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In the US—particularly in the Northeast—wintery conditions are setting in for what looks like a long chilly season. Already in November, heavy snow has fallen and caused whiteouts in places like northern New England, and upstate New York. Many roads have been blocked, and some school children have enjoyed a day or two at home due to inaccessibility. But in construction, the work must go on whenever possible. After all, time is money; any break in the weather is seized for the continuation of work. If you are building in inclement weather, you must treat your working zone a lot...

American Electric Power (AEP) have commissioned a MIchigan height access equipment provider to increase safety at a local facility. AEP serve nearly 5.4 million customers in 11 states, so maintaining a constant and reliable supply is crucial for domestic use and industrial productivity. This consistency also relies on maintaining a safe environment in which AEP’s technicians work. During recent scheduled activities, workers at the New York facility found that the shape of most machines—tall, yet protruding out at the bottom—meant that standard ladders or platform steps meant leaning unsafely over the edge. In addition to offering free safety training resources...

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), an initiative by the United States Department of Labor, are launching “Safe+Sound Week”, to run from June 12 to 18, 2017. The event’s intention is to raise awareness of the importance of workplace safety – not just a matter of compliance, but also for creating a heightened degree of worker safety and in turn productivity. While the focus is on many industries, from the point of view of working at height, one point of emphasis is likely to be on the types of accidents that occur in the construction industry. For example, in 2015,...

Safety Stand-Down, May 8 to 12, 2017. The event invites employers to voluntarily halt proceedings for a short time, to talk to employees about safety when working at height. The main objective is to identify potential fall dangers in their work areas, and to reduce the amount of falls that cause injury or death, due to unnecessarily lax practices. Upon competition, businesses can download an OSHA-approved Certificate of Participation, and bolster their credibility via social media, using the hashtag #StandDown4Safety. For more details, go to OSHA’s dedicated page for the event. Or to enquire about ways to make your workplace safer sooner...