trained to think ahead as they approach each task and consider:

· What they are working with

· What they will be doing

· Where they will be going

· What could go wrong

Encourage employees to examine equipment, procedures and the hazards that may exist. They need to focus physically and mentally on their work, no matter how many times they have done the same job in the past. 

Keep an eye on each other and help each other to perform in a safe manner, your loved ones count on it!

Don't let complacency happen to you and to those working around you. 

Have a Safe Day!

Volunteer Safety Meeting - Video Footage : Behavioral Based Safety!

Good afternoon to all I.D.I. employees,

Below is some footage from last night's volunteer make-up safety meeting.
We want to say thank you to all of the employees that attended our 9/10/16 and 9/29/16 volunteer safety meetings on Behavioral Based Safety!  We hope this safety session was beneficial to all of you in helping to win the battle against injuries.  We appreciate all of you taking time out of your busy lives to help make our safety culture the best in the construction industry.

Have a Safe Weekend!

Orange Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords on 10/1/16!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees:

We began a new quarter on 10/1/16 for our Assured Grounding Program. We are to switch over our cords from the previous quarter's red tape to orange tape.  To all Safety Coordinators, please help keep our employees safe and help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding program. Please inspect, test and color-code with orange tape all extension cords and 3 pronged electrical tools.  All extension cords and tools need to be visually inspected. If you see any defects in the cords such as bare wires, severe kinks, missing or damaged ground prong, the cord pulling away from the plug end-housing, etc., then that tool or cord would need to be immediately removed from service and reported to the lead person. If your tool/cord passes the visual inspection, your next step is to test the cord with a receptacle tester. First, you should test the oulet that you will be plugging your cord into to ensure that it is properly wired. You should see 2 yellow lights lit up on your tester and the red light should be off. This means the outlet is working appropriately. Next, plug your cord into the outlet and then test the cord with the receptacle tester. Again, you should see the same light pattern as mentioned above and this would mean the cord passed the test and it is good and safe to use. Any other light pattern means that there is a problem with the cord and the cord needs to be removed from service and reported to your lead person. If the cord passes the visual inspection and the cord tester test, you should then remove the previous quarter's red electrical tape and install the orange electrical tape about 1" down from both plug ends. Your cord is now in compliance with our 4th quarter's Assured Grounding Program. The orange tape shall remain in place from 10/1/16 through 12/31/16. You are not quite done yet! All employees now need to visually inspect all electrical cords and tools on a daily basis and if any defects are found, the cord or tool needs to be immediately removed from service.

Thank you for taking the time to ensure your electrical tools and cords are in safe working order. Your actions may prevent one of our family members from sustaining an electrical shock type injury or worse yet and electrocution. If you have any questions regarding our Assured Grounding Program, please call our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety "Make-Up" Meeting on Thursday, 9/29/16 at 4:00pm

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

As you all know, we held our 3rd volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016 on Saturday, 9/10/16. We offer a volunteer make-up meeting for those that could not attend the regularly scheduled safety meeting either due to working for I.D.I. on the Saturday of the meeting or due to unforeseen circumstances, etc.

The volunteer quarterly safety make-up meeting is being held on Thursday, 9/29/16 at 4:00pm at our Barrington office in our warehouse. The safety training topic is: "Behavioral Based Safety."

This type of training is in line with what we are trying to accomplish with our safety culture. This training focuses on four mind sets which can lead to injuries which are rushing, frustration, fatigue and complacency which can cause or contribute to four critical errors which are eyes not on task, mind not on task, being in the line-of-fire and/or loss of balance/traction and grip which increase the risk of injury.

Each employee that attends this safety meeting will earn 400 volunteer safety training incentive points for our current year.

We are asking everyone to help spread the word to all of our employees so they have the opportunity to attend.

Also if you are planning on attending, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham, no later than Wednesday, 9/28/16 at 3:00pm to let him know as we need an approximate head-count for the meeting as we have to prepare materials and for chair rental purposes. Peter can be reached by e-mail at pgraham@4idi.com or text to (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Sprinkler Flood Damage - Limited in Part by 5-Minute Morning Safety Huddle!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

Often times we only hear the bad things that happen when it comes to safety.  Well last Thursday, a great thing occurred that I felt the need to share with everyone.

Our crew was working on the 4th floor at a project.  Another contractor struck a sprinkler head on the 4^th floor causing water to start flooding an area on the 4^th floor.  Our lead field supervisor, Matt Larson, said that our apprentice carpenter, Robert Hula, immediately yelled out to Matt and the rest of our crew to “shut off the water valve, a sprinkler pipe got hit!”  Matt immediately dismounted from his baker scaffold, grabbed a portable ladder, shut off the water valve and opened the drain valve.  This stopped the water flow and the water left in the pipes then flows through the pipes to the drain instead of out into the space.  Matt also said our crew jumped on helping to prevent the water from getting down the cored holes in the concrete floor and the water got contained to minimize the damage. 

Matt advised that our 5-minute morning safety huddles played a big role in this.  Matt goes over these procedures every day in his 5-minute morning safety huddle.  He reminds the crew that the sprinkler pipes are live, be aware of where they are when you are working around them and to not bump them.  He also goes over as to where the shut off valves are.  Matt also said thank you to our company for doing the training that we do as it prepared him to deal with situations like this and to be aware of live sprinkler pipes.  Matt advised that his crew followed the procedures that they discuss every morning and Robert Hula acted quickly and correctly. Matt advised that the 5-minute daily huddles provided him with the avenue to go over procedures like this.

Matt – terrific job to you, your crew and Robert on being prepared and for preparing your crew! You and your crew's actions potentially saved thousands of dollars, further frustration, time and great client relations. 

Great job!!!!!!!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting Notice

You are invited to attend our 3rd volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016. 

Who is invited?   All employees 

                          

When is the meeting?  Saturday, September 10th from 

7:00am to 9:00am

Where is the meeting?  At our Barrington Shop/Office

 (28059 W. Commercial Ave., Barrington, IL)

What is the topic?  “Behavioral Based Safety!”

                         

International Decorators is offering volunteer safety training for all of our employees.  Our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting will be on Saturday, 9/10/16 from 7:00am to about 9:00am at our office. The safety training topic for this meeting is: “Behavioral Based Safety” and this will be presented by a guest trainer.   

 

Each field employee who attends this safety training session will earn 400 safety training incentive points for our current year. 

Should you have any questions about this meeting, please ask your Superintendent or contact 

our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689 or at pgraham@4idi.com.

See you at the meeting!

OSHA Construction 30-Hour Couse

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

I have recently had some inquiries from employees about taking the OSHA Construction 30-hour course. 

There is an OSHA 30-hour course at Chicago Carpenters in Elk Grove that runs on 9/10, 9/17, 9/24 & 10/1.

There is an OSHA 30-hour course at District Council #30 for painters and drywall finishers that runs on 9/16, 9/17, 9/23 & 9/24.

There is an OSHA 30-hour course at District Council #14 for painters and drywall finishers that runs on 9/3, 9/4, 9/10 & 9/11. 

We are always encouraging our employees to complete the OSHA 30-hour construction course because of the benefits that can be gained from taking this course.  This course will help employees to get a better understanding of what safety is all about, a better understanding of the OSHA regulations that apply to working in the construction trades, it will help to make you a safer employee to help prevent you from getting injured, and it can benefit you from the standpoint in that we have many general contractors that require us to man their projects with employees that have a current OSHA 30-hour card and this makes you qualified to work at those projects.  

If you are considering taking the OSHA construction 30-hour at your union training school, you can contact them to get scheduled.  If you do complete this course, please advise our Safety Director, Peter Graham and send him a copy of your course completion certificate as you will receive safety incentive points for taking this course under our 2016 Volunteer Safety Training Incentive Plan.

Have a Safe Day!

I.D.I.'s Co-worker Appreciation Event on 8/13/16

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety - Saturday 9/10/16!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

Just getting the word out that our next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting will be held on Saturday, 9/10/16 at 7:00am at our Barrington office location.  We have not yet determined the safety training topic, however, we wanted to advise everyone of the date.

In the meantime, keep safety at the forefront of your mind with each task that you perform. Everyone should be participating in the mandatory 5-minute morning daily safety huddles to help promote everyone performing in a safe manner.  Some quick reminders - 100% hard hats, safety glasses & work boots.  Check your extension cords and electrical cords daily and remove them from service if defective.  Face shield and fire extinguishers required for chop saw and partner saw use.  Fall protection required for all employees exposed to falls of 6' or more to lower levels.  No standing on the top 2 steps of portable A-frame step ladders and can only use in the fully open position with the spreader arms locked.  Keep an eye on each other and help keep our I.D.I. family members safe so they can go home each day to their loved ones in the same condition as they arrived.

We look forward to seeing you at our 3rd volunteer quarterly safety meeting on 9/10/16.

Should you have any questions related to safety, please discuss with your lead field supervisor, your Superintendent and/or contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Red Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords as of 7/1/16!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees:

We begin a new quarter on Friday, 7/1/16 for our Assured Grounding Program.  We are to switch over our cords from green tape to red tape. To all Safety Coordinators - please help keep our employees safe and help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding program. Please inspect, test and color-code with red tape all 3 pronged electrical tools and extension cords. All electrical tools and cords need to be visually inspected. If you see any defects in the cords such as bare wires, severe kinks, missing or damaged ground prong, the cord pulling away from the plug end-housing, etc., then that tool or cord would need to be immediately removed from service and reported to the lead person. If your tool/cord passes the visual inspection, your next step is to test the cord with a receptacle tester. First, you should test the oulet that you will be plugging your cord into to ensure that it is properly wired. You should see 2 yellow lights lit up on your tester and the red light should be off. This means the outlet is working appropriately. Next, plug your cord into the outlet and then test the cord with the receptacle tester. Again, you should see the same light pattern as mentioned above and this would mean the cord passed the test and it is good and safe to use. Any other light pattern means that there is a problem with the cord and the cord needs to be removed from service and reported to your lead person. If the cord passes the visual inspection and the cord tester test, you should then remove the previous quarter's green electrical tape and install the red electrical tape about 1" down from both plug ends. Your cord is now in compliance with our 3rd quarter's Assured Grounding Program. The red tape shall remain in place from 7/1/16 through 9/30/16. You are not quite done yet! All employees now need to visually inspect all electrical cords and tools on a daily basis and if any defects are found, the cord needs to be immediately removed from service.

Thank you for taking the time to ensure your electrical tools and cords are in safe working order. Your actions may prevent one of our family members from sustaining an electrical shock type injury or worse yet and electrocution. If you have any questions regarding our Assured Grounding Program, please call our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Summer Heat - Drink Plenty of Water and Communicate With Your Supervisors!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees:

Summer is here and we are getting 90 plus degree weather this week.  This is a good time to put out another reminder of what to look for as for as heat exhaustion symptoms, prevention methods, etc.  Although summer heat is the largest cause of heat distress disorder, it may also occur when workers are exposed to confined areas such as pipelines, tanks and other spaces with limited ventilation, and any confined area involving welding or cutting.

Symptoms:
The symptoms of heat stress disorders are very slow to start, but increase in intensity if precautions are not taken. The onset of the initial symptoms are mild and usually involve headaches, thirst, tiredness and weakness. Heat stress can move to heat stroke, a life-threatening medical emergency, quickly when the body's natural cooling system breaks down and causes the body core temperature to rise and overheat the brain. Some of the symptoms of heat stroke are immense thirst, severe headaches, disorientation, dry/hot skin (no sweating) and possibly collapse.

Treatment/Prevention:
The following ideas may aid in combating heat stress disorders:
1. Employees accustomed to working in the heat are better candidates for job assignments where heat stress disorders may occur.
2. Until employees acclimate to the high temperatures, allow them for short frequent breaks to cool down.
3. If heat is affecting employees, it’s a good idea to rotate employees job tasks from the heat exposure area to a non-heat exposure area on a regular basis to help in avoiding heat stress symptoms.
4. Employees should be encouraged to drink plenty of fluids (water, Gatorade, Powerade, etc.) to replace electrolytes. Water is actually the best choice. Employees should not drink any carbonated beverages (Coke, Pepsi, Energy drinks, etc.) as these only increase dehydration and give a false sense of being properly hydrated. Also, the use of alcohol the evening before the work shift, can lead to dehydration even before heat exposure.

We need to keep an eye on each other and if an employee appears to be suffering from heat stress disorder, remove him or her from the heat and provide a cool, shaded place to rest and provide them with plenty of water. If the employee is disoriented or non-responsive, call for medical attention immediately. (911 in most areas) The goal is to recognize the hazards and symptoms of heat stress disorders and stop them before they occur. Remember, there is no better cure than prevention.

As always, if you are having to take extra breaks due to the extreme heat, you must notify your lead supervisor who in turn must contact your Superintendent.  

Should you have any questions regarding heat related stress, you are encouraged to call our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689. 

Have a Safe Day!

Two workers hospitalized after lightning strike at Libertyville H.S.

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

Please read the article below from the Chicago Tribune on 6/13/16.  We don't want this to happen to our I.D.I. family members.  If you are working outside and you see lightning, you need to stop work, get to a safe location and notify your Superintendent.  Your safety is our number one concern and the number one concern of your loved ones!

A roofing worker is seen atop Libertyville High School after the Libertyville Fire Department responded to a report of two roofing workers struck by lighting on June 13, 2016. (Joe Shuman / Chicago Tribune)

Robert McCoppin and Frank S. AbderholdenContact Reporters

Two construction workers at Libertyville High School were hospitalized Monday after they may have been indirectly struck by lightning, officials said.

The Libertyville Fire Department responded about 12:30 p.m. to a call that someone was struck by lightning while working on the roof of the high school at 708 W. Park Ave., Assistant Chief Michael Cloe said.

"The roofers were not struck directly by lightning, but appear to have sustained some energy from the lightning strike as it moved across the roof," District 128 spokeswoman Mary Todoric said.

The roofers, both men in their 30s, were off the roof by the time paramedics arrived and appeared to be "shaken up," fire officials said. They were taken in good condition to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.

A roofing worker is seen atop Libertyville High School after the Libertyville Fire Department responded to a report of two roofing workers struck by lighting on June 13, 2016. (Joe Shuman / Chicago Tribune)

Riddiford Roofing Company was hired to replace a section of roof on south side of building as part of scheduled maintenance, Todoric said. A company spokesman, who did not want to be identified, said the workers were hospitalized as a "precaution."

"It was not as serious as originally thought," he said.

School officials said the building was hit, but no damage was found, Fire Chief Rich Carani said.

Gino Izzi, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said the fast-moving thunderstorm produced about 10 lightning strikes in the area of Libertyville, Mundelein, Vernon Hills, Lake Bluff and Lake Forest.

A Libertyville police officer saw a lightning bolt near the school, but did not know at the time exactly where it struck, Sgt. Ed Sindels said.

Cloe added that people should take cover when lightning appears in the area.

Robert McCoppin is a Tribune staff reporter and Frank Abderholden is a News-Sun staff reporter.

Copyright © 2016, Chicago Tribune

Final Reminder - Volunteer Quarterly Safety "Make-up" Meeting Wednesday, 6/8/16 at 4:00pm!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

Just putting out a final reminder that our make-up safety meeting is this Wednesday, 6/8/16 at 4:00pm at our Barrington office in the warehouse!
__________________________________________________________________________

As you all know, we held our 2nd volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016 on Saturday, 5/21/16. We offer a volunteer make-up meeting for those that could not attend the regularly scheduled safety meeting either due to working for I.D.I. on the Saturday of the meeting or due to unforeseen circumstances, etc.

The volunteer quarterly safety make-up meeting is being held on Wednesday, 6/8/16 at 4:00pm at our Barrington office in our warehouse. The safety training topic is: "Struck-by & Caught Between Hazards" which are 2 parts of the OSHA Focus 4.

What is the OSHA Focus 4 you ask?  The OSHA Focus 4 are what OSHA considers the 4 main causes of the most fatalities on construction job sites.  The OSHA Focus 4 topics consists of fall hazards, electrocution hazards, struck-by hazards and caught-between hazards.  For example, OSHA reports that in 2007, there were 311 construction deaths that were caused by "struck-by" type incidents.  These include being struck by a crane's swing radius, moving equipment, materials, objects falling from overhead, vehicle, an aerial lift and many other things that can strike a person and injure them or cause a fatality.

We are asking everyone to help spread the word to all of our employees so they have the opportunity to attend.

Also if you are planning on attending, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham, no later than Tuesday, 6/7/16 at 3:00pm to let him know as we need an approximate head-count for the meeting as we have to prepare materials and for chair rental purposes. Peter can be reached by e-mail at pgraham@4idi.com or text to (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety "Make-Up" Meeting on Wednesday, 6/8/16 at 4:00pm

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

As you all know, we held our 2nd volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016 on Saturday, 5/21/16. We offer a volunteer make-up meeting for those that could not attend the regularly scheduled safety meeting either due to working for I.D.I. on the Saturday of the meeting or due to unforeseen circumstances, etc.

The volunteer quarterly safety make-up meeting is being held on Wednesday, 6/8/16 at 4:00pm at our Barrington office in our warehouse. The safety training topic is: "Struck-by & Caught Between Hazards" which are 2 parts of the OSHA Focus 4.

What is the OSHA Focus 4 you ask?  The OSHA Focus 4 are what OSHA considers the 4 main causes of the most fatalities on construction job sites.  The OSHA Focus 4 topics consists of fall hazards, electrocution hazards, struck-by hazards and caught-between hazards.  For example, OSHA reports that in 2007, there were 311 construction deaths that were caused by "struck-by" type incidents.  These include being struck by a crane's swing radius, moving equipment, materials, objects falling from overhead, vehicle, an aerial lift and many other things that can strike a person and injure them or cause a fatality.

We are asking everyone to help spread the word to all of our employees so they have the opportunity to attend.

Also if you are planning on attending, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham, no later than Tuesday, 6/7/16 at 3:00pm to let him know as we need an approximate head-count for the meeting as we have to prepare materials and for chair rental purposes. Peter can be reached by e-mail at pgraham@4idi.com or text to (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Final Reminder - Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting, this Saturday - 5/21/16

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

We are just sending out a final reminder that our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting is being held this Saturday, May 21st at 7:00am at our Barrington office location.

The safety meeting topic will be: Struck-by & Caught Between Hazards which are 2 parts of the OSHA Focus 4.

What is the OSHA Focus 4 you ask?  The OSHA Focus 4 are what OSHA considers the 4 main causes of the most fatalities on construction job sites.  The OSHA Focus 4 topics consists of fall hazards, electrocution hazards, struck-by hazards and caught-between hazards.  For example, OSHA reports that in 2007, there were 311 construction deaths that were caused by "struck-by" type incidents.  These include being struck by a crane's swing radius, moving equipment, materials, objects falling from overhead, vehicle, an aerial lift and many other things that can strike a person and injure them or cause a fatality.

Our quarterly safety meetings are the backbone of our safety culture.  This is where we all come together as one team to help keep us all on the same page with safety and to help us live up to our Safety Mission Statement - "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!"

Each employee that attends this safety meeting will earn 400 safety incentive points towards our 2016 Volunteer Safety Training Incentive Program.  Employees can also pick up your items that you ordered from last year’s volunteer safety incentive program as we will be distributing the items at this meeting. 

If you have any questions about this volunteer safety meeting, please contact your Superintendent or our Safety Director, Peter Graham. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Have a Safe Day!

Distance From a 6' Fall Exposure is Not Fall Protection!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

As you all know, under the OSHA construction standards and I.D.I.'s safety requirements, employees are required to be protected from falls of 6' or more to lower levels.  There are many means and methods of protecting yourself including engineering controls, guardrail protection, fall restraint, fall arrest and in some cases a warning line system.

It is important and critical for everyone to know that distance from a fall exposure is not considered fall protection.  For example, you could be working on a flat square-shaped roof that measures 300' in length by 300' in width and you are standing and working in the middle of the roof meaning that you are 150' from the edge of the roof which is your closest fall exposure.  The 150' distance that your body is from the edge of the roof is not considered as a method of fall protection.  In this scenario, you would still need to be protected from falling off the roof by having guardrails installed around you, tying off with a fall restraint system, tying off with a fall arrest system and/or possibly a warning line system surrounding you.

Fall protection needs planning.  This article is mainly to stress the point that employees cannot use distance from a 6' fall exposure as their means of fall protection.  If you are at a job site and you have to perform duties where there are 6' fall exposures, discuss fall protection methods and planning with your Foreman.  If you and/or the Foreman need additional guidance, you should then contract your Superintendent. Your Superintendent will seek input from our Safety Director if more planning is needed.

If you have any questions in regards to fall protection, you are encouraged to call our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

I.D.I. - Participating in OSHA's National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting on 5/21/16

Good afternoon to all I.D.I. employees,

Just getting the word out that we have scheduled our 2nd volunteer quarterly safety meeting for 2016 and it will be held on Saturday, May 21st at 7:00am at our Barrington office location.

The safety meeting topic will be: Struck-by Hazards which is part of the OSHA Focus 4.

What is the OSHA Focus 4 you ask?  The OSHA Focus 4 are what OSHA considers the 4 main causes of the most fatalities on construction job sites.  The OSHA Focus 4 topics consists of fall hazards, electrocution hazards, struck-by hazards and caught-between hazards.  For example, OSHA reports that in 2007, there were 311 construction deaths that were caused by "struck-by" type incidents.  These include being struck by a crane's swing radius, moving equipment, materials, objects falling from overhead, vehicle, an aerial lift and many other things that can strike a person and injure them or cause a fatality.

Our quarterly safety meetings are the backbone of our safety culture.  This is where we all come together as one team to help keep us all on the same page with safety and to help us live up to our Safety Mission Statement - "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!"

Each employee that attends this safety meeting will earn 400 safety incentive points towards our 2016 Volunteer Safety Training Incentive Program.  Employees can also pick up your items that you ordered from last year’s volunteer safety incentive program as we will be distributing the items at this meeting. 

If you have any questions about this volunteer safety meeting, please contact your Superintendent or our Safety Director, Peter Graham. 

We look forward to seeing you!

Have a Safe Day!

Green Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords as of 4/1/16!

Good afternoon to all I.D.I. employees:

We begin a new quarter on Friday, 4/1/16 for our Assured Grounding Program and we are to switch over to green tape.  To all Safety Coordinators - We need your help to keep our employees safe and help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding program. Please inspect, test and color-code with green tape all 3 pronged electrical tools and extension cords. All electrical tools and cords need to be visually inspected. If you see any defects in the cords such as bare wires, severe kinks, missing or damaged ground prong, the cord pulling away from the plug end-housing, etc., then that tool or cord would need to be immediately removed from service and reported to the lead person.  If your tool/cord passes the visual inspection, your next step is to test the cord with a receptacle tester.  First, you should test the oulet that you will be plugging your cord into to ensure that it is properly wired. You should see 2 yellow lights lit up on your tester and the red light should be off. This means the outlet is working appropriately. Next, plug your cord into the outlet and then test the cord with the receptacle tester. Again, you should see the same light pattern as mentioned above and this would mean the cord passed the test and it is good and safe to use. Any other light pattern means that there is a problem with the cord and the cord needs to be removed from service and reported to your lead person. If the cord passes the visual inspection and the cord tester test, you should then remove the previous quarter's white electrical tape and install the green electrical tape about 1" down from both plug ends. Your cord is now in compliance with our 2nd quarter's Assured Grounding Program. The green tape shall remain in place from 4/1/16 through 6/30/16. You are not quite done yet! All employees now need to visually inspect all electrical cords and tools on a daily basis and if any defects are found, the cord needs to be immediately removed from service.

If you do not have green tape, please ask your Superintendent as they have green tape to provide to you.

Thank you for taking the time to ensure your electrical tools and cords are in safe working order. Your actions may prevent one of our family members from sustaining an electrical shock type injury or worse yet and electrocution. If you have any questions regarding our Assured Grounding Program, please contacall our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

I.D.I.'s Procedures for Cluttered Job Sites!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees: 

Below is one of the exercises we trained on at our volunteer quarterly safety meeting that was held on 2/13/16.  This is just a reminder of the procedures to be taken when you encounter a cluttered job site that you have limited room to safely maneuver in. (See the procedures to be taken below the photos)

You arrive at this job site in the morning and your task is to tape the walls.  

What Would You Do?  

Here are the procedures our Field Leaders came up with!

1.  Take pictures showing the job site area of concern.

2.  Clean up any mess that is ours - any equipment or materials that belong to I.D.I. that can be cleaned up quickly, easily and safely. 

3.  Take more pictures after cleaning up and organizing our equipment and materials.

4.  Assess the situation. 

5.  If the area is still cluttered with other contractor's equipment and materials, clean up what you can if it can be done quickly, easily and safely.  

6.  Take more pictures showing the improvements and current conditions. 

7.  Assess the situation again to determine if it is safe to work in.  If not - move to the next step.  

8.  Seek out assistance from the general contractor if they are on site. 

9.  Text before and after photos to your Superintendent along with a description of the situation and communicate about the issue. 

10.  Your Superintendent will communicate with you and determine our next course of action.  

If you have any questions regarding the above procedures, please contact your Superintendent. 

Have a Safe Day!

1

Volunteer Quarterly Safety "Make-Up" Meeting on Wednesday, 3/2/16 at 4:00pm

Good afternoon to all I.D.I. employees,

Just putting out a final reminder that our make-up safety meeting is this Wednesday, 3/2/16 at 4:00pm at our Barrington office in the warehouse!
__________________________________________________________________________

As you all know, we held our 1st volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016 on Saturday, 2/13/16. We offer a volunteer make-up meeting for those that could not attend the regularly scheduled safety meeting either due to working for I.D.I. on the Saturday of the meeting or due to unforeseen circumstances, etc.

The volunteer quarterly safety make-up meeting is being held on Wednesday, 3/2/16 at 4:00pm at our Barrington office in our warehouse. The safety training topic is: "Hazard Identification & Prompt Corrective Measures."

We are asking everyone to help spread the word to all of our employees so they have the opportunity to attend.

Also if you are planning on attending, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham, no later than Tuesday, 3/1/16 at 3:00pm to let him know as we need an approximate head-count for the meeting as we have to prepare materials and for chair rental purposes. Peter can be reached by e-mail at pgraham@4idi.com or text to (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

5-Minute Morning Daily Safety Huddles!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

I am just sending out a reminder of the new procedure that we rolled out to all employees at our volunteer quarterly safety meeting that was held on 2/13/16.  We are now requiring a mandatory 5-Minute Morning Daily Safety Huddle to be performed at every job site, every morning before anyone actually starts working.  This procedure has been put in place for your safety.  Below is a copy of the hand-out that was distributed at the 2/13/16 volunteer quarterly safety meeting.  Please contact your superintendent with any questions.

                   5-Minute Morning Daily Safety Huddle 

1.      Lead person shall conduct a mandatory 5-minute daily safety huddle first thing in the morning, every morning, with all employees.  This safety huddle is to focus our employee’s minds on safety before work commences.  The employees shall discuss any job site hazards that anyone has identified and shall discuss what they can do to eliminate or reduce the hazards to an acceptable level.  This safety huddle shall include a task hazard analysis.  The employees shall plan their tasks for the day, discuss the hazards of the tasks and what measures they are taking to prevent injury or health hazards due to the tasks and conditions.  Examples are; what equipment and materials will be needed to perform the task safely, how to use the equipment safely, PPE to be worn, inspecting electrical cords, inspecting equipment, using safety rails on scaffolds when required, locking scaffold wheels, safe ladder usage, fall protection planning, guards in place on saws and tools that require them, reporting open holes/trenches in the floor, overhead hazards, struck by hazards, etc.  Lead person shall seek employee input and involvement in the safety process.

2.      All employees shall make regular and frequent visual safety inspections throughout the day looking for hazards and reporting them to the lead person.  If hazards are identified, all employees shall stay clear of the hazards and prompt corrective measures shall be taken to eliminate the hazard or to reduce the hazard to an acceptable level of risk.  If the hazards cannot be eliminated quickly, easily and safely by our employees, the lead person shall notify the general contractor and seek out assistance with getting the hazards eliminated.  If the hazards are not being eliminated timely, the lead person shall notify their Superintendent. 

Have a Safe Day!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety "Make-Up" Meeting on Wednesday, 3/2/16 at 4:00pm

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees,

As you all know, we held our 1st volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016 on Saturday, 2/13/16. We offer a volunteer make-up meeting for those that could not attend the regularly scheduled safety meeting either due to working for I.D.I. on the Saturday of the meeting or due to unforeseen circumstances, etc.

The volunteer quarterly safety make-up meeting is being held on Wednesday, 3/2/16 at 4:00pm at our Barrington office in our warehouse. The safety training topic is: "Hazard Identification & Prompt Corrective Measures."

We are asking everyone to help spread the word to all of our employees so they have the opportunity to attend.

Also if you are planning on attending, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham, no later than Tuesday, 3/1/16 at 3:00pm to let him know as we need an approximate head-count for the meeting as we have to prepare materials and for chair rental purposes. Peter can be reached by e-mail at pgraham@4idi.com or text to (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Final Reminder - Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting, Saturday, 2/13/16 at 7:00am

Good afternoon to all I.D.I. employees,

Just putting out a final reminder that our first volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2016 is being held this coming Saturday, February 13th at 7:00am at our Barrington office location.

The safety meeting topic will be: Hazard Identification & Prompt Corrective Measures.  

Our quarterly safety meetings are the backbone of our safety culture.  This is where we all come together as one team to help keep us all on the same page with safety and to help us live up to our Safety Mission Statement - "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!"

Each employee that attends this safety meeting will earn 400 safety incentive points towards our 2016 Volunteer Safety Training Incentive Program.  Employees can also pick up your items that you ordered from last year’s volunteer safety incentive program as we will be distributing the items at this meeting. 

If you have any questions about this volunteer safety meeting, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham.  

We look forward to seeing you!

Have a Safe Day!

I.D.I. Forming New 2016 Field Safety Committee!

As you all know, International Decorators has 2 Safety Committees.  One consists of management personnel and the other consists of field personnel.  Our 2015 Field Safety Committee has concluded and we are seeking field personnel to fill the vacant positions.  We are looking for a framer, drywall hanger, taper, painter and an acoustic carpenter to serve a 1 year volunteer commitment as a Field Safety Committee member.  This committee meets once every other month with the Safety Director (Safety Pete) starting in late February 2016, meaning that you would serve for 6 meetings during a 1 year period.  The meetings are typically held on a weekday at our office from 3:00pm – 4:30pm.  The meeting agenda typically consists of:

ü  A review of our safety goals.

ü  Recent injuries discussion & prevention methods.

ü  Updating and developing safety policies.

ü  Safety hazards that have been identified in the field and what we as a company can do to eliminate them or reduce them to an acceptable risk.

ü  Future safety training needs, etc.

This is basically a safety brain storming session and we are looking for your input to help us to sustain and improve on our “Safety Culture.”  The main purpose of the Field Safety Committee is about ensuring that you and your fellow co-workers have a safe environment to work in.  If you are interested in making a difference and helping out yourself, your co-workers and your employer, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham by e-mail at pgraham@4idi.com.  Here’s a little carrot! – each meeting includes pizza, some lame comedy from Safety Pete and some end of the year recognition.

Have a Safe Day!