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CONSTRUCTION SAFETY eNews for –
December
2007 |
Welcome to Occupational Hazards’ new
E-newsletter, Construction Safety
E-News. This newsletter is dedicated to furthering
safety and health in
the construction industry. Each newsletter will feature an
article
written by a construction safety expert – safety
professionals,
trainers, consultants. |
In This
Newsletter:
1. Building
Safety Assets from Within the Construction Industry
2. Construction
Industry Appeals Voluntary Ergonomics Standard
3. OSHA Seeks
Comments on Confined Space Rule
4. Construction
Workers Suffer Skin Rashes in Katrina, Rita's Wake
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eNEWSLETTER
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1. Building Safety Assets from Within
the Construction Industry
Nationally and globally, a critically inadequate supply of
experienced, qualified construction environmental, safety and health
(EHS) professionals continues to loom,
compromising the rigorous oversight necessary for the continued safe
operations on construction projects. (In the United States alone, the
construction industry employs approximately 6 percent of the workforce,
but accounts for almost 20 percent of all work-related fatalities.)
Many EHS professionals are retiring, creating a shortage of experienced,
well-qualified and degreed individuals to fill the jobs they vacate. The
combination of an aging workforce and the declining enrollment of
students in occupational safety and health technical, college or
university programs presents a daunting challenge in meeting the demand
of an ever-growing construction industry. The Bureau of Labor
Statistics (BLS) expects the demand for employment of EHS professionals
and technicians to continue to grow through the next decade.
In addition to increasing retirements and declining enrollment in EHS
programs, the increase demand for EHS professionals also is attributed
to owners, construction managers, contractors (including subcontractors
and specialty contractors) and insurers having a better understanding of
the value of EHS professionals. Companies recognize that employing EHS
professionals assists in minimizing risk and potential litigation,
controlling losses and protecting their most valuable resources --
personnel. Also, federal and state agencies are designating
responsibilities in current, proposed or revised regulatory requirements
that are congruent with knowledge base of an educated or experienced EHS
professional.
Contractors may continue to have difficulty replacing the loss of
skilled, qualified or experienced employees, not only within the EHS
field, but throughout the organization.
The following strategies may help companies alleviate the impending
shortage of EHS professionals:
Developing capacity from within: In a tight labor market, good
employees are difficult to find. Employers need to seek out and identify
existing employees who demonstrate the knowledge base and the leadership
skills necessary to fill EHS positions. Investing in the professional
development of current employees is an investment in the future success
of the company. Employers should consider employees with a great work
ethic and work habits for specific professional development, and those
employees who currently have front-line safety responsibilities, such as
foremen, supervisors, equipment managers, safety committee/team members
and engineers. Providing them with professional development through
appropriate EHS-related training and offering tuition reimbursement for
an accredited EHS program is a cost-savings investment in the future of
the company.
Developing capacity from outside: In addition to developing
capacity from within, employers should seek opportunities to develop
relationships with local, regional, state and national occupational
safety and health vocational technical programs, colleges or
universities and trade unions. These relationships provide employers
with increased opportunities to recruit highly qualified employees.
Setting up visits with various schools, participating in career fairs
and offering to fund internships or cooperative programs are strategies
that will assist employers in identifying and developing potential
employees.
Building capacity, both from with in and outside of the company, will
provide high quality EHS professionals to minimize risks, control costs
and enhance safe operations.
For a listing of EHS accredited programs click on www.asse.org.
Carolyn Guglielmo, M.S., has been an EHS professional for 11 years.
She is a member of the Advisory Organization for the Industrial
Management Systems Engineering School at West Virginia University (WVU).
Nationally, she has provided technical and safety management guidance to
construction owners, general and specialty contractors, federal and
state agencies. She received her degree in Safety and Environmental
Management from WVU and is former director of Safety and Health Services
for the Associated General Contractors of America, senior loss control
specialist for Parsons Corp., investigator for Fire Fighter Fatality
Prevention Program for NIOSH and a senior loss control specialist for
the W.Va. Workers' Compensation Commission/Brickstreet Insurance. She
may be reached at cgmccabe@hotmail.com or (304) 685.4300.
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Click on a video to the right to watch the
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Tune in daily to see company
video programs, product
demonstrations, reports from industry trade shows and
interviews with newsmakers.
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4. Construction Workers Suffer Skin Rashes in
Katrina, Rita's Wake
Construction workers who traveled to New Orleans to help rebuild the
city in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were found to have
four distinct skin disorders that were most likely caused by insect
bites, according to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
>> More
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Featuring: Sustainable Safety - Our Safety Role For the 21st Century
Presented by Safety Through Engineering
Watch this webcast to learn how to identify the elements and
requirements of sustainable safety and get a look into the future of the
building environment. Find out how to prevent hazards from entering your
workplace via buildings, machines, and purchasing practices and how to
prevent your company from buying hazards.
Log on today!
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