Guest Post: How to create respectful tension for results

According to Landscape Management, there is a certain type of constructive tension that can be healthy for a business. This "respectful tension" stretches people to perform at levels they never thought were possible.



How do words like, conflict, confrontation, accountability, debate and tension make you feel?

Uncomfortable? Sure! I don’t blame you. Nobody enjoys confrontation. If there’s someone who does, I would avoid him at all costs. On the other hand, I’d like to suggest there’s is a certain type of constructive tension that’s healthy in business. I call this “respectful tension.”

One of the definitions of tension is, “To apply a force to something that tends to stretch it.” Think about a rubber band between your thumb and finger. The harder you stretch it the further you can shoot it.

I must confess that I’m not afraid of the word tension. I’ve earnestly worked and preached the benefits of this type of constructive tension for the growth of a business. I’ve learned through the years that for any individual, team or organization to reach its full potential, it has to be stretched and challenged continuously to set and achieve lofty goals. I’ve also learned that leaders must understand and accept this responsibility or it won’t happen.

To read more click here.

Brain Drain: More Management Oversight Required for Shiftwork Safety

According to this EHS article, recent studies suggest that irregular or longer-than-normal shift hours have a negative impact on cognitive abilities and can cause the brain to age an extra 6.5 years!

EHS

Can working longer shifts or rotating shifts age your brain? A recent study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, "Chronic Effects of Shift Work on Cognition:Findings from the VISAT Longitudinal Study," examined the “chronicity and reversibility” of the effects of shiftwork on cognition. Researchers found that irregular shiftwork can result in cognitive impairment equal to 6.5 years of aging for a worker’s brain.

While cognitive loss is a focal point of the study, as a safety professional, I see the research as an opportunity to discuss and highlight the immediate safety issues related to workers and society associated with shiftwork. On an industry-wide level, managers need­­ to take steps to understand the effects of shiftwork on their employees and actively oversee their scheduling and culture in order to recognize the unique safety issues that could disrupt a company’s efficiency, safety and overall health.

Sleep Patterns and Safety
Work hours generally are separated into first, second and third shift, with the third shift spanning the late night through early morning times. Some shiftwork takes place in an industrial environment, where employees are working with equipment

To view the full article and read more, click here.

2014 State of the Industry Report: All’s Well That Ends Well

Though the spring of 2014 was basically nonexistent and many feared the worst for retailers in the landscaping business, this State of the Industry Survey, located in this GardenCenter article, reported that 72 percent of stores experiencing increased sales in 2014.

Garden Center Magazine, 2014

Record cold temperatures. Severe snow and rainstorms. A delayed start to the season for much of the country. Things weren’t shaping up for many retailers quite as they would’ve liked them to earlier this year. However, by the time summer was through, our research painted a different picture. More than 540 retailers weighed in on our State of the Industry Survey, and the season ended well for most, with 72 percent of stores experiencing increased sales in 2014.

When it came to what was selling and what wasn’t, there were a few notable departures from last year’s results. Tree and shrub sales showed marginal increases despite a flat housing market, a phenomenon we can attribute at least in part to the harsh winter weather that destroyed many well-established trees and shrubs, even in southern locales. Perennials also made a strong showing this year, with 68 percent of retailers reporting an increase in sales, in contrast to 51 percent in 2013.

As we attended trade shows, visited garden centers and chatted with others in the industry, the vibe has been more positive than in year’s past, with hope for the future. Over the following pages, you can take a look at how your peers did this year, compare that with how your business fared and keep it in mind as you plan for next year. Managing editor Michelle Simakis and I share our commentary throughout the section.

Survey says...


To read the full article and view survey results, follow this link.

Using Collaboration to Shore Up the Sustainable Supply Chain

According to this MH&L article, attitudes are changing and more end-use byers are willing to pay more for a sustainable product. How can you get on board?

Chris Potter, Flickr.

While manufacturers were early adopters of a sustainable supply chain due to their desire to switch from plastics to biodegradables, reduce packaging and pursue recycling, the end user was not always aware of these efforts.

The “relationships” between manufacturers and their supply chain were not important to the end user, writes Kate Ancell, in an article on granthorton.com.

“The customer didn’t care,” said Robert Schwartz, National Performance Improvement Leader at Grant Thornton. “It was about being on time, with good quality, and coming in on budget.”

 

However that attitude is changing as more end-use buyers are willing to pay more for a sustainable product, according to Schwartz. This leads to a need for a closer collaboration between suppliers and manufacturers.

“Collaboration between manufacturers and their suppliers is imperative for competition,” says Schwartz. With better, more sophisticated technology,..."

To read the full article, click here.

AEM, Future Farmers Promote Safe Use of Agricultural Equipment

The proper use of agricultural equipment is a vital factor in keeping employees safe. The AEM and the FFA have joined forces to bring about a new awareness program to help in these efforts. This ISHN article details the process.

ISHN, Farmers Promoting Safety

The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is partnering with the Future Farmers of America (National FFA) to promote the safe use of agricultural equipment through a new awareness program – “Tune into Safety.”

A large majority of FFA members, many of whom are directly involved in using agricultural equipment, are enrolled in safety training as part of their education.

The program will award points and shared sales revenue to FFA chapters for including AEM safety manuals in their members’ safety training. It will also provide individual members the opportunity to increase their annual fund-raising efforts by selling the manuals in their communities while communicating the importance of farm equipment safety to their peers.

Program Encourages ROPS, Seatbelt Use
Jaime Vos, AEM safety materials manager, stated: “We’re hoping FFA members take the opportunity to share their personal experiences through social media, express their views about safety when using farm equipment, and communicate the importance of using best safety practices to their peers and community.”

Click here to read the full article.

10 Steps to Reduce On-the-Job Hand Injuries Today

“Safety culture” is a popular buzz phrase going around. But developing a safety culture takes time. This Zero Excuses article details 10 quick-win safety strategies to start reducing on-the-job injuries today.

If you’ve read a lot about workplace safety culture lately, you’re not alone. It’s a popular topic and a critical component of any workplace safety program.
Creating a culture of workplace safety is a long-term strategy to reduce workplace injuries. And I’d most certainly encourage you to work toward one at your company. But there are also ways to get “quick wins” in safety. In this article we’ll cover 10 quick wins for hand safety in the workplace.

1. Create policies.
You may think this sounds obvious, but you’d be surprised how many safety leaders overlook this critical step. You want your employees to be safe? Be clear about the steps they need to take every day in order to do so. For hand safety, policies should include when gloves are to be worn, how to perform certain high-risk tasks, how to care for personal protective equipment (PPE) at the end of the day, etc.
And don’t just tell employees about procedures: write them down; demonstrate them; test your employees’ knowledge of them. Before you can implement any of the other nine quick wins in this article, you must first have established safety policies and procedures, and your employees must be aware of them.

2. Offer safety training.
Safety training is the ultimate quick win. It brings safety back into focus for your employees and demonstrates your commitment to employee safety, as a leader and as a company.
A recent article I read discussed tips for making safety training more engaging—and therefore more memorable—with some unexpected techniques including humor, self-disclosure, and storytelling. Read more on how to make your safety training more engaging here.

3. Keep safety top-of-mind.

Click here to read the full article.

Don’t Fear The Winter Season

While warmer months bring prosperity to outdoor work, the colder months are generally slower. This article by Total Landscape Care provides a few tips for companies to bring employee's spirits out of their winter slumps. 

Total Landscape Care

Winter can be a tough time for many landscapers. Your entire season could depend on how much snow falls or if rain will wash out a day of productivity.

Winter is seen as a necessary evil for many landscaping businesses.

Between balancing seasonal employees, making sure you land in the black and basing your entire business around the weather is extremely difficult.

During the summer and spring, the grass will always grow and flowers will always need to be planted. However, winter means three, four, five or even six months of uncertainty.

Add Holiday Lighting
Adding extra services to your offerings can be a great way to get your company through some slow times. If the snow is not cooperating, or if you live in an area that doesn’t receive snow, adding a service like holiday lighting can be a great way to add some extra cash. However, don’t take holiday lighting lightly. It’s a hefty service, and you should be sure that you have the manpower and availability to offer extra services.

Continue reading this article here.

Got Leaves? Put 'Em to Work

Getting your garden ready for the spring starts in the fall. This Mother Earth News article teaches you everything you need to know about the uses of leaves and how to winterize your plants.

Mother Earth News

'Tis the season for harvesting leaves, the most abundant free source of organic matter available to most gardeners. Microorganisms in soil and compost transform leaves into bits of organic matter, which helps the soil retain nutrients and moisture. By themselves, leaves contain small amounts of 16 plant nutrients.

You can stockpile leaves in a bin or pen to use later as compost or mulch, but you don't have to wait until leaves decompose to put them to work. With some shredding assistance from your lawn mower, you can give your leaves useful jobs right now.

1. Turn lawn into garden. Prepare sections of lawn you want to develop into garden beds by smothering them with leaves. First scalp the grass by mowing as close to the surface as possible. Then cover the space with several thicknesses of newspaper or cardboard, and cover the base layer with two inches (or more) or compost or manure. Top with 3 to 4 inches of shredded leaves.

2. Winterize hardy vegetables. Use shredded leaves to limit winter injury to kale, leeks, carrots and other hardy vegetables. Surround the planting with a low fence or burlap enclosure and fill it with up to 12 inches of shredded leaves. Mulch garlic and perennial onions with up to 6 inches of shredded leaves mixed with the season's last grass clippings.

Continue reading this article here.

Electric Wheelbarrow: Move More With Less Effort

Power Pusher E-750 electric wheelbarrow

In order to safely maximize profits, you need the right tools. Made in the U.S.A., the Power Pusher E-750 electric wheelbarrow is a commercial-grade solution for safely moving and dumping loads up to 750 pounds with its 5 cubic foot bed capacity. It doesn't only offer drive assistance but also power-assisted dumping at the push of a button.

No workday is too long for the E-750. Its rechargeable battery works all day - up to 5 miles of travel on a single charge, noise free! Because it is battery-powered, the E-750 uses no fuel and runs emission free, making it easy to use in enclosed and indoor spaces without the dangers of exhaust.

Eliminate pulling, pushing and straining while reducing dangerous falls, slips hazards and injuries. Power Pusher's E-750 is ideal for unstable and time-sensitive loads and is ideal for commercial and construction contractors, concrete demolition, base prep and pours, masonry block and brick work, landscaping rock, retaining wall and pavers, sod and soil work, industrial material hauling and factory floor material or scrap building. It offers greater productivity with less manpower, faster and more efficient projects and solutions to your toughest and heaviest challenges.

Click here to watch the E-750 electric wheelbarrow in motion!

The Skills Gap And Why We Need A Modern Rosie

Why aren't there more women in manufacturing careers? This IMPO article talks about how the manufacturing industry could fill in its gaps by hiring and training women in this field.

IMPO

Women make up half of the U.S. population and almost half of the workforce, but only 24% in the manufacturing sector.

The manufacturing field is full of opportunities on the cutting edge of technology and innovation. Manufacturers in the United States perform two-thirds of all private-sector R&D. Manufacturing is the backbone of the American economy—according to the National Association of Manufacturers, the industry supports an estimated 17.4 million jobs and has the highest multiplier effect of any economic sector, adding $1.32 to the economy for every $1 spent.

Manufacturing offers good compensation in salary and benefits, with the average manufacturing worker in the U.S. earning an average of $14,960 more than the average worker in all other industries in 2013. Manufacturing is an extremely diverse field offering careers at practically every socioeconomic level and dealing with practically every product you can imagine.

Continue reading this article here. 

8 Ways To Hire, Nurture The Best People

The best companies are made up of the best employees, and sometimes, the most qualified person on paper isn't right for the job. This Total Landscape Care article discusses how to find - and keep - the right employees for your company.

Total Landscape Care

Any smart business-person knows people are the heart of an operation. Employees can make or break you, bring in business or drive it away, and cause your company to thrive and grow or wither and die.

But finding the right employees – and keeping the good ones – isn’t the easiest task.

“Unquestionably, employees are our greatest blessing and our greatest challenge all wrapped into one,” says Mark Halla, owner of The Mustard Seed Landscaping and Garden Center in Chaska, Minnesota, and a TLC Landscaper of the Year finalist.

Finding employees that are a good fit for your company is key. Sometimes the person who seems the most qualified for the job isn’t necessarily right for the position.

 “Like any relationship, it takes a long time to get to know each other,” Halla says. “We used to hire based on skill sets, but we learned that was the wrong approach for our company. It’s really more about personality and character for us. If they’re willing to learn, we can teach them anything.”

Whether you are looking to hire seasonal workers or full-time staff, here are eight ways to find, nurture and invest in long-term relationships with your employees.

Continue reading this article here.

Normal Sleep A 'Privilege' For Night Workers

It is hard enough to get a full night's rest while working 9am-5pm. What about the people that work 9pm-5am? This CNN article discusses night workers and their sleep patterns and the tole not getting enough sleep takes on your health. 

Gregory Jones begins his day when his family and the rest of the world winds down and gets ready for bed.

The New Jersey truck driver reports to work at 8 p.m. He loads, stacks and transports vegetables and fruits until 4 a.m.

"I don't get eight hours," Jones said about his workday sleeping habits. "Sleep for me is a privilege. It's a blessing if I can get it."

Night workers like Jones are at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. With biology beckoning their bodies to sleep during the night, shift workers say they struggle to stay awake no matter how many years they've done it.

When sleep prevails, there can be major consequences for others as well.

On March 23, two airplanes landed at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport shortly after midnight without an air traffic controller.

The controller, a 20-year veteran who was suspended, told investigators that he had fallen asleep, according to the National Transportation Safety Board. "He had been working his fourth consecutive overnight shift (10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.)" according to a statement from the agency.

Read more here.

Expect To See More Women Managers On Construction Jobs

According to this CT Post article, the future is bright for women in the construction industry. Although a traditionally male-dominated industry, construction businesses are not only seeing an increase of women working on job sites but women in management roles, as well.

CT Post

As women are being urged to "lean in" to corporate jobs, there's another challenge for management-minded ladies: breaking the proverbial glass ceiling -- with a hammer.

Working out in the field as a construction manager, Dianna Barrella likes to be the first one on the job site every morning. She likes the ever-changing nature of the work, the variety of people she meets on each project, the opportunity to work with different teams of consultants, architects or engineers. Over the past 16 years she's spent at Turner Construction in Shelton -- almost her entire career -- Barrella has relished her roles, which have included overseeing jobs like in-house building projects at UBS in Stamford. But it took time to get there.

"When I started at Turner, I think I may have been a little intimidated, being the only girl out in the field," Barrella said. "But in the industry, that has changed. There's many more women now. The challenges are pretty much the same for men and women."

Construction has traditionally been a male-dominated business, with the small percentage of women who do join -- just 8.9 percent of the industry nationwide, according to the U.S. Dept. of Labor -- often relegated to doing clerical or support jobs. In Connecticut, based on the state's demographics, it's likely the numbers are even lower, said Jacob Kovel, associate professor and chair of the department of construction management at Central Connecticut State University.

Click here to continue reading this article. 

How To Protect Crewmembers from Hearing Loss

Workers exposed to noise levels of 85 decibels or higher for longer than a period of 8 hours could be at risk of hearing loss. This Total Landscape Care article provides information on hearing loss and ways to prevent it at your worksite. 

Total Landscape Care

Different levels of noise are all around crewmembers every day on jobsites.

However, whenever workers are exposed to some of those sounds for hours on end every day, hearing loss can become a serious problem.

In fact, 4 million workers go to work each day with damaging noise, and 10 million people in the U.S. have a noise-related hearing loss.

“In 2008, approximately 2 million U.S. workers were exposed to noise levels at work that put them at risk of hearing loss,” NIOSH says. “In 2007, approximately 23,000 cases were reported of occupational hearing loss that was great enough to cause hearing impairment. Reported cases of hearing loss accounted for 14 percent of occupational illness in 2007.

Click here to continue reading.

The Power Of Salt For Renewable Energy

According to this Plant Engineering article, potential for a new form of renewable energy lies where salt water and fresh water meet. A team of mechanical engineers at MIT are currently studying this process.

Plant Engineering

Where the river meets the sea, there is the potential to harness a significant amount of renewable energy, according to a team of mechanical engineers at MIT.

The researchers evaluated an emerging method of power generation called pressure retarded osmosis (PRO), in which two streams of different salinity are mixed to produce energy. In principle, a PRO system would take in river water and seawater on either side of a semi-permeable membrane. Through osmosis, water from the less-salty stream would cross the membrane to a pre-pressurized saltier side, creating a flow that can be sent through a turbine to recover power.

The MIT team has now developed a model to evaluate the performance and optimal dimensions of large PRO systems. In general, the researchers found that the larger a system's membrane, the more power can be produced - but only up to a point. Interestingly, 95 percent of a system's maximum power output can be generated using only half or less of the maximum membrane area.

Click here to continue reading.

3 Ways To Extinguish Burnout

A burnout happens gradually but is usually realized suddenly. Once you are aware of the issue, you need to take charge of the situation and fix it. This Total Landscape Care article lays out three helpful steps to extinguish your burnout.

Total Landscape Care

Are you thinking about work 24/7? Do you look forward to the weekend because you’ll have uninterrupted time to work? Has your stress level gotten so high that you don’t even remember what it feels like to be relaxed?

If so, you’re probably burned.

The more you work, the more successful you can become. You enjoy hearing you’re doing well and making clients and employees happy. But, your “To Do” list soon becomes unachievable, and you start to hate the thing that once brought you happiness.

And if you think about it, there’s no one else to blame (speaking from experience): You’re the only one looking out for you. No one else cares if you do too much, and the better you do, the more people are going to want from you.

Continue reading the article here.

First 2014 Human Cases of West Nile Virus Confirmed

Landscapers and any outdoor workers alike need to be taking the proper precautions to prevent West Nile Virus. This Total Landscape Care article discusses the first 2014 case of West Nile Virus, as well as ways to protect yourself from it while working outside.

Total Landscape Care

The West Nile Virus is spreading as the first signs for 2014 appear.

The first 2014 case was confirmed when a Pennsylvania man was hospitalized due to the virus and has since recovered. The second case took the life a 75-year-old Louisiana resident.

The Dallas County Health and Human Services confirmed a third human case of West Nile Virus for the season on Monday.

Landscapers need to be on the look out and be using proper protection while working outdoors, especially as more West Nile Virus cases are confirmed.

Landscapers should be using DEET-containing insect repellents and covering exposed skin with lightweight clothing.

Continue reading this article here.

Just Not Buying It: Purchase of 'Green' Products Slows Down

Today, about a quarter of Americans purchase products based on their green reputation, but this number is declining. This EHS Today article discusses the projected future for consumers and green product consumption. 

EHS Today

A new study finds that “green” certification and brand reputation are playing a larger role for

Further, when making a product selection, about 30 percent of American consumers select products based on a company’s “green” reputation, and 25 percent look to see if the product has been certified by a leading certification organization.

The study also pointed out that while overall interests in green and sustainable issues are gaining ground, many green purchases and behaviors – including selecting green cleaning products and personal care and food products, and energy and water conservation – either are stagnant or in decline.
consumers when choosing products. The Shelton Group, a marketing and communications firm focusing on the sustainability and energy sector, conducted the study and found that 70 percent of consumers want “greener” products and corporate commitments to sustainability.

Click here to continue reading.

New Resource Helps Practitioners Enhance Posture Assessment Practices in the Workplace

According to this CDC article, injuries to muscles, bones and joints from overexertion cost businesses billions of dollars per year. Reports have shown that conducting posture assessments at your workplace can prevent and control these injuries, making it a safer environment. 

CDC

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in partnership with the Canadian Centre of Research Expertise for the Prevention of Musculoskeletal Disorders, has released a new report that can help occupational health and safety practitioners more accurately and efficiently assess postural stress of workers performing their duties at work. The ability to conduct posture assessments in the workplace can assist with the prevention and control of musculoskeletal disorders.

The report, Observation-Based Posture Assessment: Review of Current Practice and Recommendations for Improvement, describes a research-based approach to classifying the severity of torso and arm posture. This approach has been demonstrated to improve the accuracy and efficiency of workplace posture analysis. Authors address enhancements such as the benefits of digital video, computer software, training and use of visual cues. Additionally, the report provides practitioners with useful tips for digitally recording and analyzing workers’ posture.

Click here to read more!

The Battle Over “Green” Plastics Continues In The Building & Construction Industry

Those who were once resistant to alternative plastic building materials are now taking a second look! Consumers are realizing the benefits of many plastic building products for both interior and exterior uses. According to this Plastics Today article, builders are embracing these new products as well. 

Plastics Today

This week, David Levine, CEO of the American Sustainable Business Council, took the opportunity to rake the plastics industry over the coals while SPI and other plastics industry groups held their "fly-in" in Washington, D.C. In Levine's commentary, Plastic Industry's Faulty Lobbying Agenda that appeared in this week's issue of The Hill, he chided the industry for what he called "a brazen attempt to block progress."

Levine refers to the plastics industry's opposition to the LEED v4 (Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design) building standards, and believes that the industry's time would be better spent on an agenda to "move away from toxic chemicals and toward safer chemicals and products using safer plastics."

This is an argument that is almost as old as the LEED standard itself. I can remember when I first began covering the International Builders Show (IBS) a number of years ago, there were a number of presentations from builders over whether or not to even certify any buildings that contained plastics construction materials.

Many would like to disallow a LEED certification to any building containing plastic materials, primarily because in the minds of many, anything "plastic" is a horrible material. The LEED competitor, Green Globes, has its detractors as well, who accuse it of pandering to not only the plastics industry, but to 'big wood' (the lumber industry) as well. We certainly can't have both - the plastics and lumber industries in cahoots in the "green" building industry!

To read more about this article, click here. 

A Guide for Driving Sustainable Innovation Throughout a Construction Organization

There are two major types of innovation: Sustaining - smaller, incremental changes and Disruptive - game changing moves. Both types of innovation are discussed in this Construction Business Owner article. Learn what inhibits and inspires innovation in the construction field. 

Boegh, Flickr.com

The world is witnessing a new Renaissance. Just as Michelangelo, Dante, Galileo and Titian defined a generation of classical painting, sculpting, mathematics and literature, a new revolution surges in the world of business. For the last few decades, innovative business leaders have dramatically altered the landscape with groundbreaking ideas that have forever changed how the world lives.

Inventors and entrepreneurs toil tirelessly to invent the next big thing, while the iPhone, Facebook, Google, Instagram and Zynga dominate the headlines and inspire savvy businesspeople to create. Some of these creations, such as the iPhone and Facebook, have morphed from simple conveniences to necessity. What may sound frivolous—a platform people use to share every detail of their lives with their friends, for example—has managed to reshape the business world we see today. Imagine that 20 years ago someone told you that a firm such as Kodak would no longer be around.

Today’s innovative businesses managed to supplant many legacy giants that most likely had the same impact when they themselves began as fledgling start-ups. This phenomenon shows us that innovation and evolution are in some way linked.

Innovation in Construction
On the continuum of innovation, few construction firms would be confused for the likes of Apple or Google—comparing a construction firm to Apple is, well, apples and oranges.

However, the flawed thinking is not in comparing Apple and ABC Construction Inc., but rather, in failing to recognize that—regardless of the industry—every contractor can take a page out of the Google handbook. Consider the following questions.

To read the full article, follow this link.

Optrel Weldcap Reinvents the Welding Helmet with Radical, Casual New Design

A new take on the traditional welding cap has been featured in this ISHN article. With its revolutionary wear comfort, extensive field of view and lightweight design, it's no wonder why the Optrel Weldcap(R) is achieving high marks in comfort and design. 

ISHN.com

Optrel Inc., the global innovator of auto-darkening filter technology for welding helmets, has reinvented the welding helmet with a radical, casual new design: weldcap®. The new optrel weldcap combines the lightweight wear comfort of a baseball cap with the full protection of an autodarkening welding helmet. weldcap is soft where it needs to be comfortable, rigid where it needs to be tough — combined with an extensive field of view that expands a welder's line of sight by 2.7 times.

“We know that welders rank field of view and comfort as essential features in a welding helmet. The more comfortable the helmet, the more productive a welder can be. The wider the viewing area, the safer the welder can be,” said Renee S. Bessette, Vice President of Marketing and Operations. “weldcap raises the bar for the ultimate in wear comfort and protection. In our conversations with weldcap users, they are continually amazed by the field of vison they get in such a lightweight helmet.”

Weldcap takes an innovative approach in its design to achieve this revolution in comfort and vision.

Revolutionary Wear Comfort – weldcap’s lightweight, flame-retardant textile is soft where it must be comfortable and its robust plastic is rigid where it must be tough, while meeting the ANSI Z87.1+ standard for impact resistance. Its sleek, flexible design enables users to access confined spaces without hindrance.

To read more on this new welding cap, click here. 

3D Printer Constructs 10 Buildings In One Day From Recycled Materials

Would you believe it if someone said, "3D printers could someday be used to build skyscrapers from the recycled materials of other building?" Well that day is near! With the capabilities to build the shell of a 2,000 sq. ft. house in under 20 hours, this new technology could provide a tremendous breakthrough in the future.

Computerworld.com

A Chinese company has become the first to construct multiple buildings using 3D printers that extrude recycled building materials at breakneck speed.

Using four huge 3D printers, Yingchuang New Materials Inc. was able to print the shells of 10 one-room structures in 24 hours and at a cost of only about $5,000 per building. The buildings had to harden at the factory and then be transported and assembled on site.

The 3D printed buildings will be used as offices at a Shanghai industrial park.

The printers, supplied by WinSun Decoration Design Engineering, are 20 feet tall, 33 feet wide and 132 feet long.

Like their desktop counterparts, the construction-grade WinSun 3D printers use a fused deposition modeling (FDM) technology to deposit materials one layer at a time in a process that's similar to squeezing frosting from a pastry bag.

To view the full article and brief video, click here. 

LM150 Lessons Learned: Carol King

When it comes to business growth, would you do it all over again if you had the chance? Would you know where you went wrong the first time and what needed to change? With information from those who have gone before, it's easier to plan your steps for the future. 

Landscape Management Magazine

Hindsight is 20/20, and I’m always brighter after the fact.

As we’ve morphed into a $9 million to $10 million company, we compete on the commercial maintenance side against large, national and regional companies who sell contracts to hotel chains, restaurant chains and large property management groups. It’s dawned on me we can’t work in certain areas because they’re tied up with negotiated relationships. It takes a certain market segment away from you.

CarolKingConsequently, if we had it to do over again, we might have developed a more niche-related company to have a smaller footprint and closer control. It would have been years ago, probably in the late 1970s or early 1980s.

Companies that accomplish this increase their margins and retain their customers better because of the relationship factor. The one thing the national companies may not be able to do, versus a family business or one-market business, is be close to customers, react quicker to their needs and maintain a relationship-based business.

For instance, homeowner associations (HOAs), condominiums and multi-housing sites for the residential side are not prone to being rolled up by national companies because they’re all locally controlled.

There are opportunities to target a specific market. Spend your marketing dollars in that one area and become a preferred provider or a boutique company. You’ve just got to find the one you’re comfortable with. It always has to come back to who and what you want to be and where you want to head. You need to make these decisions when you’re in the $1 million to $2 million revenue point.

Follow this link to read the full article.

Chuck Noll’s leadership legacy

Leadership comes in many forms - including a NFL head coach. As this ISHN article clearly states, it takes courage and tact to be appropriately candid, but it is very necessary in order to hold people accountable and to set a standard of performance that will define your culture for safety.

ISHN.com 

The very recent passing of Chuck Noll, Hall of Fame coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers, has stirred the emotions and thoughts of many. Chuck Noll is the only NFL head coach to win four Super Bowls and may be the greatest NFL head coach of all time. Charles Henry Noll never received the credit he truly deserved but those closest to him realized his exceptional leadership qualities, almost instantly.

In the local press coverage, former players and those from the Steelers’ front office have had the most to share about Coach Noll. He had many outstanding leadership qualities but one of the most highly regarded was his candidness. Chuck Noll knew how to be very straightforward about performance but he wasn’t deeply offensive – he had tact. We can learn from Chuck Noll by being forthright and candid about safety-related performance.

1. Be as direct about performance issues by being as open and honest as possible.

2. Don’t make it personal or use name-calling to defeat someone.

3. Don’t wait to address performance issues - the earlier the better.

4. Don’t belittle someone in front of their peers or others.

5. Use your words carefully – some words cut deeply and humiliate.

It takes courage and tact to be appropriately candid, but it is very necessary in order to hold people accountable and to set a standard of performance that will define your culture for safety. Mike Tomlin, the current head coach of the Steelers, often uses a phrase that characterizes the Steelers’ culture of success, “the standard is the standard.”

The Steelers’ standard of success didn’t start with Coach Tomlin, it started with Chuck Noll. Learn to be candid about safety performance; it will go a long way in setting and defining your own standards of success.

To see the full article, follow this link. 

A Roadmap for Holistic EHS Management

A holistic approach is necessary for a safety culture to be created in a work environment. This EHS article details the type of approach desired to help ensure that everyone in the organization is a key component to the safety culture. 

Heather, Flickr.com

When it comes to their approaches to workplace safety and health, companies today can be lumped into one of three categories: reactive, managed and proactive.

Reactive companies focus on complying with regulations and applying lessons learned from their safety failures.

Companies that take a managed approached to safety leverage systems, policies and procedures to prevent incidents. However, this group considers incidents to be a natural consequence of operations – in other words, they believe that incidents are bound to happen every now and then.

Proactive organizations have the most mature approach to EHS. Companies in this category strive for a zero-incident environment by employing proactive safety management systems and behavior-based safety strategies. These companies operate under the principle that it's not acceptable to subject employees to any kind of avoidable danger and risk, and that it's not acceptable for the operation to pose any threat to the environment.

To read the full article, follow this link. 

OSHA Launches Summer Campaign To Prevent Heat Illness

As the summer months arrive, OSHA is taking a stand to raise awareness against heat illnesses. This CleanLink article details how they are educating employers and employees on preventative measures and cautionary actions. 

Kirrus, Flickr.com

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has announced the launch of its annual Campaign to Prevent Heat Illness in Outdoor Workers. For the fourth consecutive year, OSHA's campaign aims to raise awareness and educate workers and employers about the dangers of working in hot weather and provide resources and guidance to address these hazards.

Workers at particular risk are those in outdoor industries, such as agriculture, construction, landscaping and transportation.

However, cleaning professionals may also be at risk of overheating while performing regular cleaning tasks such as emptying trash, sweeping parking lots, or washing windows outdoors — or during duties in facilities with inadequate air cooling systems.

"Heat-related illnesses can be fatal, and employers are responsible for keeping workers safe," said U.S. Secretary of Labor, Thomas E. Perez. "Employers can take a few easy steps to save lives, including scheduling frequent water breaks, providing shade and allowing ample time to rest."

Thousands of employees become sick each year and many die from working in the heat. In 2012...

Click here to read the full article.

How To Keep Crews Safe from the Sun

June is upon us and the sun's strength is growing. As we see and feel the warm rays, be conscious of the dangers that can come from overexposure. This Total Landscape Care article not only informs on melanoma but also gives advice for preventative measures to help ensure the safety of you and your team during the summer months. 

Total Landscape Care

As the landscaping season rolls on, the workload isn’t the only thing that increases.
The amount of hours landscapers and crews put into a day extends throughout the hotter months, but with longer hours comes the inevitable exposure to UV rays.

Time and time again the topic of sun exposure is addressed in landscaping businesses nationwide, but the question is, how much of that discussion is put into practice out in the field?

The Breakdown
According to a recent article from the Skin Cancer Foundation, in the past two decades, there has been a 20 percent increase in the number Hispanics with an incidence of melanoma.

The Department of Labor states that Latinos account for almost one in four workers in the construction industry. Additionally, there are more than 500,000 Hispanic workers in the landscape industry in the United States, according to the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

In 2014 alone, the American Cancer Society estimates approximately 76,100 individual will be diagnosed with melanoma (43,980 in men and 32,210 in women). The organization estimates approximately 9,710 people are expected to die of melanoma (6,470 men and 3,240 women). The Skin Care Foundation reports one person dies of melanoma every hour.

“Overall, the lifetime risk of getting melanoma is about 2 percent (1 in 50) for whites, 0.1 percent (1 in 1,000) for blacks, and 0.5 percent (1 in 200) for Hispanics,” the American Cancer Society states.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided a way for individuals to learn about specific skin cancer statistics for every state in the U.S.

What is melanoma?
There are different varieties of skin cancer, and not all of them are as dangerous as the infamous melanoma.

For instance, basal and squamous cell skin cancers are called non-melanomas, which are found on the outer layer of the skin.

To read the full article, follow this link. 

How To Develop Your Own Safety Program

This Total Landscape Care article focuses on the fundamental building blocks of developing your own safety program. Of course, writing a safety program and implementing it are two different things entirely, but with the help of these tips, you can be on your way to creating a well-working safety program. 

Total Landscape Care

There are many small landscapers out there looking for safety training information on a daily basis, which leads one to believe their company safety programs might not be as up-to-date as they would like.
If you’re using an inadequate or outdated program, it’s time to step up and develop your own – one that’s specific to your business that mirrors your scope of work. So, how do you go about creating and implementing a new safety program? Depending on the resources available to you, there are several paths you can take.

Outsourcing
If you have the budget, you can have a safety consulting firm build a custom program for you. They’ll take input from all levels of your firm, develop simple-to-follow work procedures and conduct periodic evaluations. You can also work with your insurance carrier and with local associations to develop a semi-custom program for your firm.

Adapting
If you’ve inherited or purchased your company, there was probably already a program in place. Perform an objective assessment of the program, determining what areas are workable for your firm today, and what areas need to be updated. If you need help, consider OSHA’s free onsite consultation program. The services are separate from the enforcement division and will not result in penalties or citations. As part of the consultation, OSHA will identify workplace hazards, provide advice on compliance and assist in establishing injury and illness prevention programs.

To read the full article, visit totallandscapecare.com. 

Respirator Trusted-Source Information

Are you part of the 1.3 million establishments that employ workers who wear respirators? If so, take a look at this Center for Disease Control and Prevention article to learn details regarding approved respirators and how to use them properly.

USDA, Flickr.com

 

Welcome to the NIOSH Trusted-Source page. This provides information to understand the types of respirators, how to identify approved models and outlets for purchase, a listing of all NIOSH-approved and FDA-cleared surgical N95 respirators, a listing of recently revoked respirator approvals and relevant User Notices. It also contains information on how to implement the use of respirators in the workplace and use them appropriately, and includes commonly asked questions and answers (fact sheets), respirator myths, the science of respirator function and performance, and respiratory protective devices not approved by NIOSH.

NOTE: This web page is continually being developed. We hope that you will visit regularly to acquire additional information as the site expands.

Section 1: NIOSH-Approved Respirators – What are they? How can they be identified? Where can I get them?
Provides information explaining the different types of respirators, how to identify approved models, as well as distribution information.

Section 2: Use of NIOSH Respirators
Provides information on how to implement the appropriate use of respirators in the workplace. This section also contains a listing of recently revoked respirator approvals as well as relevant User Notices.

Section 3: Ancillary Respirator Information
Frequently asked Questions and Answers about respirators, the Science behind Respirator Function and Performance, and a listing of all NIOSH-approved and FDA-cleared surgical N95 respirators.

To read the full article, click here.

How Small Businesses Can Combat High Gas Prices

While small businesses can't control gas prices, they can become more fuel conscious and efficient. This GardenCenter article details 8 ways to get started. If gas prices are impacting your business, read these tips and see how you can do the little things to reduce gas expenses.

David Wilson, Flickr.com

If you're an independent garden center owner who has a landscape division, operates a delivery service or uses trucks, golf carts and other vehicles, you've likely noticed that gas prices have increased during the past few months. This past week alone, the average cost of a gallon of gas increased by 7 cents, according to Sage North America. To combat the steep prices, they've provided suggestions to improve fuel efficiency and save money.

With the high prices of gas weighing heavily on small businesses these days, Connie Certusi, executive vice president and general manager of Sage North America’s Small Business Accounting, offers the following gas tips for small businesses:

1. Plan, plan, plan - With the help of websites such as Google Maps, plan out your deliveries and group them by area, date and time, when possible. Additionally, change your hours of delivery so that you aren’t sitting in rush-hour traffic, which wastes both time and gas. Using GPS can also help you avoid getting lost and wasting gas by circling the block. Lastly, consider asking customers who live nearby to pick up their orders rather than shipping it to them.

To continue reading about the top 8 tips, click here.

Get Ready for National Safety Stand-Down

According to this Total Landscape Care article, falls are the number one cause of fatality in contraction yet can be easily prevented through education and taking greater safety precautions. Read more to gather important safety tips and help protect yourself or your employees.

While Total Landscape Care covers a range of topics in our online and print safety articles, one area I like to make sure I write about regularly is fall prevention.

The reason is simple. Although falls are one of the most preventable types of accidents, they’re also the number one cause of fatalities in construction; accounting for more than a third of all deaths in the industry.

Just in the last month two workers on separate New York City construction sites died from falls, one from a roof and the other from scaffolding while he was working alone.

The problem with falls isn’t a secret to anyone in the industry, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration recognizes the need to step up and raise awareness.

To read more and to download OSHA's 2014 fall training guide, click here.

The Evolution of the Project Manager

This Construction Business Owner article provides project managers with more real-world construction experience while teaching superintendents social and business skills. It also touches on the "then" and "now" aspects of the technical, construct-ability and business skills vital to modern and effective management.

F Devlenthal, Flickr.com

A long-standing joke has circulated in the industry that the project manager evolved as the solution to the mounds of paperwork a superintendent encounters. Today, the number of contractors who do not have some semblance of a project management corps is minimal. In fact, project managers drive the operations within many firms, replacing their past image as the replaceable paper pusher. Construction management and engineering programs throughout the world’s universities have developed curricula to educate and train future project leaders on everything from change order management to scheduling. However, what does the future of project management hold? Will the skills of today’s project manager be satisfactory as the complement to the field manager? Will firms have to adapt to a new model of project management as new business models in construction arise?

Examination
Project managers became the custodians of the “business side” of construction projects, enabling the superintendents or foremen to build. While the evolution of the project manager started as an office transition for many blue-collar supervisors, universities became fertile ground for growing future managers. Today, many trade contractors still utilize “star field leaders” as new office managers. The advent of the digital age and the computer skills of many younger managers aided the evolution.

For years, engineering and building construction programs equipped managers with a standard “toolbox” of basic knowledge to enter the world of construction. However, the largest criticism of this management group was their apparent lack of real-world construction knowledge. Many project managers could easily navigate the most sophisticated software but could scarcely find their way around the formwork of a multi-story building.

To read the full article, click here.

What is a safety program policy?

Safety in the workplace could not be of greater importance but without the foundational policy, a company lacks a key element needed to build and maintain a strong safety program. This ISHN article plainly states four elements that are necessary for an efficient and effective safety program.

takomabiblelot, Flickr.com 

In conducting OSHA training, I’ve found a common misconception about what a safety program policy is. When asked, attendees have repeated company mission or value statements. Some don’t know what it is, or if their company even has one.
A policy statement by definition is an expectation with a consequence attached; in other words, a “work safe or else” message. A policy needs to be all inclusive and relate to a company’s safety program which has specific job processes in place and identified personal protective equipment (PPE) required.

All employees will follow all safety and health procedures, including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) when required. Failure to do so will result in disciplinary action up to and including verbal warning, written warning and suspension.

What needs to come after this is the “How”

Click here to read more. 

Sales Process for Selling Hardscapes

According to this Green Industry Pros article, landscaping is a huge way to improve the worth and value of your home. Investing in larger projects like retaining walls, paver patios, outdoor kitchens, fire pits/fireplaces, or a paver driveway are ways see the most return on your investment. 

Arnold Masonry and Landscape, Flickr.com

With the housing market getting better but still historically weak, it's important for landscape contractors to encourage existing homeowners to invest in landscape upgrades. Northwest Indiana contractor Mike Arnold of Creekside Landscaping couldn't agree more.

"It is so important for contractors to convince homeowners and other property owners that it is vital to their property’s worth that they invest in great landscaping," Arnold says. "If the property owner's goal is to ultimately sell the property, a fresh landscape design is a sure ticket to quick selling. An old and outdated exterior gives a negative first impression and leaves a bad taste before prospective buyers even enter the building. Then, if landlordship is the property owner’s forte, curb appeal is a must for retail, and good luck getting a quality renter in your apartments or homes without paying attention to your landscape layout."

Hardscaping fits the bill

According to Arnold, one of the best ways to bring a property’s landscape from eye sore to eye candy is through hardscape design and installation. "If done right, most of your landscape budget will be targeted toward a sophisticated mix of retaining walls, paver patios, outdoor kitchens, fire pits/fireplaces, and maybe even a paver driveway," Arnold points out.

The financial value of this option is clearly in the cost of the materials and the extensive labor to install. But the value in the eye of an estimator is its permanence and capacity to be an outdoor living space. "If installed correctly, these structures will last a lifetime," Arnold says. "At Creekside Landscaping, we firmly believe that our customers should consider hardscapes because we understand the primary concern of every homeowner: growing the value of an investment."

To read the full article, click here.

API: Be Safe, Prevent Accidents, Call 811 Before Digging

We're all eager to get to spring yard work! Don't be afraid to tackle the job on your own, but be safe and do this first. According to this ISHN article, it's vital that you check to make sure you're not hitting a utility line, especially if you have not hired a professional contractor.

yael.benari, Flicker.com

The American Petroleum Institute (API) is helping to promote the seventh annual National Safe Digging Month by reminding all Americans to always call 811 before any digging project.

“Dialing 811 before you put the shovel in the ground will keep you and your neighbors safe,” said API Pipeline Director Peter Lidiak. “Striking a single utility line can cause injury, repair costs, fines and inconvenient outages. Every digging project, no matter how small, warrants a call to 811.

Keeping pipelines safe

“The thousands of miles of pipeline that safely crisscross this country supply Americans with the energy they need to fuel their daily lives,” said Lidiak. “To keep this infrastructure safe and reliable, we need the public’s help to prevent accidents resulting from excavation damage to pipelines.”

To read more, click here.

10 Most Common Lawn Care Myths

April is here and that means Spring will soon follow! Make sure you're not falling prey to myths about "good lawn care." Learn about the top 10 myths from this totallandscapecare.com article. 

Lawncare Orlando, Flickr.com

Spring is in the air, and with April being National Lawn Care Month, PLANET, The Professional Landcare Network, has debunked a few common lawn care myths. “Our job as landscape professionals is to help advise and emphasize ways to save time and money on lawn care and, oftentimes, that means we need to dispel some fairly persistent myths,” says Glenn Jacobsen, Landscape Industry Certified, president of PLANET. PLANET asked its professional landscape members to name the 10 most common lawn care myths:

1. Myth: The best time to replace the lawn is in the spring, as plants get ready to bloom.
 Reality: Sowing seed in the spring sets one up for potential problems, as heat sets in during the
 summer months and weeds compete for space. The best time to sow seed is in the fall when the
 temperatures are more consistent and highly competitive weeds, like crabgrass, have gone dormant.

2. Myth: Water new plants every day to prevent them from drying out.
 Reality: Overwatering kills as many plants as lack of water. It is better to make sure you are wetting
 the entire root system of a new plant and then allow the soil to dry to the point that it is only moist.

3. Myth: To have a healthy lawn, dethatch in the spring.
 Reality: Thatch is a layer of living and dead plant material, including the crown, roots and stems of
 the turfgrass plant. The brown on the surface at the beginning of the spring will slowly recede into
 the background all by itself as new leaves emerge. While dethatching is a common and sometimes
 necessary practice, it should be done only when thatch is excessive.

4. Myth: It’s a good idea to remove clippings after mowing.
 Reality: There is a misconception that grass clippings contribute significantly to thatch. Grass
 clippings are mostly water and decompose rapidly, returning significant amounts of fertilizer to the
 lawn. Research shows that up to one-third of applied fertilizer can be recycled by simply returning
 clippings.

To read the rest of the top myths, click here.

Safety excellence - The six critical components

Power Pusher helps to provide safety in a working environment through their material handling tugs but safety can also be provided in a number of different ways outside of purely physical safety. Actions made in management and supervision also play an important role according to this ISHN article. Are these visible elements a part of your safety processes?

Eugene Zemlyanskiy, Flickr.com

Dr. Dan Petersen was one of the great safety pioneers of the last 50 years. His focus was consistently on developing a viable safety culture that lived safety accountabilities at all levels of the organization. Organizations fully utilizing his Six Criteria for Safety Excellence are among the leaders in safety performance. These criteria are:

Visible Upper Management Commitment to safety. In most organizations it is difficult to pry executives away from their cost, quality and customer responsibilities and have them be visible in the workplace with respect to safety. Roles, responsibilities and associated activities are essential if we are to make the executives field presence accomplishable.

Active Middle Manager Involvement in safety. It is not uncommon for organizations to have far fewer middle managers than in years past. This fact makes their active presence on a regular basis at the workface even more of a challenge. Once again, practical roles, responsibilities and activities provide guidance for these important people to make themselves known in safety where it counts most, on the front line.

To continue reading about the six critical components to safety excellence, click here.

Popular Outdoor Design Trends for 2014

With many of the new 2014 landscaping trends requiring some heavy lifting, keep Power Pusher's electric wheelbarrow in mind. Take a look at a few of the up-and-coming techniques you might see this year according to this article from GreenIndustryPros.com 

Glenn Switzer, Flickr.com

Consumers are spending money on residential landscapes, especially those used to relax and socialize. Commonly known as outdoor living spaces, these types of landscape projects, along with sustainable and low-maintenance landscaping, are the most popular among consumers in 2014, according to a survey conducted by the American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA).

Landscape architects who specialize in residential design were asked to rate the popularity of different landscaping elements. Roughly 94% said "gardens and landscape spaces" were either somewhat or very popular. Coming in second at 92% were "kitchens and entertainment spaces". Third was "outdoor recreation" at 76%.

Additionally, the following specific residential landscaping elements were noted as being "in demand" this year:

Lighting – 98%
Seating/Dining Areas – 97.7%
Fire Pits/Fireplaces – 95%
Grills – 94%
Installed Seating – 90% (includes benches, walls, ledges, steps and boulders)

To continue reading about more common 2014 trends, click here.