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Politics & Policy
ABC’s October Regulatory Roundup—Learn About the Latest Developments Affecting the Construction Industry
ABC’s September Regulatory Roundup—Learn About the Latest Developments Affecting the Construction Industry
ABC Disappointed in NLRB’s Cemex Decision
Safety
ABC Expresses Serious Concerns to Congress About OSHA Worker Walkaround Rule
Build Health and Safety Engagement Through Leadership Commitment and Metrics Tied to Leading Indicators
Is Your PPE and Mobile Equipment as Safe as You Think It Is?
Events/Products/Programs
Nearly 350 ABC Leaders Gather in Washington for Annual Legislative Conference
ABC Members Rank Among ENR’s Top 400 Contractors
Trades Day: Industry Outreach Opportunity With Meaning
State/Local News
Ed Capodanno Honored by Delaware State Legislature
Election Update: ABC Staff and Members Elected in 2022
California Targets Workplace Cannabis Testing
Awards
Graham Roofing Earns the AQC Credential in September
ABC's Construction Executive Magazine Wins Silver in Publishing Competition
Legislation
ABC-Supported Legislation To Overturn the Northern Long-Eared Bat’s Endangered Species Listing Heads to President Biden’s Desk
ABC Advocates for Solutions to Workforce Shortage at U.S. House Committee Roundtable
Smucker Introduces the ABC-Supported Main Street Tax Certainty Act
Regulations
ABC Launches Resources for Contractors Competing for CHIPS Act Projects
Workforce Development
Register Now for ABC’s Construction Inclusion Week Webinar Series
DOL High Road Workforce Development Program Map Snubs Nonunion Programs
LISTEN: How to Design an Effective Technology Adoption Strategy
Equipment of any kind needs to be accompanied by training, evaluation, inspection, follow-up and, most importantly, an operator who understands the potential hazards and carries out their duties in a safe manner.
Personal Protective Equipment
Some people think they’re safe simply because they are wearing their PPE—helmet, safety glasses, gloves, ear protection and safety toe boots. However, as vital as PPE is for your team, PPE does nothing to physically prevent an accident from occurring in the first place.
For example, we see this on display every day on the roads—safety features alone don’t prevent accidents. Cars are equipped with protections such as anti-lock brakes, blind spot monitoring, front-wheel drive and more, all to make driving safer. Some might even equate a properly working airbag as a form of PPE for the driver. The question to consider is, “Did the airbag do anything to physically prevent the accident?” Absolutely not.
The same is true with PPE, which is designed to minimize the injury or prevent death once the accident has already happened. This point is crucial to understand—PPE does nothing to physically prevent the accident. Its purpose is to minimize the effects of the accident.
The only device that is powerful enough to prevent an accident from happening is the human mind, fully engaged in understanding the task at hand. You and your team need to be diligent and in the right mindset at all times. Take the appropriate precautions to prevent an accident from ever happening. Perform visual hazard analysis and maintain a physically safe workplace. As conditions change at the worksite, you must adjust to maintain safety. This awareness is key to keeping everyone safe.
Mobile Equipment
Today’s mobile equipment is safer than ever before. Yet, distractions, impairment or improper training can cause an incident. Before anyone operates mobile equipment, these conditions must be met:
Only when the mind is fully educated and actively engaged with safety protocols will the mobile equipment be safe to operate.
Educate the Mind To Prevent Accidents
Safety is everyone’s responsibility throughout the entire organization, and everyone needs to be fully and thoughtfully engaged. Donning a pair of safety glasses or a pair of gloves isn’t enough. Proper training, culture and mindset is the key to success and lower incidence rates. Find opportunities to build your health and safety culture every day.
Looking for help building your safety program?
Discover resources available through ABC’s STEP Safety Management System and other health and safety topics at abc.org/safety.
For more information or assistance, please reach out to Joe Xavier or Aaron Braun.