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If you’re using an inadequate or outdated program, it’s time to step up and develop your own – one that’s specific to your business that mirrors your scope of work.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.