During my September presentation on the safe use of landscaping equipment for the Massachusetts Professional Landscapers Association, we discussed the need for hearing protection due to the noise generated by some of the equipment used like leaf blowers, jackhammers, chainsaws, etc. At the end of the presentation, several attendees posed questions pertaining to the level of noise… Read more »
As safety professionals we all know that new employees, or those performing new tasks, are the most likely to suffer injury. I can remember one incident where an operator ran one machine for nearly 40 years. Eventually he took a different job in the plant and about a month later, the operator of his old… Read more »
Having a poor performing subcontractor can upset the entire project, resulting in: increased costs, increased risk of accidents, poor finished product and not meeting construction schedules. All of these outcomes impact the reputation of all contractors on the project, most notably the general contractor. Hiring a contractor is the most important step in the process… Read more »
As a runner, the fall presents its challenges. First, the colder temperatures make staying in bed a desirable option. But, accountability is why I have a running buddy. And, once running buddy and I are out for our run, the low lighting can be a dangerous issue. We take precautions to be visible, such as… Read more »
Imagine you are doing an emergency trench cut to fix a broken water line in the middle of the winter and you destroy an electrical line. This in turn cuts off the heat to a city block or two. Image the cost of all those frozen pipes if you can’t get the electricity back online…. Read more »
Workers’ compensation continues to dominate legislative deliberations in most states. Whether the issues are the skyrocketing abuse of opioids by workers’ compensation claimants or the continuing efforts of states to address worker misclassification, one person in center stage of these deliberations is Vermont Representative Bill Botzow. Since 2012, Botzow has served as chair of the National… Read more »
Unless you’re in the logging industry, or a member of the International Log Rolling Association, United States Log Rolling Association (ILRA / USLRA), you might not be familiar with the sport of Log Rolling. Log Rolling is a tradition that originated in the Northeastern U. S. and Canada. Upon completion of river log runs in the spring,… Read more »
If you release contaminants at your business premises or work sites that affect the environment, will your insurance respond? How can this happen? It depends on what your business is, but all of us use or generate potential pollutants. Any of the following could cause pollution: Sewerage and waste water if pipes and septic systems are… Read more »
People often ask me, “What’s the difference between a Tug boat and a Push boat? What exposures should I be looking for? What coverage forms are designed to address the exposures?” A Tugboat is a powered vessel that either pulls (tows) another vessel, pushes another vessel or guides another vessel while tied to the vessel’s… Read more »
Did you notice that winter is over? Finally! We have escaped winter’s hold and we are headed into long days and great weather. Summer is a great time for working outside but there are some dangers that arise when working in the summer heat. Heat stress is a dangerous occurrence that can arise whenever you… Read more »
