White Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords as of 1/1/20!

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

We begin a new quarter tomorrow on 1/1/20 for our Assured Grounding Conductor Program. We are to switch over our cords from the previous quarter's orange tape to white tape.  To all Safety Advocates & Lead Field Supervisors, please help keep our employees safe and help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding conductor program. Please inspect, test and color-code with white 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 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 person. 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 Conductor Program. The white tape shall remain in place from 1/1/20 through 3/31/20. 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 need a roll of white tape, please contact your Superintendent. If you have any questions regarding our Assured Grounding Conductor Program please call our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

High Winds on Wednesday, 11/27/19!

Good morning to all IDI employees, 

As most of you know, the Chicago and suburban area is expecting extremely high winds today with wind gusts expected up to 60 MPH.  If you are at a job site that has outdoor work, you need to be monitoring the wind conditions for all aerial lift work, outdoor scaffolding, roof work, etc. Our employees cannot be operating outdoor scissor lifts, boom lifts, working on outdoor scaffolding if the wind conditions at your job site are causing concern.  If in doubt, stop those operations and consult with your Superintendent.  Also, we need to ensure we are securing our outdoor equipment and materials from displacement due to the high winds. 

If you have any questions about this, please call your Superintendent or our Safety Director, Safety Pete.

Lastly, as you know, if you are an employee of IDI, you are considered family.  We want to wish everyone a happy Thanksgiving to you and your loved ones!  We hope that everyone has a nice relaxing day, enjoy watching Da Bears, spending time with those that matter and giving thanks for everything we have!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting on 11/16/19!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting Notice

You are invited to attend our 4th volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2019. 

Who is invited?   All employees 

                          

When is the meeting?  Saturday, November 16th 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?  “Task-Based 5 Minute Safety Huddles!”

                         

International Decorators is offering volunteer safety training for all of our employees.  Our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting will be on Saturday, 11/16/19 from 7:00am to about 9:00am at our office. The safety training topic for this meeting is: “Task-Based 5 Minute Safety Huddles”.  As you know, IDI has a mandatory procedure in place called the 5 Minute Safety Huddle.  This is performed at the beginning of every shift.  The purpose of the safety huddle is to start the day off on the right foot with safety with the goal of preventing injuries and health hazards to our employees and those working around us.  IDI is providing training on this to promote consistency as to how the safety huddles are performed.

 

Please mark this on your calendar for 11/16/19. 

All employees in attendance that are non-Safety Advocates will receive 400 volunteer safety training incentive points towards our 2019 incentive program.   

  

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.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Hall of Famer - Jim Woods is Retiring Today!

Good afternoon to all IDI employees,  

Just about every employee at IDI knows Jim Woods.  Jim has been a carpenter at IDI for the past 27 years.  If you didn't get to know Jim, it is unfortunate for you.  Not only was Jim a top notch hall of fame carpenter for IDI, he was also a mentor and coach to many of our carpenters that started at IDI after him and if you are following Jim's lead, you will no doubt, end up a hall of famer also.  Besides being a top notch carpenter, Jim is just a great guy, a family man and a professional.  Jim exemplifies what IDI's culture is all about.  Even though Jim is done working at IDI, he will always remain a family member.  
  
How could you not be a hall of fame carpenter with that last name!

Jim, on behalf of International Decorators, congratulations on your career and retirement from IDI.  Thank you for everything you did to help make IDI successful.  You are going to be hard to replace! 

If you see Jim today, please give that guy a hug for me.  

Brandon Liebich - Celebration of his Life on 11/2/19

Brandon Liebich - Rest In Peace!

IDI employees,

Many of you may have already heard the recent terribly sad news.

In case you haven’t, it is with a heavy heart to let you know that Brandon Liebich passed away suddenly on Friday, 10/11/19. 

He was only 39 years young.

Brandon spent 12 years as a driver for International Decorators and many of the current employees knew Brandon very well.

Brandon was a family man and always had a smile on his face!

Please keep Brandon, his wife Lisa, their children and the whole Liebich family in your thoughts and prayers.

If we find out any information about a memorial service/funeral, we will be sure to pass it on.

R.I.P. – Brandon!

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting on 11/16/19!

Good morning to all IDI employees,

Just getting the word out that our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting is being held on Saturday, 11/16/19 from 7:00am to 9:00am at our Barrington office location at 28059 W. Commercial Ave.

We will provide more details about this safety meeting as we get closer to the meeting date.  We provide safety training through our volunteer quarterly safety meetings because we care about you, your loved ones and the health of the company.  We provide this training because of our safety mission statement:  "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!"

We hope to see you on November 16th, 2019.  In the meantime, keep looking out for each other.  Take care of your brother's and sister's as we are all one family!

Have a Safe Day!

Orange Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords on 10/1/19!

Good morning to all IDI employees:

We begin a new quarter on 10/1/19 for our Assured Grounding Conductor Program. We are to switch over our cords from the previous quarter's red tape to orange tape.  To all Safety Advocates, please help keep our employees safe and help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding conductor 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 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 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 10/1/19 through 12/31/19. 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 need a roll of orange tape, please contact your Superintendent. If you have any questions regarding our Assured Grounding Conductor Program please call our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

GLCA Cook-Off Event on 9/7/19 : What a Great Time!

Good morning to all IDI employees, 

It was great seeing a multitude of IDI employees/family members at the Great Lakes Construction Association barbeque cook-off event on Saturday, 9/7/19.  The weather was terrific, the free food and drink were awesome, the kids games were a blast, the live band did it up, and spending time with each other outside of work getting to know each other's families was priceless!
We heard only terrific feedback from the employees who attended.  We hope to see everyone at this event next year.  

Here a some photos from the event.  

Have a Safe Day!

James Thomas - Employee of the Week for 9/16/19 at Cook County Renovation!

Good morning IDI employees,  

Yet another IDI employee getting some safety recognition.  IDI's very own - carpenter, James Thomas, was chosen as the employee of the week for 9/16/19 by Walsh Construction at the Cook County Hospital Renovation job site.  James earned this recognition by playing a pro-active role in the safety culture at this job site.  

James mentioned that the reason he works safe is: "To go home to my family!"  

Way to go big James, way to make IDI proud!  

Please congratulate James when you see him.  

(By the way - you don't look to camera shy!)

Have a Safe Day!

Rafael Nunez - Employee of the Week for 9/9/19 at Cook County Renovation!

Good morning IDI employees,  

We have another employee getting some safety recognition.  Drywall finisher, Rafael Nunez, was chosen as the employee of the week by Walsh Construction at the Cook County Hospital Renovation job site.  Rafael earned this recognition by playing a pro-active role in the safety culture at this job site.  

Rafael gets it - mentioning that he works safe for " his family and loved ones." 

Way to go Rafael, way to make IDI proud!  

Please congratulate Rafael when you see him.

GLCA Cook-Off Event on 9/7/19 : All IDI Employees & Families Invited!

Hello to all IDI employees, 

The above flyer was sent out in this week's paycheck envelopes.  In case you didn't see it, you and your families are invited to this "free" event.  There will be several vendors barbecuing everything from ribs, chicken, beef, seafood, pizza, hot dogs, hamburgers, bratwurst, pork, etc.  The IDI office staff will be participating in the cook-off serving up bratwurst.  All the food is free.  There will be plenty of games for kids.  There will be a live band.  Please ensure you stop by our IDI barbecue tent to get entered into our raffle for the prizes mentioned on the attached flyer.  Our tent will have an International Decorators' Inc. banner on it, so you won't miss finding us.  

You do need to register for this event.  Please email our human resource manager, Katie Clark at kclark@4idi.com by 8/28/19.  All you have to do is let Katie know your name and how many family members you are bringing.  

It will be nice spending time with the IDI family outside of the work environment in a casual, fun & relaxing atmosphere.  We look forward to seeing you and your loved ones at this awesome event!  

Have a Great Day!

3rd Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting - This Saturday, 8/24/19

Good morning to all IDI employees,

Just putting out a final reminder that our next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting is this Saturday, 8/24/19 from 7:00am to 9:00am.  The safety training session will be held in it's usual location at our Barrington office at 28059 W. Commercial Ave. The safety training topic is called:  Behavior Based Safety.  We will be raffling off three 1-day paid vacation days and you must be in attendance at the safety meeting to qualify to win. 

Our safety training meetings are all about you and your loved ones!  We provide safety training to help reduce the risk of injury and to help ensure that we are all living up to our safety mission statement:  "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!" 

We look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

Have a Safe Day!

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting on 8/24/19!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting Notice

You are invited to attend our 3rd volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2019. 

Who is invited?   All employees 

                          

When is the meeting?  
Saturday, August 24th from 7:00am to 9:00am

Where is the meeting?  At our Barrington Shop/Office

                                       (28059 W. Commercial Ave., Barrington)

What is the topic?  “Behavior Based Safety!”

                         

International Decorators is offering volunteer safety training for all of our employees.  Our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting will be on Saturday, 8/24/19 from 7:00am to about 9:00am at our office. The safety training topic for this meeting is: “Behavior Based Safety”; which includes training on the 4 mind states that are known to cause or contribute to critical errors that lead to injuries!

 

Please mark this on your calendar for 8/24/19. 

All employees in attendance that are non-Safety Advocates will receive 400 volunteer safety training
incentive points towards our 2019 incentive program.   

  

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.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Have a Safe Day!

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

Good afternoon to all IDI employees:

Summer is upon us and the heat is getting turned up!  Just putting out a reminder of what to look for as far as heat exhaustion symptoms, prevention methods, etc.  We don't want our employees sustaining heat exhaustion type injuries as they are preventable.

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 are 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.
4. Don't forget to protect your skin - wear sunscreen.

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. Everybody working in the heat should be communicating and checking on each other

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!

Red Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords as of 7/1/19!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees:

We begin a new quarter for our Assured Grounding Conductor Program on Monday, 7/1/19.  We are to switch over our cords from green tape to red tape. To all Safety Advocates - please help keep our employees safe and help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding conductor 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 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 is 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 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 Conductor Program. The red tape shall remain in place from 7/1/19 through 9/30/19. 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 Conductor Program, please call our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Emmanuel Calvillo - Employee of the Week at Cook County Renovation!

Good morning IDI employees,  

We have another employee getting some safety recognition.  Carpenter, Emmanuel Calvillo, was chosen as the employee of the week by Walsh Construction at the Cook County Hospital Renovation job site.  Emmanuel earned this recognition by playing a pro-active role in the safety culture at this job site.  

Way to go Emmanuel, way to make IDI proud!  

Emmanuel gets it - mentioning that he works safe so he can "enjoy time with his family." 

Whenever you see Emmanuel, please congratulate him.

Have a Safe Day!

Employee, Dwayne Arneson - "Gets It!"

Good afternoon IDI employees,  

We have another employee getting some safety recognition.  Carpenter, Dwayne Arneson, a 7-year employee and Safety Advocate at IDI, was chosen as the employee of the week by Walsh Construction at the Cook County Hospital Renovation job site.  Dwayne earned this recognition by playing a pro-active role in the safety culture at this job site.  

Way to go Dwayne, way to represent!  

I love your answer to - Why do you work safely?  "To raise my two daughters!" 

That's what its all about!

Next time you see Dwayne, give him an attaboy!

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting on 8/24/19!

Good morning to all IDI employees,

Just getting the word out that our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting is being held on Saturday, 8/24/19 from 7:00am to 9:00am at our Barrington office location at 28059 W. Commercial Ave.

We will provide more details about this safety meeting as we get closer to the meeting date.  We provide safety training through our volunteer quarterly safety meetings because we care about you, your loved ones and the health of the company.  We provide this training because of our safety mission statement:  "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!"

We hope to see you on August 24th, 2019.  In the meantime, keep looking out for each other.  Take care of your brother's and sister's as we are all one family!

Have a Safe Day!

OSHA National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down Week! (5/6/19 - 5/10/19)

Good morning to all IDI employees,

Today is the start of OSHA's National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down Week.  This is OSHA's 6th year of holding the Stand-Down and IDI has participated in this since it's inception.  OSHA's goal of the Stand-Down is to raise fall hazard awareness and prevent fall fatalities and injuries.  Falls are a leading cause of death for employees, accounting for 364 of the 971 construction fatalities in the USA in 2017 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  IDI will be participating in the fall prevention stand-down again this year.  The founder of IDI, Tony Pintozzi Sr., opened the doors of the company in 1952 and ever since IDI was established, we have never had a fall related fatality.  In fact, IDI has never had a work related fatality and is something that Tony and the current leaders of the company, Butch Pintozzi, Bill Preston, Jim Gaszynski, Don Perrin and Matt Kiefer are very proud of!

The following is how IDI will be participating in the Stand-Down.  On Monday, 5/6/19, we need for our lead field supervisors & Safety Advocates to gather your crews together during your toolbox talk session and we want everyone performing the same toolbox talk from your manual.  The toolbox talk to perform is from the Fall Protection tab of your manual, topic # FP8 and the name of the topic is: What is Fall Protection?  During this session, advise our employees that the purpose of this toolbox talk session is for our participation is OSHA's National Fall Prevention Safety Stand-Down.  We are taking a time out for safety and recognizing that falls from elevations are a serious matter.  During this session, we are looking for all employees to participate.  Ask employees if they have ever witnessed a fall at a construction site, what that was like and what affect it had on them.  Ask if they know of anyone who has sustained a fatal fall and again, discuss the affects it had on them, the affects it had on the victim's loved ones.  All employees should be sharing fall protection stories, safety tips and fall prevention related thoughts.  Also, many of the general contractors at the projects we are working at next week will be holding Fall Prevention Stand-Downs and we need for our employees to participate in those.

Falls from elevations are a serious matter and we need to take them seriously.  This Fall Prevention Stand-Down fits right in with our safety culture and our safety mission statement:  "Everyone Goes Home Alive And In The Same Condition As They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!  

We want to participate in this Stand-Down because we care about you!  You are part of the IDI family and family looks out for each other.

If you have any questions about this Stand-Down, please contact our Safety Director, Safety Pete at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting Notice

You are invited to attend our 2nd volunteer quarterly safety meeting of 2019. 

Who is invited?   All IDI employees 

                          

When is the meeting?   Saturday, May 4th, 2019

                                          7:00am to 9:00am

Where is the meeting?  At our Barrington Shop/Office

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

What is the topic?  Material Handling!

                         

International Decorator’s will be providing safety training on Material Handling.  We all handle materials and some of us more than others.  We will be training on safety techniques about the proper ways to lift, handle & move materials, amongst other things.  This topic is about you and your loved ones!

Please mark this on your calendar for 5/4/19. 

All employees in attendance that are non-Safety Advocates will receive 400 volunteer safety training incentive points towards our 2019 incentive program.   

  

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.

We look forward to seeing you at the meeting!

Have a Safe Day!

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting on 5/4/19!

Good morning to all IDI employees,

Just getting the word out that our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting is being held on Saturday, 5/4/19 from 7:00am to 9:00am at our Barrington office location at 28059 W. Commercial Ave.

We will provide more details about this safety meeting as we get closer to the meeting date.  We provide safety training through our volunteer quarterly safety meetings because we care about you, your loved ones and the health of the company.  We provide this training because of our safety mission statement:  "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!"

We hope to see you on May 4th, 2019.  In the meantime, keep looking out for each other.  Take care of your brother's and sister's as we are all one family!

Have a Safe Day!

5-Minute Morning Safety Huddles!

Good morning to all IDI employees,

Most of you are about to start working this morning and you might have a lot on your plate.  We all have a lot of stuff going on in our lives both at home in our personal lives and in our work lives.  IDI is busy.  When we are busy, we all have added risk and this risk is controllable by planning, caring and looking out for each other.  We have a required procedure in place called the 5-Minute Morning Safety Huddle.  This safety huddle is all about you!  It is about helping to ensure that each of us lives up to our safety mission statement - "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!" The 5-Minute Morning Safety Huddles are a vital part of our safety culture and maybe even more vital when we are busy.  Performing a solid safety huddle at the beginning of your work shift will help to start the day on the right foot with safety.  The safety huddle is to get everybody on the same page with safety so we are proactive and not being reactive.  The safety huddle is only as good as you make it.  The safety huddles should be lead by our Safety Advocates and lead field supervisors, however, we need all employees engaged, involved and giving input.  You should be discussing any job site hazards that anyone has identified and discussing means & methods that we can implement to eliminate or reduce the hazards to an acceptable level or risk.  The 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 you 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.

Make today's morning safety huddle count!

Have a Safe Day!

Green Tape on All Extension Cords & 3-Pronged Electrical Tools as of 4/1/19!

Good morning to all I.D.I. employees:

We begin a new quarter on, 4/1/19 for our Assured Grounding Conductor Program and we are to switch over to green tape.  To all Safety Advocates/Lead Field Supervisors - We need your help to keep our employees safe and to help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding conductor 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 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 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 Conductor Program. The green tape shall remain in place from 4/1/19 through 6/30/19. You are not quite done yet! All employees now need to visually inspect all electrical cords and tools on a daily basis before use 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 and they will coordinate getting it 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 Conductor Program, please contact our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

IDI - Award Winning Safety Culture!

Good morning to all IDI employees,

Look what you did!  IDI is a member of the Great Lakes Construction Association and we were presented with their highest safety award for a contractor member in the 100,001 - 500,000 hours worked category.  We received this award for achieving ZERO LOST-TIME INJURIES during the 2018 calendar year.  You all earned this award.  IDI has safety policies and procedures in place, we train on those policies, our employees attend the training, participate in the training, but at the end of the day, it is really up to each individual's personal choice that is made each second & minute of the day with each task being performed.  Employees have decisions to make when faced with challenging situations and our safety culture is about making the correct appropriate safety decision every time. In 2018, you all made the choice to work safe.  This award is about you and your loved ones!  It's about safety consistency. Minute by minute, hour by hour, day by day, year in and year out, making safe choices, both at work and at home, looking out for each other and having a positive attitude towards safety.  Please keep our safety mission statement at the forefront of your mind with each task you perform:  "Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition As They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!"    

*** Congratulations to all IDI employees ***

Have a Safe Day!

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting - Health, Wellness & Preventative Care on 2/16/19!

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

Just putting out a final reminder that our next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting is being held this coming Saturday, 2/16/19 at 7:00am at our Barrington office location.

The safety training topic is:  Health, Wellness & Preventative Care!  This topic relates to the well being of all of our employees.  We will have a guest presenter who is a professional on this subject matter providing this training.  She will be helping to educate us all on how to live a healthy lifestyle and providing tools and guidance we can all use.  This topic is about you and your loved ones!

All employees in attendance that are non-Safety Advocates will earn 400 volunteer safety training incentive points towards our 2019 volunteer safety training incentive program.

Also, we will be distributing the items that you ordered from our 2018 volunteer safety training incentive catalog.

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

We look forward to see you at the meeting!

Have a Safe Day!

Working in Extremely Cold Weather Safety!

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

It's Captain Obvious hear to point out that it is dangerously cold out and working in the cold can cause several types of cold stress injuries.  Working in cold conditions isn't just uncomfortable, it can be dangerous.  Frostbite, numbness, dehydration and hypothermia are real concerns from chilly outdoor weather.  If you are working outdoors this winter, be aware of the dangers and stay safe.  

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 symptoms of frostbite or hypothermia, you need to stop work and report it to 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 so we can address them.  Also, we are all in this together.  Look out for each other, check on each other, communicate with each other to ensure our brothers and sisters are safe!  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!

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting - Health, Wellness & Preventative Care on 2/16/19!

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

Our next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting is being held on Saturday, 2/16/19 at 7:00am at our Barrington office location.

The safety training topic is:  Health, Wellness & Preventative Care!  This topic relates to the well being of all of our employees.  We will have a guest presenter who is a professional on this subject matter providing this training.  She will be helping to educate us all on how to live a healthy lifestyle and providing tools and guidance we call all use.  This topic is about you and your loved ones!

All employees in attendance that are non-Safety Advocates will earn 400 volunteer safety training incentive points towards our 2019 volunteer safety training incentive program.

Also, we will be distributing the items that you ordered from our 2018 volunteer safety training incentive catalog.

Please mark your calendar for February 16th, 2019!

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

We look forward to see you at the meeting!

Have a Safe Day!

I.D.I. Forming New 2019 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 2018 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 January 2019, 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 incident/injury 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 your Superintendent, to discuss your interest level and then 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!

White Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords as of 1/1/19!

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

We began a new quarter on 1/1/19 for our Assured Grounding Conductor Program. We are to switch over our cords from the previous quarter's orange tape to white tape.  To all Safety Advocates & Lead Field Supervisors, please help keep our employees safe and help keep us OSHA compliant by following our assured grounding conductor program. Please inspect, test and color-code with white 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 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 person. 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 Conductor Program. The white tape shall remain in place from 1/1/19 through 3/31/19. 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 need a roll of white tape, please contact your Superintendent. If you have any questions regarding our Assured Grounding Conductor Program please call our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!