You’re probably familiar with the famous photo “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper,” which shows 11 men—unsecured and wearing no protective equipment—sitting and eating lunch on a girder. A publicity stunt to promote the construction of the building now known as 30 Rockefeller Center, the image personally makes everyone on this editorial team nauseous. If it didn’t make you cringe just now, try taking a look at it after reading this issue.
Starting us off strong is Tom O’Connor’s safety column on page 18, which focuses on the PPE that is most conspicuously missing from the photograph—safety helmets and hard hats. For specific safety recommendations for your dome, turn to Cool Tools on page 50. Tom also has a feature in this issue about the top-cited OSHA violations (and how to avoid them). See “Working on the Safe Side” on page 30.
Once you have worker safety covered, you can make your company safe as well by getting your business licenses up to date. You’ll want to check for information on your state’s requirements after reading Claire Swedberg’s story, “When Research Pays Off” on page 40. And to keep your business operations low-risk, check out Fred Sargent and Andrew McCoy’s dynamite Service and Maintenance column on page 42.
On a last safety note, we can’t forget the ways ECs contribute to public safety. Check out Susan DeGrane’s “Tapping Into Clean Water” on page 22 for stories of contractors that regularly work to improve water treatment facilities in the face of aging infrastructure, weather disasters, cyberattacks and forever chemicals.
Have you ever driven by a solid waste plant and taken in that lovely aroma (that goes on for miles)? Read Susan Bloom’s profile on page 56 for Alcan Electrical & Engineering Inc.’s perspective on building a sustainable solid waste plant in Anchorage, Alaska. The facility was designed to be functional and unobtrusive—and not smell bad.
You’ll find some interesting perspectives in this edition of SAFETY LEADER, which you’ll find starting on page 81. One training center is putting health at the forefront by enlisting apprentices into boot camps and yoga classes. They’ll be conditioned to work from high spots and to hoist heavy loads safely. Check out the Training column, “Fit for Duty,” on page 95.
Also in SAFETY LEADER, Katie Herbert looks at the wearable devices and PPE options coming for you. “Decked Out for Protection” on page 92 talks about wearables that can help detect voltage and PPE materials that are comfortable and safe, the magic combination.
You might already be using a step counter or smart watch. Next time you’re working at heights, you should use it to check your heart rate. Then you’ll know exactly how we feel when we look back at that photo from 1932.
