Constructor - July/August 2015 - (Page 50)

© ISToCkPhoTo.Com | azmanJaka Construction Safety Apps Save Worker Lives BY ERNEST C. BROWN, ESQ., P.E. SMITH CURRIE & HANCOCK LLP there were more thAn three million U.S. work-related accidents and illnesses in 2013. Of the 4,585 workplace fatalities, an astounding 828 - one in five - were in construction. This figure does not include construction-related highway and fabrication accidents that happen away from the project jobsite. The cost of these accidents and fatalities is well into the billions of dollars. And of course, there are severe and profound impacts of these injuries and deaths on our friends, families and children. In an industry where everyone expects to go home each night, these losses are unacceptable. In response, several software and hardware developers are creating a whole new generation of smartphone and cloud-based tools to prevent fatalities, mitigate injuries and avoid property damage. In the construction industry, the majority of fatalities stem from four types of accidents: 50 constructor | Ju ly/ Au g u st 2015 - Falls, slips, trips (36.5 percent) - Struck by Objects (10.1 percent) - Electrocution (8.6 percent) - Caught-in/Between (2.5 percent) The first line of defense to enforce good work practices and prevent workplace injuries and fatalities has been the in-person corporate or OSHA safety inspection. These typically highlight key areas of risk and encourage immediate steps to prevent accidents from happening. In 2010, there were 40,993 OSHA inspections. Of these, about 25,000 were regularly scheduled inspections. The rest were un-programmed inspections conducted in response to a fatality, a workplace incident of three or more employees, a complaint, or a referral from another agency. OSHA found 96,742 violations, including 1,519 'willful violations,' 74,885 serious violations, and 17,244 other-than-serious violations (generally related to recordkeeping or posting requirements). In that year, OSHA replaced its 'Enhanced Enforcement Program' with a new 'Severe Violator Enforcement Program' to target "employers that have demonstrated recalcitrance or indifference to their OSHA obligations by committing willful, repeated, or failure-to-abate violations." Under the new program, these violations can result in a finding of non-responsibility or disbarment. They can also lead to the loss of a contractor's license or, in the worst case, criminal prosecution. Construction companies have responded to the new 'Severe Violator Enforcement Program' by enhancing their own safety inspections - correcting issues before OSHA shows up or a serious accident takes place. In most companies, the safety inspection process has not changed much over the years. It remains a pen and paper exercise with hand printed notes on a paper checklist brought into the field. It is rare for photographs or video to be included in http://www.ISToCkPhoTo.Com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Constructor - July/August 2015

EDITOR’S NOTE
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
CEO’S LETTER
REBUILDING MOTOR CITY
THE REAL DETROIT
RAISING THE GRADE
FEDCON BRINGS CONTRACTORS AND AGENCY LEADERSHIP TOGETHER
HOOKED UP
2015 WILLIS CONSTRUCTION SAFETY EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
PUTTING MOORE INTO SAFETY
SIMONSON SAYS
THE ROAD TO SAFETY
CONSTRUCTION SAFETY APPS SAVE WORKER LIVES
DEEP SPACE FINE
TIME TO ENGAGE
COORDINATION LEADS TO TRIUMPH
AGC IN ACTION
TREASURE TROVE
A P3 PRIMER
MEMBER AND CHAPTER NEWS
THREE MUST HAVES IN A FLEET MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
LEGISLATIVE AND REGULATORY NEWS
A LABOR OF LOVE
TECHNOLOGY TOOLBOX
BEYOND THESE PAGES
UPCOMING EVENTS
2015 REGIONAL RESOURCE GUIDE
INDEX TO ADVERTISERS
FINAL INSPECTION

Constructor - July/August 2015