President's Message - Aug '22

Date postedAugust 20, 2022
President's Message,
Here we are in August and summer’s almost over. I, for one, will be glad to leave the heat behind and look forward to the cooler days of fall.
Speaking of heat, OSHA has a NEP (new emphasis program) for hot weather work in the construction industry. Take a look at this link. They also have plenty of training tools available for download. Most are in English and Spanish. Many contractors have already included hot weather guidelines in their safety programs across the US and we ask that anyone who currently has a section in their safety program for heat illness and injury prevention to share it with us. We will post it under “resources” in the members section of the MBCEA website. All of our resources, policies, and templates are shared in good faith as guidelines.
OSHA will evaluate an employer’s heat illness and injury prevention program for the following:
  • Whether it is written
  • How the employer monitors ambient temperature and levels of work exertion at the worksite
  • Whether there was easy access to cool water
  • Whether the employer provides hydration breaks and other scheduled rest breaks
  • Whether there is access to shade
  • Whether the employer has procedures for acclimatizing new workers and workers returning from a break in their work schedules
  • Whether the employer uses a buddy system to have employees monitor one another for symptoms of heat illness
  • What scheduling controls and work-rest regimens the employer uses to limit employee exposure to heat, training of employees on identifying signs of heat illness, reporting signs and symptoms, first aid, how to contact emergency personnel, prevention, and the importance of hydration
If you don't have a policy, please take a moment and look at the OSHA link. Heat risk factors can also be included in your JSA’s. 
Last month I mentioned that we had formed a Code committee. They agreed the first order of business was to share with membership what’s in the pipeline. It is important that we are all aware of potential future changes that will affect our industry.
I urge you to read the these three documents and share any feedback, comments, or concerns. The easiest way to do that would be to write to Sasha and she will coordinate with the committee.
Stay Safe… and cool!
Jen Heimburger
President, MBCEA
President, Heimburger Construction
P.S. Check out the article in our August newsletter about Architects looking for more AC478 Accredited Companies.

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