Status of our IDI Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meetings

Good afternoon to all IDI employees, 

As you know, IDI hosts in-person volunteer quarterly safety training meetings for all employees for the past 2 plus decades.  Due to Covid-19, we have been unable to host in-person safety training meetings for large gatherings of employees so we have been having to do things a little different for a while.  Our last in-person volunteer quarterly safety meeting held in our warehouse was in February 2020.  Our 2nd and 3rd volunteer quarterly safety meetings of 2020 that are typically held in May and August respectively, were held in a video type format with a 10 question quiz.  At this point, unless there are some big changes for the positive, it is looking like our 4th volunteer quarterly safety meeting, which is typically held in November, will most likely again be in video format with a quiz.  

We miss seeing everyone under the same roof.  We miss the camaraderie that comes with everyone coming together.  We will keep you posted over the next few months as to the exact format of our 4th volunteer quarterly safety meeting, but at this time, it is looking more and more as if it will be in video format with a quiz.  Please keep on the lookout for future email blasts with more details. 

In the meantime, don't let your guard down in the battle against injuries.  Keep doing what you have always been doing in keeping an eye on each other and looking out for your brothers and sisters.  Make your daily Task-Based Safety Awareness Huddles matter as your Loved Ones Count On It!

As always, if you aren't sure of something, stop, take a breath and discuss with your lead field supervisor or Superintendent.  You can also call our Safety Director, Safety Pete with any safety related questions, to consult or just to say "yo, yo Pete!"  

Have a Safe Day!

IDI Takes Its Safety Culture Out East to New York!

Good afternoon to all IDI employees,  

As many of you know, we have a painting and taping crew lead by Superintendent, Matt Larson, out in New York working at a huge project called Vassar Brothers Medical Center.  Our original crew started out east on 6/16/20.  They are working long hours and performing outstanding work.  To date, our employees have worked 4,870 incident-free hours on this project!  Below is a video showing their daily stretch & bend lead by drywall finisher, Vicente Casas.  Great job Vicente in taking the lead!

We are very proud of the whole team and all the safe work you are doing!  Way to go; way to represent IDI and show what we are capable of!

To view the video, you may have to click twice on the arrow.

Have a Safe Day!

Red Tape on All 3-Pronged Electrical Tools & Extension Cords as of 7/1/20!

Good morning to all IDI employees:

We begin a new quarter for our Assured Grounding Conductor Program on Wednesday, 7/1/20.  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 7/1/20 through 9/30/20. 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 have any questions regarding our Assured Grounding Conductor Program, please call our Safety Director, Peter Graham, at (847) 417-1689.

Have a Safe Day!

Potential Danger When Using Hand Sanitizer!

Good afternoon to all IDI employees, 

As you know, many of you are using hand sanitizer to disinfect your hands, due to Covid-19.  Below is the toolbox talk sent out to our Safety Advocates to perform this past Monday.  I am posting this on our safety blog for all to refer to if needed.  I feel this is a good reminder about the flammability of alcohol based products.  Please keep this in mind at home also.  Don't let this happen to you or your loved ones!

Have a Safe Day!

Preventing the Spread of Covid-19

Good morning IDI employees, 

As you all know, we are living in some unusual times with the Coronavirus affecting all of our daily lives.  I just want to put out a reminder so that we don't let our guard down and we keep up the battle against this virus. 

The following are the CDC Guidelines that we must follow to prevent the spread of the virus:

•  Practice social distancing - putting physical distance between yourself and other people (6 ft whenever possible).  

•  Stay home from work if you are sick (fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest tightness, flu-like symptoms) and report this to your Superintendent.

•  Stay home if you have been exposed to someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 or you have been out of the United States in the past 14 days and report this to your Superintendent.

•  Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.

•  If hand washing facilities are unavailable, use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

•  Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

•  Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

•  Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash or use the inside of your elbow.

•  Clean and disinfect your frequently touched objects/surfaces, tools, equipment, computers, phone, doorknobs, hand-rails, etc.

•  Must wear a face covering that covers your mouth and nose when in public places and when at job sites when 6' social distancing cannot be maintained.  However, please keep in mind that many job sites have a 100% requirement for wearing face coverings at all times and we must follow those requirements. 

We hope that all of you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.  We are proud of all the essential work you are all performing and we will all get through this together as a team/family!

If you have any questions about the above CDC guidelines, please contact me, Safety Pete. 

Have a Safe Day!

Green Tape on All Extension Cords & 3-Pronged Electrical Tools as of 4/1/20!

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

We begin a new quarter on, 4/1/20 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 4/1/20 through 6/30/20. 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!

Next Volunteer Quarterly Safety Meeting on 5/30/20!

Good morning to all IDI employees,

At our Saturday volunteer quarterly safety meeting held on 2/15/20, it was mentioned that our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting would be held on 5/9/20.  Due to that being Mothers Day weekend, we have rescheduled our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting to Saturday, 5/30/20 from 7:00am to 9:00am.  

Obviously, this is all pending the fluid situation regarding the Coronavirus.  We will provide further updates in regards to our next volunteer quarterly safety meeting as we get closer to May.  We will also provide more details about the safety meeting training topic in the near future.  

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 30th, 2020.  In the meantime, keep looking out for each other.  Take care of your brothers and sisters as we are all one family!

Have a Safe Day!