On September 23, 2017, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) began enforcing their respirable crystalline silica standard for the construction industry. The standard has established a new exposure limit of 50 micrograms of respirable crystalline silica per cubic meter of air as an 8-hour Time-Weighted Average (TWA), along with a host of ancillary provisions such as establishing a written exposure control plan, housekeeping requirements, record-keeping, and medical surveillance.

 

On Friday, October 6, CAGC presented OSHA's New Silica Standard Webinar: Requirements, Standards & Best Practices for Construction Professionals featuring Chip Murray, Vice President - Senior Risk Control Consultant with Wells Fargo & Company; Paul Sullivan, Compliance Bureau Chief with the Occupational Safety & Health Division of the NC Department of Labor; and John Jaskolka, Education and Training Bureau of the NC Department of Labor.  The one hour webinar is now available on our web site and covers the following topics:

• Introduction to respirable crystalline silica – its characteristics, sources, and health effects.
• Overview of the new requirements.
• Implementation and compliance strategies.
• Review of compliance resources.

This webinar is recommended for the following individuals:

• Construction Safety Professionals
• General Contractors
• Specialty and Subcontractors
• Construction Project Managers
• Compliance Managers
• Risk Managers
• Environmental Health and Safety Professionals

http://www.cagc.org/CAGC/WorkforceDev/EducationTraining/Webinars_Online_Training/Silica-Webinar-Recording.aspx

CALL US TODAY (423) 292-4142 if you have any questions!

 

Winterizing Your Home Checklist

Winterizing Your Home Checklist

Winter is almost here. If you haven’t started winterizing your home yet, you’d better get going.

Winterizing your home before the season begins can prevent costly repairs later on. If you’re not sure what you need to do to winterize your home, don’t worry. Follow the checklist below and your home will be ready for winter in no time.

• Start outdoors. Focus on outdoor projects first before it gets too cold. Start by clearing debris from gutters and downspouts to prevent them from leaking or sagging. You should also inspect your roof and replace any worn shingles. Once you’ve finished reviewing your home, inspect your landscaping and trim any brancheshanging near electric wires before they become a problem. Also drain your lawn mower and stock up on ice melt or sand, too. Finally, invest in a snow rake. Snow accumulation on your roof that exceeds 20 to 25 pounds per square foot can be dangerous.
• Make sure your heating systems are ready. Have a certified HVAC professional to inspect your furnace and clean your ducts. If your home has a fireplace, have the chimney professionally cleaned and keep firewood stored in a dry, easily accessible place where you can get it on the coldest days.
• Make sure your detectors are ready. Increased use of heat in your home creates a fire risk. Put new batteries in your smoke detectors, then test them. You should do the same for your carbon monoxide detectors. Installing a carbon monoxide detector near your furnace is also a good idea.
• What’s your emergency plan? A colossal winter storm can create problems for any household. That’s why it’s important to plan for emergencies. Create an emergency kit and stock up on extra food – including pet food – and bottled water.