The construction industry tends to be the recipient of much criticism in the public and the press. It’s nothing new; lack of productivity, too many safety issues, behind schedule and over budget. These are all common refrains and many in the industry have grown so accustomed to them that the criticism seems to be falling on deaf ears these days. If you are in the industry, or connected in any way, you have heard it: there haven’t been any gains in productivity in decades, our safety record is among the worst of all industries, and projects are constantly over budget and behind schedule. We read articles about it that often offer much criticism but no solutions, or they offer complex or even whimsical solutions that often show a real lack of understanding of the industry. I listen to the criticism, I read about the issues, and I see them in the field. I also see the industry adopting many “modern” solutions to help improve. This ranges from Lean methodology to the adoption of digital workflows. Most are great solutions, and I have helped clients adopt many of these solutions over the years. I talk about them in my courses on LinkedIn Learning. I write about them in posts and articles. And I lecture about them to in-person groups at training sessions and conferences. In doing so, I have come to realize that we are often committing the ultimate misstep while trying to improve. One of my colleagues, Shyvee Shi posted a quote on LinkedIn that applies here. I wrote it on the wall of my studio, and I look at it all the time, trying my best to implement the wisdom it aims to impart: “Commit to the outcome, not the solution.” It’s simple, elegant, impossible to argue with; and yet almost universally ignored when we are trying our best to improve. Think about it: We aim to cut waste, so we adopt Lean. After all, lean is about cutting waste. We hire so called Lean Coaches who jump in to teach us the process, and all of a sudden we are all in on Lean, spending our days learning the process. We know that paper drawings (blueprints for some of us) are an absolute problem. We know the drawings change too rapidly to communicate the correct details to the field in a timely and efficient manner. So we adopt digital drawings. We go all in on a solution like Procore that promises to fix all of our problems and streamline all of our processes. We then spend our days learning how to best fit this solution into our workflow. We are bombarded by “Safety First” messages so often that we have started aimlessly repeating the mantra in almost every field meeting. So we seek out solutions to our safety problems. We adopt safety systems and set about changing the way the company does almost everything in order to implement the new solution that has been adopted. Wait – What Was the Desired Outcome Again? What was the desired outcome? That’s simple, right? Improve everything! Is that realistic? Can we truly improve everything, all at once? Can any of these solutions really do that? If you ask the right person, they will probably tell you yes. Ask a Lean cheerleader and they will tell you that proper implementation of Lean methodology will absolutely solve all your problems – its inherent to the process itself. Ask a digital workflow champion and they will tell you absolutely. Streamline communications, work from a single set of shared drawings, simplify processes like RFI’s (Requests for Information) and we will stay on time and under budget. Ask a safety manager and they will tell you the same. Make people feel as safe as possible and they will be productive and focus on quality. While all of these things may be true, are we really focusing on the outcome here? What was the outcome again? Improve everything? Everything? I think it's time for a different approach. That approach needs to refocus our attention. That approach needs to start with a goal. An outcome on which we can truly focus. That can be easier said than done. We do really have many areas that need improvement: safety, quality, productivity – all equally critical to the survival of the industry. So, I propose focusing on an outcome that affects all of these things. We need to eliminate re-work! Elimination of re-work is an actual outcome on which we can focus our efforts, and it is one of the single biggest challenges we have in the construction industry. It affects safety on multiple levels. Quite simply, when we do things twice, it doubles our exposure to safety issues. Many times its actually worse than that, because the complex systems and solutions that were in place the first time the work was done are no longer there the second time around. Productivity? I think it goes without saying that you can’t really claim to be productive when you are redoing something. Quality through re-work, although inherent in craft production, just isn’t efficient and it obviously effects our costs and our schedule while putting us at risk for further delays due to potential material procurement issues. Elimination of rework is a real outcome on which we can focus our attention. Its measurable, and success will have a positive outcome on safety, quality, and productivity. It also involves the evaluation of multiple processes, many of which will require changes to arrive at the desired outcome. The point here is to focus on the outcome – elimination of re-work. If we focus and commit to that outcome, it gives us a measurable goal. The challenge will be to stay focused on that outcome, and not the may solutions that will need to be adopted and/or changed along the way.

In almost all of my on-line and in-person classes, I talk about the fact that safety, quality, and productivity are inextricably linked. You cannot neglect one of these elements without having a negative impact on the others. With this in mind, safety becomes the responsibility of all construction professionals, not just the safety managers. In today’s world where almost everyone has a smart phone with them at all times, it would be a mistake to not use the phone’s capabilities to improve our job sites. In fact many people have access to enterprise level applications through their company, but there are also many very good applications out there that you can find and install on your own. With May being a month of several different safety stand down weeks and other activities meant to bring attention to working safe, I thought I would highlight three of these applications that I think every construction professional should have on their phone. All three of these apps are high quality, ad-free apps that have been developed by NIOSH (a division of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States) and are available for free from your phone’s app store. All three also appear to be available worldwide, although some of the features may be limited outside of the U.S., and I will point those out in the descriptions below. 1. NIOSH-OSHA Heat Safety App Summer is here and so is the heat. Heat related illnesses and injuries at construction sites are a real issue in many areas around the world. A lack of understanding of the hazard, appropriate first aid, and tools to objectively assess the hazard all lead to workers being needlessly exposed and subject to sometimes life-threatening conditions in the construction industry. This application was developed to address all of these issues and to give everyone an easy to use tool that sits right on your phone and is ready to use any time. Its available for both Android and iOS in their app stores. In my course on LinkedIn Learning called Occupational Safety and Health: Working in the Heat, I discuss how to develop an objective program for determining heat hazard categories throughout a work day, and what steps and precautions should be taken as you move from one hazard category to another. While the use of the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) is the most accurate method of doing this, that’s an instrument that is often not typically available to most people, so this application uses modified heat index values to accomplish the same thing using an easy to use smartphone app. You can see this demonstrated in the following video from my course. In the U.S., the application is location enabled and will pull in values for temperature and humidity from the National Weather Service based on your GPS location or an inputted zip code. This will allow you to not only get current information, but you can step through predicted hour by hour information to see how the day will progress so you can take appropriate actions to protect yourself or others. I have had people outside the U.S. try out the application and it still appears to work quite well, but it requires you to manually input ambient temperature and humidity manually. Besides determining the hazard category at your site and telling you the recommended precautions, the application also includes: Signs and symptoms of heat related illnesses Recommended precautions First aid recommendations depending on symptoms (remember that heat stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical attention) You can learn more about the application and find links to download it at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/heatstress/heatapp.html, or visit the Google Play Store or Apple App Store and search for OSHA NIOSH Heat Safety Tool by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2. NIOSH Ladder Safety App Available for both Android and iOS, this was NIOSH’s first mobile application, and its available in both English and Spanish. Its designed to improve extension and step ladder safety — a concern for those working in construction or any other task that requires ladder use. According to the CDC, In the United States, more than 500,000 people per year are treated, and more than 300 people die from ladder-related injuries. The app provides user-friendly guides and interactive tools to prevent major causes of falls, including: Graphic showing the NIOSH Ladder App on a smart phone to measure the angle of an extension ladder Angle Measuring Tool — Uses visual, sound, and vibration signals to make it easier for users to set an extension ladder at the proper angle (approximately 75 degrees) and to check the verticality of extension and step ladders Selection Tool — Provides a procedure to select the minimum required ladder duty rating corresponding to user characteristics and task Inspection Tool — Includes a comprehensive checklist for ladder mechanical inspection Proper Use Tool — Presents a set of rules for safe ladder use in a user-friendly format Accessories Tool — Describes a number of available extension ladder safety accessories Information, FAQ’s, and user guides are available on the NIOSH web site at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/falls/mobileapp.html, or you can search for Ladder Safety by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. 3. NIOSH Sound App Due to hardware issues, this app is only available for iOS devices. This is an extremely high-quality sound level app developed by experienced acoustics engineers and hearing loss experts. NIOSH has tested and validated (accuracy ± 2 dBA) according to standards in a reverberant chamber at the NIOSH acoustics lab, and the application meets Type 2 requirements of IEC 61672:3 SLM standard when used with an external calibrated microphone. Additional features include: Provides the most relevant metrics found in professional sound instruments today. Averages such as LAeq and TWA, Max and Peak Levels, Noise Dose and Projected Dose according to NIOSH and OSHA standards, and all three major weighting networks (A, C, and Z) Capability to calibrate either internal or external microphone Reporting and Sharing data Up-to-date informational screens on what noises are considered hazardous, how to conduct a noise measurement, how to properly select a hearing protector, and guidelines for preventing hearing loss To make it even more impressive, there is technical support available directly from NIOSH hearing experts. Although its unfortunate that there is not an Android version of this application, if you have an iPhone and take the time to learn how to use this app, you will have one of the most sophisticated noise hazard assessment tools available to you in the palm of your hand, for free. Find out more and link to app store at https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noise/app.html, or search for NIOSH SLM in the Apple App Store.

There have been some interesting conversations on-line surrounding the emerging debate of hard hats versus helmets. It’s been interesting to read because many of the comments have surprised me. I have been directly involved in transitioning a large group of people over to construction helmets and have assisted and watched several other groups with their transition. Most of the feedback I received focused on fit, comfort, the different look, no brim, etc. These were all fairly easy issues to handle, with time taking care of most of them, and proper helmet and accessory selection taking care of the rest. What’s been interesting to read about on-line are some of the comments that I have not personally received or even thought about. The on-line discussions reach a much broader audience than just a single company, trade, or region, so it's not surprising to end up with a more diverse set of opinions. The most surprising comment I have seen surrounding this debate is that we shouldn’t need either, and that relying on PPE such as a hard hat or helmet ignores the broader issue. Others believe that in many phases and types of construction, there are no hazards that should mandate head protection anyway, so we shouldn’t be required to wear anything. Surprisingly enough, I am no stranger to this line of reasoning. In fact, I have made similar statements myself in the distant past. And more recently, I have been spending time on many residential construction sites where I am the only one in a hardhat (or helmet). For my part, I spent years managing a civil construction company with the majority of work being large public street improvement projects. Back then (it was many years ago) I did tend to take the attitude that I had no overhead hazards on my sites, and that a hardhat was going to be of no use if a car hit me in a work zone. The only trade I had on my jobs that wore hardhats was the traffic signal contractor, who always wore them. Their safety manager was the one who introduced me to the concept of hardhats being more than just protection from falling objects…they were a constant reminder to work safe. I took this to heart, but honestly didn’t do much with it, until I transitioned into vertical construction. This transition vastly affected my views and approach on safety management. In my younger days, my projects were mostly horizontal, and even when I had multiple trades on the site, we rarely worked stacked up on each other. We each tended to control our own work areas, and with only a small handful of trades on site, I easily controlled the activities. Other than some close calls with traffic, I don’t recall any injuries on my sites. Vertical construction was vastly different. Trades were stacked up on each other both figuratively and literally. I realized that even though an individual trade may be very good at training their employees to stay safe and protected while they perform their work, they don’t necessarily focus on hazards they may be creating for the other trades and people working around them: next to, above, and below. The work is also much more people intensive, whereas in horizontal construction it was more equipment intensive. Pulling it all Together So how does this all relate to the helmet versus hardhat debate? And how do we address those that rightly point out that PPE is supposed to be the last line of defense in our hierarchy of controls? And is there any validity to that concept of hardhats reminding everyone to work safe? As I mentioned, I have been spending more time on some residential construction projects lately. The visual on a typical production single family home project is vastly different than on a commercial project. No one in hardhats, or vests, or safety glasses, or boots. I stick out when I walk on wearing PPE. So, the question is, is my personal PPE needed, or should I look like everyone else because there are no hazards present that necessitate PPE? Is my personal PPE needed, or should I look like everyone else because there are no hazards present that necessitate PPE? One thing is for sure: people see me and instantly check what they are doing. Some climb down off of the precarious platform on which they are working without any fall protection. Others go find a hard hat. A few quickly un-tie the guard they disabled on their nail gun or skill saw. This is all without me saying a word. So does wearing a hardhat, and other PPE, remind people to work safe? I’m going with a YES on this one. But should it be required? Are we ignoring the importance of eliminating some hazards and jumping straight to PPE? Examining the hazards on any typical construction site, I don’t think so. There are too many trades working in one area to believe that we are going to completely eliminate all hazards. We wear boots because the walking and working surfaces on even the best construction sites vary from area to area and day to day. We wear hi-vis clothing because it helps equipment operators see us as we share the same space on a job site. And we wear hard hats because there are always overhead hazards that are not completely in our control. Yes, we need to continue to push for tool tethers, toe boards, and debris nets, but again, when you walk around a construction site you are potentially exposed to hazards created by other trades that don’t even know you are there. Even when extensive steps are taken it would be foolish to believe that all hazards, or potential hazards, have been eliminated. Hardhats are the last line of defense, and I will be glad I am wearing one if someone accidentally drops a wrench from above. So why switch to helmets when hardhats seem to be doing the job? I believe the new construction helmets offer 2 distinct advantages. One is simply that they are built better. They are a modern version of a piece of construction equipment that hasn’t changed in decades. I like to compare it to football helmets or the helmets soldiers wear. Look at what they were wearing 40 years ago, and it looks substantially different today. Ours look the same. Once again, we really don’t like change in construction. Other groups that have always used some form of head protection have matured and evolved, and this brings me to the second advantage of the new helmets. They identified additional mechanisms for head injuries and began designing helmets that would provide protection from things that their old helmets would not. This is where we are in the construction industry. In construction we have people that suffer from more than just the occasional dropped tool from above. We bump our heads all the time (I know I am not alone on this), and not always directly on the top of our heads where we get protection from the hardhat. Our hardhats frequently fall off (wind, bending over, etc). And we have frequent falls. Falls from ladders and simple slip and fall incidents where one of the main injuries is hitting our head. That last one is a big one, and hardhats do nothing to protect us from these types of head injuries. Yes, I can add a chin strap to a hard hat, but all that does is keep that hardhat on. That hardhat is not designed to provide any protection during a fall where our head hits the ground or a wall. Many of the new helmets are designed to do exactly that. In fact the current ANSI standard for hard hats doesn’t even really address this mode of protection. Yes, Type II hardhats are designed to protect against side impact, but that’s an impact from something hitting you in the head from an angle instead of from directly overhead. It is not the same as hitting your head during a fall. It’s why many helmet manufacturers test and certify their helmets to EU standards for helmets meant to protect climbers during a fall. The Bottom Line Head protection is critical for everyone on a construction site. It is a last line of defense, like all PPE, but when its needed it is a critical component in making sure we go home uninsured at the end of the day. I also believe that wearing personal PPE is a reminder to everyone to work safe, and that’s always important. Construction Helmets represent the future. Yes, they look different. Yes, the chinstrap is a bit annoying. Yes, they protect us from a broader range of potential injuries than our old hardhats. Are you considering changing from hardhats to construction helmets? Here is a great resource that contains more information: www.hardhatstohelmets.org

I just sat through yet another meeting with several people in which one individual claimed to have seen a 30-foot-long post-tension cable fly out of a slab-on-grade, soar across the job site and land in front of his truck… The problem with this is that when people tell these stories, someone believes them! I have seen many cut tendons. I have purposely cut them for various reasons. I have drilled through them, saw cut them, torched them loose on one end, and I have yet to see the prestressing steel fly out of the concrete and become an airborne missile. And that’s not for lack of trying! Don’t misunderstand, cutting a tendon can create a dangerous situation. The force created by the sudden release of energy can cause concrete debris to break off the slab as the embedded steel hits it, and wedges can be thrown from the concrete; especially if they come out of a pocket former recess that has not been patched. But, there is just too much friction in a single strand unbonded tendon for a length of prestressing steel to shoot out of the slab and become a missile. The Post-Tensioning Institute even published a report back in 1990 that describes the supervised demolition of a parking structure built with single strand unbonded tendons. They cut the strands at varied locations to see how far they could get the strands to shoot out of the slab, and none of them made it more than a few feet. I am not trying to minimize the potential dangers of cutting into a post-tensioned slab, because they are definitely real. Concrete exploding at the anchors, wedges being thrown from the concrete, anchors exploding upwards when people are chipping behind them…these are all real, no need to add fake hazards to the list!