Category: Safety

As part of SPS New England’s deep commitment to safety, the firm continues to maintain the “Mission to Zero” Safety initiative.  Initially launched in 2011, the program includes several components that consistently reinforce the SPS culture of safety.  Every member of the SPS Team, from the office to every field/project location throughout New England, is encouraged to be aware of how their actions can contribute to a safe working environment.
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Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with a mental and/or substance use disorder to live a healthy and rewarding life. 

SPS believes that behavioral health is essential to overall health, prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover. Recovery Month is a time to celebrate the gains made by those in recovery. Treatment can save a life and can help people struggling with Substance Use Disorders (SUDs). 

Did you know that the Laborers Union provides access to various resources to help union members with substance abuse issues, if needed? Contact Marc Lyle, Laborer Recovery Specialist for more information. https://local22.com/benefits/

In crisis? Call or text 988 for help today.

Learn more about Recovery Month here: https://www.naadac.org/national-recovery-month

OSHA’s Safe and Sound Week is held every year at the beginning of August. The goal of Safe and Sounds Week is to recognize the successes of workplace health and safety programs as well as an opportunity for companies to evaluate their programs and make improvements. The focus for 2023 Safe and Sound Week is mental health and well-being.

Many discussion topics in construction focus on physical safety, protecting ourselves and others from bodily harm. What is not often talked about is our mental health. Stress, anxiety, and depression are common in the industry and result in construction having one of the highest rates of suicide and substance abuse. It is important that we talk about these issues to reduce the stigma and encourage all to reach out when help is needed.

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Did you know? 

1. Exposure to loud noise or certain chemicals while at work can damage your hearing? Occupational hearing loss is one of the most common work-related illnesses and is permanent. 
2. 22 million US workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work each year. 
3. Reducing workplace noise below 85 dBA is the best way to prevent occupational hearing loss and other effects from hazardous noise. 

Learn more about how to protect your hearing on the job site here: https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/

This month’s SPS Safety Focus is all about Scaffolding. Scaffolding hazards continue to rank high on the list of the most frequently cited standards in the construction industry. Additionally, scaffold-related fatalities account for a significant number of fatalities in the construction workplace.

Workers building scaffolds risk serious injury from a variety of hazards.

In order to stay safe erecting, working on, and dismantling a scaffold, employees should take precautions which include the following…

In order to stay safe erecting, working on, and dismantling a scaffold, employees should take precautions which include the following…

DYK: Two workers are killed every month in trench collapses. In trenching and excavation work, trench collapses, or cave-ins, pose the greatest risk to workers’ lives.

When done safely, trenching operations can reduce worker exposure to other potential hazards including falls, falling loads, hazardous atmospheres, and incidents involving mobile equipment.

In general, an excavation is any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in an earth surface, formed by earth removal. A trench is an excavation that is made below the surface of the ground. In general, the depth is greater than the width, but the width of a trench (measured at the bottom) is not greater than 15 feet. Proper precautions should be taken to protect workers and the public from hazards created by trenching and excavation.

In trenches 5ft deep or greater, a protection system involves 3 S’s: Sloping, shoring and shielding – Sloping involves cutting back the trench wall at an angle inclined away from the excavation. – Shoring requires installing aluminum hydraulic or other types of supports to prevent soil movement and cave-ins. – Shielding protects workers by using trench boxes or other types of supports to prevent soil cave-ins.

SPS celebrated Safety Week May 6th-10th by hosting events at various SPS job sites throughout the week, capping the celebrations off at the SPS Yard in Salisbury.

At SPS, every voice is valued and encouraged to speak up for safety.

Special thanks to the following vendors who joined us: Milwaukee Tool; Sales Solutions FallTech; GT Safety Products, Inc.; Lexie’s Burger Bus; Hilti; I&I Sling Inc.; LEAN Mass. Laborers Benefit Funds; PromoCentric; Saf-Gard Safety Shoe Company; Red Wing Shoes; STUDSON; United Rentals; TM Inspections; SafeSmart Access

Falls from one level to another are among the leading causes of severe injuries and deaths among workers in the United States. And to add insult to injury, no pun intended, many workers who were injured or killed were wearing a full body harness as part of a personal fall arrest system, but their full body harness was not properly worn or adjusted, and it failed to work.

You’ve got your full body harness on and properly adjusted, and you’ve attached the proper end of your lanyard to the back D-ring on your harness. The next step is to attach the other end of your lanyard to an anchor point. But selecting the wrong anchor point could have some painful, or even deadly, ramifications. That means you must put some serious thought put into what you hook off to with your lanyard.

Lanyards (or self-retracting lifelines) reduce the arresting forces on a worker during a fall. The standard lanyard length could vary. Follow these guidelines for safe use of lanyards…

Falls are a leading cause of construction injuries and fatalities. Workers can fall from ladders, scaffolds, vehicles, heavy equipment, aerial lifts, platforms, and roofs, and through holes or openings in floors or roofs. Guardrails can prevent a fall.

It’s National Work Zone Awareness Week. What many fail to recognize is the vast majority of people killed in work zone crashes are motorists and their passengers. In 2021, 778 drivers and their passengers died in work zones (based on NHTSA FARS data), making it all the more important for drivers to slow down and stay focused while approaching and passing through a roadway work zone.

Wednesday, April 17, 2024 is Go Orange Day. Go Orange Day provides an opportunity to unite in wearing orange to show support for the men and women who work tirelessly to keep our roads safe.

It’s no surprise that distracted driving is dangerous, but did you know it claimed 3,308 lives in 2022? NHTSA leads the national effort to save lives by preventing this dangerous behavior. Get the facts, get involved, and help us keep America’s roads safe.

In general, there are two types of respirators Air Purifying and Supplied Air. Respirators work by either filtering particles from the air, chemically cleaning (purifying) the air, or supplying clean air from an outside source.

Respirators should be used whenever it is necessary to protect the health of an employee from contaminated air. Also, when viable engineering controls are not available. With the correct cartridges these respirators can be used for the following…

Respirators are not always appropriate or safe for use, specifically in the following tasks/scenarios…