BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS: UNIVERSAL PRECAUTIONS
WHAT ARE BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS? Bloodborne pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms present in human blood or other potentially infectious materials. Examples of bloodborne pathogens include HIV, hepatitis A, B and C, and other blood infections. The greatest risks to workers are from HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. PROTECTING YOURSELF Treat all blood and potentially infectious materials […]
Safety Brief: Eye and Face Protection
You should always wear eye and/or face protection if you work around dust, flying particles, harmful light radiation or hazardous chemicals. PROPER CARE AND USE OF SAFETY GLASSES Replace glasses that have scratches, cracks or any abnormal wear Clean lenses under running water to help prevent scratches Use a headband or straps to keep your […]
6 Strategies for Improving Jobsite Ergonomics
Injuries from overexertion are a leading cause of workers’ compensation claims for contractors, which isn’t surprising given that many of the most common job tasks involve lifting, stooping, kneeling, twisting, reaching overhead and working in awkward positions. Over time, these motions can cause long-lasting health issues such as tendinitis, rotator cuff tears, sprains, strains and […]
The Best Way to Shore up Your Excavation Safety
Excavation, an activity that causes the deaths of two workers every month, is one of the most hazardous construction operations you might undertake this spring. There are a lot of factors that affect safety during excavation, so we asked our experts for the number one thing you should be doing (but probably aren’t). Their answer? The easiest […]
Controlling Your Own Destiny in Murky Times (4 of 4)
Dynamic and inherently risky businesses, E&C firms succeed and fail for various reasons. Over the years, FMI has found that company failures can often be traced back to several different risk factors. While many E&C firms that go out of business point to external factors as the primary culprits for those failures, we see many […]
Evolving Your Business in a Digital World (Part 3 of 4)
We’re producing more data than ever—roughly 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day. With so much data being created and the use of data analytics starting to gain traction in the E&C industry, understanding what big data is and how your organization can leverage it to improve business processes is becoming an increasingly critical aspect […]
Preparing for the Next Downturn: Lessons Learned From the Great Recession (Part 2 of 4)
The E&C industry has endured seismic shifts during the past decade and is still going strong in 2019. Rumblings about a recession on the horizon are starting to make company leaders a bit nervous, but many are just too busy keeping up with current work to start thinking about contingency planning. In fact, the constrained […]
Keep Calm, Stay Focused and Get Ahead of the Next Downturn (Part 1 of 4)
2018 marked another strong and dynamic year for the North American built environment, with total U.S. engineering and construction (E&C) spending growth expected to finish at 5%, the same as in the previous year. Through 2019, FMI expects E&C spending to continue to grow at an anticipated 3% annual rate, with mostly positive, albeit moderately […]
4 Common Mistakes in Testing Confined Spaces
“Don’t get too comfortable working in confined spaces, and never take safety for granted,” says EMC Senior Industrial Hygienist Craig Black. Following his advice may well save lives. There are a number of ways for you to keep employees safe when entering and working in a confined space. Prevent these common mistakes as you also […]
Top 5 Causes of Loss in 2018
While reviewing EMC loss data for 2018, EMC Risk Improvement Senior Engineer Paul Porter points out that there are various ways to examine the information. “You can look at total dollars lost and find a few big fires, tornadoes or hurricanes that really push up property losses. Or you can look at the number of […]
