I Caught You!

Today I was at one of our job sites in Northern Lake County, IL. and I caught one of our employees working safely.  Carlos Aguilar was working on a baker type scaffold with his platform set about 5' high and he had his wheels locked.  Great job - Carlos!

Also, great job to Kurt Pressney and the whole crew.  The housekeeping was excellent today.  Good housekeeping helps reduce the chances of slip, trip and fall type injuries.  Way to be pro-active with your safety efforts!

Winter Storm Warning In Effect Today at 3:00pm

Unless you live under a rock and don't come out from under it much, you may not have heard that our area is expecting a winter storm with blizzard like conditions in affect from 3:00pm today through most of the day tomorrow.  High wind conditions, drifting snow and possibly 1' to 2' feet of snow are expected.  We need to prepare our job sites for these high winds and expect high snow accumulations.  If you are working at a job site with exterior work or where the structure is not enclosed from the elements we need to get our materials tarped/covered to protect them.  If you have exterior scaffolding, we need to ensure our platforms and planks are secured to the scaffold or removed from the scaffold.  Also make sure the scaffold itself is secured or dismantled to prevent displacement.  We need to ensure that any loose materials and/or equipment are stored in a protected area.

Also, don't forget to drive safely.  Leave extra distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you.  Make sure your windshield de-icing fluid is filled, you have plenty of gas, your windows are clear of snow and your head lights & tail lights are clear of snow to make you visibile to other drivers.  Don't be a tool and drive like a fool because it just isn't cool. 

Have a Safe Day!

Texting While Driving

Last night I watched Extreme Makeover Home Edition on ABC and it was about a young girl (Alex Brown) who died while texting and driving.  It was reported that texting while driving was involved in over 200,000 accidents last year in which 6,000 people died.  That statistic blew me away.  That means that we are losing 16 people a day due to texting while driving.  This was truly a huge eye opener and should serve as a reminder to all of us.  Don't forget about being safe on your way to work, on your way home from work and everyday while you are driving.  Remind your loved ones of the same.  Too many people are being killed from texting while driving and this is 100% preventable.  To see what this family went through was gut wrenching.  The Brown family is now on a mission to get the word out and to turn their loss into a positive one for everyone else. 
Have a Safe Day!

Good Reminders On What "Not" To Do!

The last video clip is exactly why we require hard hats 100%.

"Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It!"

Be Safe Today!

Company-wide Quarterly Safety Meeting Coming Soon!

Our next quarterly safety meeting with all of our employees is on Saturday, 2/12/11 at 7:00am.  We will be performing trade specific training in break out groups.  The painters will be getting respirator training and fit testing.  The industrial painters will be training on our new 4 gas air monitor and Carboline paint products.  The tapers will be training on stilt safety, impalement hazards, sanding safety, etc.  The carpenters and drywall hangers will be getting trained on powder actuated tools, fastener guns and maybe a few other tools.  We will be recognizing our 2010 volunteer Field Safety Committee Members and we will be talking about some other safety happenings going on at I.D.I. to keep our employees informed.  We look forward to seeing everyone on 2/12/11. 

"Everyone Goes Home Alive and in the Same Condition as They Arrived; Your Loved Ones Count On It."

I Caught You!

Yesterday was a good day for safety.  I caught framers Keith Rehn and Dan Hilt working safely at one of our hospital projects.  Keith and Dan had set up a mobile baker scaffold with the platform set at 6' high.  Keith was working on the scaffold installing overhead steel track & studs and he was found using safety rails and had the scaffold wheels locked. 

Great job gentlemen!

Check back later to see who else was caught.

Have a Safe Day!

It's Monday - Time for a Toolbox Talk To Ensure We Start Off The Week On The Right Foot!

Happy Monday - Well, as we all know, the Bears lost to the Packers.  Many of us went to partys and socialized with our friends.  Many of us will be talking about the game at work this morning.  Keep in mind we are back at work and we need to get refocused on safety.  Safety Coordinators - it is very important to perform a good solid safety toolbox talk meeting this morning.  Gather your crews, eyeball them, talk to them and make sure they are fit for duty this morning.  If you have a member of your crew that is not with it because he or she over did it while celebrating the packers win, you need to really assess whether they are capable of working in a safe manner.  Call me, Safety Pete at (847) 417-1689 to discuss how to handle the situtation if you are questioning whether someone is too hung over to work.  You are doing this for their safety!