Jenny Snook – ��Ĵ�ý

Women in Construction: Sarah Kennedy’s Love of Working as a Woman in Construction

Jenny Snook — Fri, 06 Mar 2020 12:23:11 +0000

Women continue to make strides in Construction. Some are even key members in a male-dominated industry, but still have a way to go in this challenging field. This , Sarah Kennedy – Bid/Marketing Manager at Garland Consultancy, discussed how she managed to make her own mark in the industry while encouraging other women to enter into construction. The construction industry continues to evolve. It’s also embracing diversity, during a serious international labor shortage. Despite a certain level of progress for women, construction remains a male-dominated industry, especially on worksites. In Europe, the workers on job sites are male. In the UK, women make up only of the total construction workforce. It’s the same in the U.S. worked in various sectors of the construction industry during 2016. That’s only 9 percent of the industry at best. Women also earn less working in the same position as men. For example, in the U.S. construction industry, they earn only of what men make. Nevertheless, construction offers many opportunities—and benefits—career-wise for women. Below we talk with Sarah Kennedy who is seizing her chance to work in the industry and making the most of it.

How did you come to join the industry?

I spent my summers from ages 14 to 21 working part-time on different construction sites around Dublin for pocket money. It also kept me busy during those summers and out from under my parents’ feet. Over those Summers I worked on some of the country’s busiest sites including DAA Terminal 2, Intel, and AIB Ballsbridge project. I have always enjoyed the fast-paced, exciting environment in construction. I joined the industry full-time in 2015 working for EIDA Solutions, a construction management software platform. I had used the platform at the Intel site three years previously. I spent three years with them in a variety of roles, including technical writing and later business development. In July 2018, I joined Garland Consultancy Engineers as its Bid/Marketing Manager, my current position.

How did you perceive the industry before joining it?

Having worked in the industry from the age of 14, I had experienced the construction industry before I really had a chance to form a clear perception of it. If I didn’t have this experience, I probably wouldn’t have seen it as a positive place to build my career. I was always aware that there were women who worked for construction companies going in and out of my dad’s office when I was younger, but I was surprised to learn these women weren’t always in administrative roles. The first summer I worked in construction alongside female cost controllers, QA personnel, quantity surveyors, and engineers. I was surprised to find women in almost every department within the organisation, but always in the minority. If there was more than one woman on a team, it would have been remarkable.

How have your perceptions changed since then?

Having now worked within the industry for several years, I’ve seen an increasing interest in attracting and including women in the workforce. While previously companies often paid lip service to increasing female participation, there’s an increasing acknowledgment across the industry that equal gender representation is better for business. While participation has increased and management are willing and eager to hire women, they’re still very much underrepresented at higher levels. In all my years working in the industry, I have yet to have a female boss. As someone who’s is hoping to continue my career trajectory in the industry, this situation can be disheartening.

What’s great about this industry for women?

It’s a satisfying industry to work in. You are contributing to the infrastructure around you in a big way. I still point out the different sites I’ve worked on to people ten years later. It’s also fast-paced, with loads of opportunities for progression if you want to learn. Often, you have an informal atmosphere, and there’s great fun and the possibility of making great friends. Increasingly, construction companies are committing to providing a respectful and enjoyable place for their employees to work. Plus, it’s an exciting time for Construction with many companies embracing technology and innovation.

What’s your impression of the industry?

Construction is a busy industry, so there are numerous opportunities for women to advance. The industry accepts and acknowledges people that work hard. If you do your job well, managers are willing to give you more work and bring out the best in you. While I did not find many instances of discrimination on a day-to-day basis, people do often assume that women are admin staff or receptionists and can overlook them for promotion or investment. Unfortunately, women need to push harder. Being one of a handful of women in a room of 80-100 men can be a little uncomfortable, but unfortunately, it’s very common.

When will women achieve equality in the industry?

I think it will be a very long time before women achieve parity within the industry. At the moment only 5-10% of the industry is made up of women, and much less so at the management level. We will need to see a significant increase in women entering the industry over the next decade to begin to close this gap.

How does the industry get more women to join?

Most young women aren’t encouraged or even offered construction-related subjects in school which needs to change. Schools need to ensure subjects such as physics and tech drawing are offered to girls in school, and career guidance teachers aren’t afraid to suggest skilled work or engineering degrees to their female students. The industry also needs to emphasize the benefits of the construction industry to women who are considering career changes or returning to work. They also need to make the industry a more inviting place, particularly for young women who expect to work in a company that is diverse and has women in management positions.

Do you have role models in the industry?

In one of my very first jobs, I worked with a female cost controller. She was such an asset to the company, and so good at her job that she was a role model for me. But I also like to look at other women in the industry to inspire myself, particularly those who are running their own businesses or sitting at director level. I see more and more women entering the industry as CEOs, member of boards, and business owners. With more and more women succeeding, I think their success makes it easier for women already in the industry to move up and for other women not in the industry to join and make it a career.

Where do you see opportunities for women in the industry?

One area where I see more opportunities for women is in construction technology. As more and more construction companies embrace new technologies positions will become available in exciting companies who are the forefront of innovation within the industry. These positions can give women access to some of the most complex and advanced projects locally and internationally, as it did in my career.

What’s one piece of advice you give other women?

Find a champion in the industry. That’s a big help.

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Biggest Takeaways for Project Managers: 2020 FMI Industry Report

Jenny Snook — Mon, 06 Jan 2020 10:49:00 +0000

2020 FMI Industry Report – we’ve summarized it for you.

Read Time: 5 Minutes

2020 FMI Industry Report looks at challenges in construction industry

Thet observes the top challenges the construction industry faces today and how firms are utilizing tech to combat them.

Who participated in the 2020 FMI Industry Report?

Seven hundred thirty-eight participants were involved in 2020 FMI industry report, mainly contractors. 42% were from the U.S., 22% from the U.K., and the remaining from Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.

Participants surveyed and their role in construction:

General Contractor/Construction Manager: 334 (45%)
Specialty Contractor/Subcontractor:299 (41%)
Project Owner/Owner’s Representative: 94 (13%)
Architect Engineer: 8 (1%)
Other: 3 (0.4%)

These participants gave insight on the top challenges in the construction industry that they recognize.

What are the top challenges in construction project management?

Labor Shortage:

In 2017, an found that 89% of construction firms recognized a talent shortage in their industry. This was a rise-up from 53%, recorded in 2013.

While the construction population grows older, baby boomers continue to retire, with the majority of workers retiring within the next ten years.

��When young adults (aged 18-25) in the U.S. were asked why there was little or no chance that they would be willing to enter the industry, the for this were:

Too physically demanding
Too difficult

Perception might be part of the problem. It’s an industry that young adults don’t see as a worthwhile well-paying career.��

2. Material and Labor Costs:

The lower the number of skilled workers, the more money they can ask for their service. Development projects could also take more time if the desired amount of skilled workers aren’t available.��

Material costs also continue to rise.��

For example, in in the U.S. grew by over 10% compared to the previous year. The main reasons are due to a lack of resources after natural disasters and a significant growth in international construction activity.��

3. Global migration:��

This reveals that by 2050, the global population living in urban areas will jump from 55% to 68%. This means a rapid need for new housing, schools, and other buildings for over 2.5 billion people.��

While demand grows and supply drops, costs will rise. Attracting and holding onto construction workers hired for this purpose is one of the top areas of improvement that surveyed workers had an interest in.

Challenges in construction industry that need to improve

Respondents said maintaining a safe job site was their top priority. Firms stated their biggest concerns were to improve these three primary areas:

66% want to preserve a safe job site.
57% want to attract and hold onto skilled workers.
52% want to maximize field productivity.

Other areas the construction industry reported wanting to improve:

Meeting set project delivery schedules.
Reducing the extent of rework.
Staying in touch with project stakeholders.
Developing insights out of data.

When asked how well their firm was and asked to give each a between 1 (not very well) and 5 (extremely well), figures show:

Maintaining a safe job site (4.4) (top priority)
Staying in touch with project stakeholders (3.6)
Reducing the amount of rework (3.4)
Meeting set project delivery schedules (3.4)
Maximizing field productivity (3.3) (priority)
Attracting and retaining skilled workers (3.2) (priority)
Developing insights out of data (2.8)

Participants were asked which area of the business would have the most positive effect:

They answered:

See why over 30,000 workers and managers have given us a 96% satisfaction rating. to learn more.

While over 50% of firms have already chosen technology as a method of lower numbers use it to cope with the other concerns, such as meeting project schedules and retaining skilled workers. This can have a on areas such as financial performance and company reputation

Direct impact of technology in construction

The 2020 FMI Industry Report shows that the construction industry expects the direct impact of modern technology to have the most significant effect on:

Financial performance/margins
Schedule/productivity
Reputation

Financial performance can be seen as the underlying objective, severely affected by the length of time a project takes to finish, or the reputation a company has developed. How easy do they find it to attract and hire skilled, experienced workers?

a is also discussed in the 2020 FMI Report as having a positive effect on financial performance through technology automating data collection. is felt to be more dependable, bridging the ‘deepening knowledge gap,’ explained as being the result of the industry’s changing demographics.��

See how ��Ĵ�ý utilizes construction worker data to drive productivity

Why some construction firms aren’t adopting technology, the challenges in construction project management: 2020 FMI Industry Report

The 2020 FMI Industry Report identifies two main reasons why other industries in the use of technology in the workplace.��

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The first is a simple , with technology not being easily accessible in the industry. In some cases, is just not found to be available, with construction firms holding tiny technology and innovation budgets.

When software is chosen, it seems essential that workers are provided with an easy to use a method of making their current job an easier one. The speed that it takes to start and set up are issues that need to be recognized and were described as other important blockers.��

The top reasons why firms were likely to be dissatisfied with construction software:

Found challenging to use.
It didn’t save the time expected by employees.
Not easily integrated into daily work.
Lack of mobile convenience.

How Contractors choose to invest in a technology partner: 2020 FMi Industry Report

With the different range of technologies available to use in the construction industry today, a long-term technology partnership is becoming a more accessible and effective option.

The top indicators of a are listed as:

Access to experts provided: 79%
Complete understanding of your industry: 71%
Incorporating customer feedback into product growth: 69%
Effective educational tools/materials: 69%
Customized and valuable training available: 69%

In this report, participants named the for satisfaction through technology partnerships, as:

Information available in a single place: 20%
Easy to use:20%
Good mobile accessibility: 16%

Types of software programs used by construction project managers: 2020 FMI Industry Report

Firms were asked the that they already used and for what specific reasons. They answered:

Project financials: 68%
Project management: 58%
Safety/risk management: 55%
Equipment management: 48%
Field/labor management: 47%

Software programs are in place by over to deal with project financials, project management, and risk management. Adopting equipment management at an early stage can help firms to maintain equipment from the beginning properly. Also, using technology to deal with labor-management can be an aid in keeping construction projects on time.��

Reasons why software programs are lagging in these two areas, could be the tiny tech and innovation budgets mentioned earlier. Also, these firms aren’t aware of the technology that could be used and the benefits involved.��

The main takeaway from the 2020 FMI Industry Report

This article has gone through the main points mentioned in the 2020 FMI Industry Report, and have been uncovered and predicted, such as the growth of the global urban population by 13% by 2050. With the that technology can have on issues such as cost reduction and company reputation, it is clear why more project managers should be encouraging their organizations to and use it as a tool.

General Contractor of Commercial Construction in the Midwest U.S., who specializes in commercial and institutional construction,

Ten years ago, there was some technological advancement, but over the past five years, it’s been exploding. It’s taken the construction industry a while to embrace that change.

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Ease the Pain of The Construction Labor Shortage: What You Can Do

Jenny Snook — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 14:29:50 +0000

There’s a labor shortage of construction workers around the globe.��

This low supply of those in the construction industry is even resulting in countries relaxing employee work permits.��

In Ireland, for example, non-European workers in the construction sector are now included in the visa work permits to supply and ease the pain of construction labor shortage.

Many are wondering what more can be done to encourage workers to both enter and return to the industry.

How do you get millennials into construction?

Do women see construction as an industry they’re welcome to enter?��

Stephen Hoban, Associate Director of Construction, Property and Engineering, at shares, “A lot of people think it’s men in hard hats, high vis and concrete bricks…but in reality, the industry has moved on and transformed into so much more. There’s off-site construction, modular building, BIM and software packages being used on these sites that people don’t know about.”

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Why is there a labor shortage?

Remember the recession? To some of us it seems like just yesterday. To others, a bad dream.��

During this financial crisis, . Like many other industries, construction was hit hard. Many walked away from their jobs and never returned–leaving a major gap in the workforce years later, resulting in the current construction labor shortage.

And while many of the baby boomers working in the industry are beginning to retire, there’s also not enough young workers in training to support the industry.��

Construction has the biggest ratio in unemployment to vacancy

A study held by the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2018, concluded that the construction industry now holds the biggest ratio in unemployment to vacancy. This year (2019), JOLTS (Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey) data verified that the US labor shortage in the construction industry is short of 350,000 workers.

The average age of a construction worker in the US is now approaching 43, rising at a faster pace than it has in recent years. The experience and knowledge held by these workers could soon be lost.

4 ways to help with construction labor shortage

“Only by attracting new workers—young people, women, immigrants, military vets—will the industry be able to keep pace with the growing demand for new construction and new home services.” –

It’s also worth understanding how to encourage older, skilled workers to remain at their job for as long as possible.��

1. Do in-house apprenticeships programs

The vocational careers and trades that require apprentices are in demand. From 2012 to 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts growth for these industries: Construction trades workers are predicted to have a 22% growth.

The Labor Department Website states that each year 150,000 employers and labor management organizations participate in registered apprenticeship programs.

Apprenticeships make it possible for aging workers to train young people to learn their skills, passing on their knowledge on to the next generation.��

Because young workers can take a longer time to train and are more likely to drop out, extra support should be available if possible. You should also recognize that apprentices are typically paid from the time that training begins, and that a permanent position is likely to be offered when finished. This payment and job security likely makes this work more appealing for young workers, hopefully coping with the labor shortage.��

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2. Let women know they are welcome and why

Apprenticeships are more popular with men than women; in 2016, women only accounted for in construction; with most working behind the desk, in design, management or administrative roles.

But despite the labor shortage, lack of women in the industry and age-old stereotypes, the construction industry is better than others when it comes to the gender pay gap:

“Women in the construction workforce earn approximately 95.7% of what men earn. That’s far better than other industries.”

Highlight how your organization is inclusive of women by providing equal pay and learn how . Become aware of how you can improve the culture on your own site to be more welcoming.��

Still lost on where to start and cope with the labor shortage? Make sure women feel safe while at work and recognized for the quality of work they do.

3. Retraining workers from other industries

Workers from other industries who have important skills are a great resource.��

A great example is veterans. Approximately leave military service each year, ready to find work in another industry such as construction, another way of dealing with the shortage of labor.

Former Air Force carpenter, Ron Olsen, is now president of the construction management firm Vanguard Construction Co. Inc. With the goal of hiring army veterans, he states:

“From what I experienced in my years as active duty and another 15 years working solely on government contracts, (veterans) are more motivated, better educated, have more hands-on experience and are extremely disciplined. You couldn’t ask for a better workforce.”

Skansa USA sets a good example; they sponsor and attend national veteran career fairs and run a specific military recruitment campaign.��

4. Advanced onboarding to win back wasted time

What is the most boring task on the job site?

Orientation.��

Workers and managers waste hours completing their site orientation and qualification.��

Allowing workers to complete orientations online, from anywhere, creates a more flexible work site.��

By providing orientations online, you give construction workers hours back into their day– to spend more time with family and break ground faster.��

What are you waiting for?

With ��Ĵ�ý, workers take their orientation online before they arrive on-site, resulting in a safer and more efficient worksite. It’s the orientation hack top construction companies love.

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Boosting New Worker Safety Reduces Injuries, Cuts Medical Costs

Jenny Snook — Wed, 01 May 2019 13:10:22 +0000

New workers are most at risk on a job site—at least that’s what the latest safety research indicates. For example, the Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) says that workers of any age are likely to get hurt during their first month on the job, compared to any other members of your workforce. CCOHS also says that the risk of lost-time injuries is highest among new workers over 45 years of age. The high risk of injury to new workers is always present, regardless of your industry. In the construction and extraction industries, 34.9% of worker injuries and illnesses in 2013 occurred during their first year on the job. In agriculture, fishing, and forestry, 45.4% of the injuries and illnesses in 2013 occurred among workers with less than one year experience. Unfortunately, you can’t eliminate the risk of injury in new workers, but you can still take action to reduce the number of on-site injuries dramatically and save hundreds of thousands in medical costs. Luckily, the work involved won’t cost you a lot to implement. Below we review some of the most successful strategies you can use to dramatically reduce risk to new workers, boost employee productivity, and increase corporate profitability. Below are some steps that can be taken to reduce new worker injuries on your job site, as mentioned in this CCOHS :

Training reduces risk dramatically

Safety training is essential. There’s no getting around it. In fact, training is probably the single most effective way to prevent new worker injuries on today’s worksites. Safety training must still be timely to be effective. Waiting several months for classroom training to take place, isn’t timely or effective. Instead, you’ll want to train new workers during new hire orientation at the start of their employment. But training employees during orientation can be a challenge. Using an onboarding software solution, like �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s, streamlines and simplifies safety training. This approach not only helps reduce the risk of illness or injury in new workers but also boost worker retention and engagement. According the HSE and professional guidelines, this initial training should be followed by refresher courses, at least once a year.

Develop a health and safety program

While training new workers is essential, this is not always enough by itself. To make a real reduction in injury, you need to do more—much more. This means developing a comprehensive health and safety program with clear, measurable goals. You also need to get senior management buy-in. Without their help, your program is likely to flop.

Allow workers to participate in workplace safety

Employers need to allow employees to participate in making the workplace safer. Opening up communication channels between workers and management on safety issues is the first step. You also need to find out what safety issues exist at the worksite and eliminate them, showing that safety is your top priority. Near miss reporting also helps improve safety on site and involves all workers in the safety process.

Assign suitable work

Assign new workers to jobs suitable for their skills. For example, assigning new workers to high-risk tasks or those that they must do alone is asking for trouble. Also, be direct with employees. Make it clear right from the start that they can only perform specific tasks after they’ve been properly trained. The CCOHS infographic says that just 20% of workers in Canada received safety training during their first year under a new employer. That statistic means some workers may be doing work that is not suitable for their experience.

Communicate effectively with workers

Communicating effectively with workers is the goal of safety training. By repeating job task safety, you can ensure you get the most out of all your employees, reducing the risk of accidents. With �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s solution you can start the process well in advance of an employee’s first day, customizing any training to their needs. You can also create online paths so that workers complete forms and training relevant to their position in their language choice. This effort boosts comprehension and learning, while reducing injuries, along with costs. Additional training methods to incorporate, include mentoring by experienced workers; hosting apprentice programs; issuing clear, short, and concise written procedures; and providing worker practice time.

Tell Workers What They Can Do

One strategy often overlooked strategy is telling workers what they can do to boost safety. While this effort on behalf of an employer is unusual, it’s effective. Below are several effective activities that can be used to encourage workers to keep themselves and their colleagues safe—activities culled from CCHOS’s infographic:

Scrutinize potential employers — Workers should scrutinize potential employers regarding health and safety issues, looking for signs that their new employer takes safety seriously and follows the procedures and guidelines suggested. It is important to look for things like the availability of personal protective equipment, on-site safety posters that call attention to problem areas, and so on.
Report all accidents and near misses — Remind your workers that they need to report accidents, near misses, and/or unsafe areas, as soon as they notice them. They shouldn’t wait for someone else to do it. Instead, they should go directly to their manager and raise the issue. Also remind them that they can ask other employees and supervisors about existing safety hazards.
Ask employees for help reviewing procedures — Ask employees to go over any procedures or practices your guidelines focus on to see if they’re appropriate. Remind them that they can ask their managers to observe as they carry out their jobs and provide them with any advice on safely executing the task, if appropriate.
Ask for safety documentation — Remind workers that it’s also their job to look out for their own safety and that they can always ask for copies of any safety rules and procedures. Also, remind them that it’s their job to follow all safety precautions themselves and that providing documentation relating to your health and safety is helpful.

More importantly, you need to remind workers that they should know what to do in case of an emergency—whether it’s a fire alarm, power failure, or other situation. Hopefully, this review of the CCOHS’s infographic helps your organization implement correct procedures and develop a good safety culture designed to reduce the number of new worker injuries. If you require any further assistance with increasing safety at your site, you can visit or use our blog to find other resources.

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How Women’s Empowerment Boosts Company Growth

Jenny Snook — Fri, 26 Apr 2019 15:20:23 +0000

There’s no denying it: “The world needs strong women. Women who will lift and build others.” Women’s empowerment changes the game. Companies that promote it in their own workforce reap significant corporate benefits as a result, including a dramatic boost in company growth. Empowerment even boosts world GDP growth. A report states that companies supporting women’s empowerment can add $12 trillion to world GDP by 2025. Businesses that elevate women to reach management levels gain even greater benefits, helping to boost company growth. A recent by DDI, a global leadership company, revealed that companies, where women account for at least 30% of leadership roles, are 1.4 times more likely to have sustained, profitable growth. The heavy industries are making great strides in women’s empowerment. However, there’s still work to be done. Below we review five significant projects driving empowerment in — construction, mining, and energy. These projects are changing the game for skilled, ambitious women and the companies supporting them:

Solar Sister Entrepreneur Program

empowers energy-oriented female entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa, where more than 600 million people have no access to electricity. Many need to use harmful fuels just to make it through an ordinary day. Concentrating on empowering women is a reliable method of dealing with energy poverty and developing sustainable solutions to climate change. Solar Sister provides women in sub-Saharan Africa with the opportunity, training, and support to distribute clean energy among the underserved communities on the African continent. Solar Sister recruits women, supplying them with durable, affordable solar-powered products and clean energy stoves. Entrepreneurs earn income by selling products to people without power. To date, Solar Sister has provided over 1.4 million people with clean energy stoves. Plus, it’s started off more than 3,400 female entrepreneurs.

Women of Renewable and Sustainable Energy (WRISE)

While empowerment is progressing in the Renewable Energy sector there’s still more work to be done. For example, in 2018 women only accounted for of executives in the top 20 energy companies in the Fortune Global 500. Meanwhile, half of these 20 companies have no women on their executive teams. promotes female education, development, and advancement to achieve a strong diversified workforce in the renewable energy sector. It also supports a powerful renewable energy economy. Starting as a creative idea in the minds of three women, WRISE has grown organically and internationally across Canada and the U.S.. Launched in the Spring of 2005, WRISE has grown and prospered over the years; from a strong foundation in the wind sector to a strong force across the entire energy segment. It’s changing the industry by building the community, improving education, and cultivating leadership. It also encourages members to speak out and stand up for others.

Women in Mining at Mthandazo Women in Mining Centre (Colleen Brawn).

In Zimbabwe, more money is earned by women in mining than any other industry. This beats the income generated by through traditional activities meant for female hands in the rural community. However, until Women in Mining (WIM) was launched, women in Zimbabwe had little chance of tapping into this source of income. WIM became the first such company to be owned exclusively by women in Zimbabwe. This also became the first ever gold processing plant for women in Zimbabwe. Launched on November 25th, 2016, it empowers all women who work in mining in Colleen Bawn, Gwanda District of Matabeleland South Province, to process their gold. It also encourages and supports empowering women, along with their families to reach their goals in the mining industry. Mrs. Evance Majola is a founding member of this organization, benefiting from the mining equipment donated to the Centre in November 2016 by the UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Women Affairs, Gender, and Community Development. Using the equipment, Majola founded a successful mining business over 20 years ago. She was previously a small-scale vegetable farmer.

Plaza Construction in New York City

According to the , when it comes to wages, the American construction industry is more progressive than most other countries. Women generally make 80% of what men in the country earn. However, in construction, this is much closer at 91.3%. The problem is getting them to join the construction workforce and empowering women, of which they only account for 9% and 7% in New York City in 2017. , a New York City-based company, recently replaced its “Men at Work” signs at site entrances with more inclusive ones. These “inclusive” signs now read “Men & Women at Work.” These diamond shaped signs are not only catching the eye of men but also women interested in the industry. The signs help combat the stigma faced by current women working in construction, says the company’s CEO. He also says that it encourages women to enter the industry by forming gender neutrality in the working environment. Women working for Plaza are also more commonly accepted by their male counterparts.

Women in Mining Coalition/Women in Mining Canada

A 2015 study by Women in Mining UK, found that the global mining industry has a on boards than any other industry. In fact, women occupy only 8% of all board seats owned by the 100 top mining companies, with only four females executive directors in the entire group. The field workforce isn’t much better. Women make up only 13% of the US mining industry and 17% in Canada. Organizations like the Women in Mining Coalition (WMC) and Women in Mining Canada (WIM) help ensure that female-oriented initiatives and programs are in place to help women empowerment by helping them make a mark in the industry’s workforce. A nonprofit organization formed in 2009, WIM concentrates on the interests of women in mineral exploration in Canada’s mining segment. In 2014, WIM Canada developed a National Action Plan designed to attract and retain women in the skilled trades and senior executive positions, along with help from a grant provided by the Status of Women Canada organization. This plan focuses on empowering women by placing them in senior executive roles and non-traditional occupations that include the trades, heavy equipment operators, miners, and engineers. These are just a few examples of the many activities taking place worldwide to support women in the heavy industries, benefiting both women and company. For women, it can provide them with more control over their own lives, boosting independence and releasing them to make their own schedules and learn new skills. For businesses, empowering women increases profits by the opening or an increase of markets, improving productivity, while enhancing collaborative action and teamwork within the company. Most importantly, female empowerment boosts corporate growth. Companies that invest in it recognize significant corporate benefits. In other words, empowering women is not only a game-changer for women but also the companies and industry sectors which promote it.

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Empowering Women Can Drive Real Change in Green Energy

Jenny Snook — Thu, 04 Apr 2019 14:22:11 +0000

When you look closely at women in Renewables one point comes through loud and clear: Women are underrepresented in many key aspects of creating and distributing sustainable goods and services in this industry. from the Energy sector support this conclusion. For example, half of the top 20 Energy businesses have no women on their executive teams. While these statistics are informative, they’re also sobering. If Energy is to thrive in the future, it needs to change the structural inequality within the industry starting now. It also needs to take advantage of a women’s unique position in society to drive change. Boosting gender diversity in the Energy industry can generate enormous benefits for women, the sector, and the environment.

Lack of Diversity in the Energy Sector

The energy sector employs millions worldwide. But women represent only 6% percent of all technical positions and less than 1 percent of its top management positions. What’s more, women account for board members of the world’s largest power and utility companies. Clearly, the Energy sector lacks diversity. This poor connection occurs throughout the industry. For any female entrepreneurs hoping to enter into it, this high level of inequality poses significant barriers. Meanwhile, a by the World Bank indicates that 155 of all 173 economies it covers have at least one law impeding female economic opportunities, including access to credit. Things aren’t any better in the Renewable energy sector. Women only account for about a third of global wind and solar power jobs. This number is higher than a lot of other technology fields but still lower than the share across the economy. The numbers are even worse in decision-making positions, where women continue to get shut out of the top jobs.

Several Reasons for Structural Inequality

Why is this lack of diversity such a problem? Because the Energy industry is responsible for almost two-thirds of all global greenhouse gas emitted—with residential solid fuel burning accounting for 25 percent of all global black carbon emissions. If Energy is to significantly reduce its contribution to the release of greenhouse gases and thrive forward, women need to make up an equal portion of the energy workforce. There are a number of reasons for this level of structural inequality. First of all, society doesn’t support girls in STEM classes, throughout high school and college. For example, women represent 50% of university degrees in OECD countries but only 30% in science and technology. This gender gap in science and technology partly explains the low representation of women in STEM subjects. Secondly, an unconscious cultural bias exists regarding women in renewables, especially in more labor-intensive sectors. Of course, many of the labor-intensive jobs require a level of muscular strength. But with help from automation and robotics, skilled women can—and do—carry out these jobs as well as men. Fortunately, Energy is starting to address this lack of diversity. For example, WRISE (Women of Renewable Industries and Sustainable Energy) promotes the education, professional development, and progression of women to achieve a strong diverse workforce, supporting a robust renewable energy economy. An array of powerful Renewable Energy entities sponsor WRISE. However, more must be done. With an aging workforce, as well as a global lack of skilled laborers, eliminating structural inequality is becoming imperative. Why has this happened? Well, the International Renewable Energy Agency predicts that by 2050 there will be around 40 million jobs directly related to the renewable energy sector and energy efficiency within the industry. Women will be required to deal with this labor shortage.

Signs That Things Are Changing

Identifying bias in the industry is a sign that things are changing. It dismantles the stereotypes and prejudices in the sector. Another sign is what’s happening in many developing countries. For example, groundbreaking initiatives, such as Solar Sisters, are responsible for training and supporting women to deliver clean energy directly to homes in rural African communities. This is an encouraging sign. Another encouraging sign is capital markets continuing to focus their analysis on the environmental, social, and governance metrics of different companies. Female empowerment needs to be a part of this effort for the industry to reach its full potential. For example, research shows that companies with a level of 30% female leadership hold an average 15% increase in profitability. To drive change at this level, stakeholders need to pressurize companies, requesting them to set targets for female representation across all levels. Otherwise, companies could simply ignore this imperative. Workplace diversity drives innovation. In turn, this boosts productivity, generating higher returns on investments. However, more must be done.

Driving Real Change For Women in Renewables

Energy must become more pro-active. Renewable Energy’s websites, for example, carry polarized messages and images. This needs to change, especially when it comes to recruitment. Being a high growth, innovative business, Energy is an attractive industry for forward-looking individuals and needs to brand itself as such to both men and women. Below are some additional steps the industry can take to boost diversity:

Society and schools need to banish all biases that boys succeed in STEM subjects and girls only succeed in the Arts. Both genders must be encouraged to enter the industry they have the most interest in and without discrimination.
STEM Universities need to position themselves to become more welcoming to female leadership and educators
Companies need to set targets, policies and holistically embrace them, measuring their metrics and celebrating equality
The renewable energy sector must brand itself as offering an exciting and innovative career path for both men and women alike
We all need to support developing countries in the distribution of renewable energy into more remote areas with the result of empowering local women
Policy makers need to commit to and invest in all of these actions
The public need to recognize it as the responsibility of companies, educators and the government to drive change.

Taking these steps can help the Energy industry eliminate structural inequality that exists throughout, including the renewable sector, helping it to address workforce problems and continue to grow. But reducing structural inequality in the workforce isn’t enough. To boost sustainability to the next level, the Energy industry must recognize the unique role that women hold in society, positioning them to drive international changes that need to be made in the sector. With women’s help, Energy can make the dramatic changes needed to minimize the impact on greenhouse gases and the environment.

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The Pros, Cons, and Costs of Modular Houses

Jenny Snook — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 14:52:32 +0000

How much does it cost to build a new home? In 2017, the average U.K. house price was estimated at £226,071 ($300,075), while the average US house price was similar at $290,203 (£218,633). The cost of purchasing a house just keeps rising up and up. With the need to make a 20% down payment, buying a new home is a challenge for many people. For others, it’s out of the question. Modular construction, however, is making it easier to buy new homes. Houses built using the modular construction approach, offer numerous advantages over traditional dwellings. These include:

Faster and easier method of building
More durability than traditional homes
Modules constructed separately, forming better acoustics than traditional houses
Lower risk of structural damage
High level of portability
Generally less-inexpensive
More flexibility and versatility (customizable)

Thanks to these benefits, modular construction has come a long way. Once considered cheap and low quality, modular homes are now cost-effective, viable options for many home buyers, contractors, and developers. Below we review the pros, cons, and costs of modular houses, explaining how the marketplace is developing. Also, how they differ from manufactured houses, the cost of building modular houses, and some of the latest advancements in this form of construction.

Modular Construction on the Rise

Modular construction isn’t confined to single- or multi-family house building. Studies show that buildings worldwide include elements of modular construction. While the house building market has been slower to adapt to this approach, it’s picking up speed. Studies show that the modular construction market is set to rise dramatically, forecasting an annual growth rate of about 7.0%, with the market’s projected value reaching by 2020. The primary causes of this rapidly growing market, include the added demand for new housing and increased investment in infrastructure. These drivers are the biggest and most influential. Additional reasons include (1) the desire to eliminate inefficient conventional on-site construction techniques; (2) an advance in modern technology, e.g. building information modelling (BIM); and (3) collaborative supplier engagement models.

Modular Houses Versus Manufactured Houses

When salespeople talk about modular homes with house buyers, they sometimes refer to them as manufactured houses, which aren’t the same thing. In fact, they’re quite different. Modular homes are built in sections in a climate-controlled factory using an assembly line process. They then transport them around the site in different sections, set them in place with a crane, and join them together, refinishing as necessary. Manufactured houses are also constructed in sections, using an assembly line process. This factory is climate-controlled, but these sections are placed on a removable chassis that can be towed straight to the building site, where they can be connected together. Permanence is the difference between these two styles. Modular homes are placed on a permanent foundation, whereas the steel chassis serves as the primary foundation for manufactured homes. Although manufactured homes tend to be less expensive to build than modular ones or traditional forms of housing, manufacturers don’t place these homes on permanent foundations, they may sometimes be hard to refinance. Cost of Building Modular Homes Companies work on more than one modular home at a time, recognizing production efficiencies along the way, such as less downtime and faster completion rates. Houses can then be put up for sale at a lower price. Modular houses can cost as much as 15% less than stick-built houses. They’re even cheaper if placed on remote plots or some distance from manufacturing centers. They also offer more financing options to choose from compared to traditional housing. Unlike stick-built houses, modular houses offer the option of going through the company involved for financing, some of them providing impressive financing rates. This means home buyers not only obtain less expensive housing but also more favorable financing.

What’s on the Horizon for Modular Houses

Modular houses are a satisfying option for many home buyers. They also work well for manufacturers, developers, and contractors. However, if they remain attached to traditional methods of building, they may ignore and lose out on the benefits of modular construction. This is unfortunate because new advancements are improving this form of construction dramatically. New processes and innovative technologies are reshaping the industry and driving it forward. For example, 90% of apartment buildings can now be constructed off-site using these advancements. This can save anything from four to eight months of construction time and generates significant cost savings from reduced labor during these shorter time frames. Below are some key advancements impacting modular construction:

New processes enable companies to install facades in sections and build complete roofing structures with parapets in-house. These new designs expand the options that house buyers can choose from while helping to cut building costs.
3-D printing of components and the design options of cross-laminated timber help cut costs and save field time and money. Meanwhile, integrating building services into structural components reduces field labor costs.
3-D printing technologies use fewer materials than traditional shaping techniques, enabling developers to offer cost-effective methods of adapting modular construction techniques to today’s environmental standards.

Generating less waste, modular construction can reduce the level of CO2 emission associated with traditional construction. It also makes it possible to design and build structures requiring only minimal resources.
Integration of the BIM workflow in the modular construction process enhances the design process, allowing designers to automate some complex modeling and documentation activities requiring no design expertise.
With the ability to preserve resources, modular construction can be seen as an eco-friendly solution for home builders, enabling them to go green, minimizing site disturbance, while promoting the recycling process and producing less waste. This can by recognized by the capability to relocate, refurbish and re-purpose the structures built.

Some developers and contractors looking to test the waters in modular construction start out using smaller modular elements, which they then incorporate into traditionally built structures. This can be an effective approach, e.g. choosing apartment structures which are slightly less typical than usual. Of course, modular houses have their downsides. These include less customization capabilities than stick-built homes. The cost of the land and construction of the home may be higher than some people can afford, land restrictions, and perceive quality issues. Modular homes may also have more a complicated loan process. Modular construction isn’t new. But it’s come a long way since its inception. Once considered a cheap low-quality housing choice, modular construction is undergoing a significant re-booting—with help from advanced processes and forms of technology. As a result, this house building approach is quickly becoming a viable option for more and more home buyers, manufacturers, contractors, and developers—one that not only cuts costs and saves time but provides eco-responsible home-buying solutions.

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Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces: What is Blacklisting?

Jenny Snook — Fri, 29 Mar 2019 13:10:03 +0000

To level the playing field for federal contractors, President Trump recently revoked the (Executive Order 13673) Also known as the “blacklisting” order, this was first signed by President Obama in 2014. The recent annulment ordered federal agencies to repeal any orders, rules, regulations, guidance, guidelines, or policies implementing and enforcing the Fair Pay order. As a result, federal contractors of all sizes no longer have to report alleged labor violations to U.S. federal agencies as part of the bidding process. They don’t have to comply with procedures involving paycheck transparency and other associated issues either. What’s more, contractors can now enter into mandatory arbitration agreements concerning employee Title VII claims. So, revoking this order is a benefit to federal contractors.

Support for Fair Pay and a Safer Workplace

Federal contractors provide the U.S. government with a broad range of products and services. While assisting the government, these contractors must abide by labor laws and maintain safety standards to meet government requirements. Under the Fair Pay order, contracting officers could delay or even ban contractors from taking part in government work if they believed that contractors weren’t meeting federal standards. The Fair Pay executive order had its adherents when first enacted. Some, such as David Michael, assistant secretary for Labor for Occupational Safety and Health, saw it as a benefit to both the workers and the general public. He believed that making a contractors’ record available to the public, demonstrated to investors, potential employees, and customers that safety was a top priority that contractors were all entitled to. Groups initially supporting Obama’s order included the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). This group and its supporting 56 trade unions felt the law would make the workplace safer throughout the industry and fairer for law-abiding contractors. As Labor Secretary Thomas Perez stated: “Contractors that illegally cut corners at the expense of their workers should not benefit from taxpayer-funded federal contracts.” Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, also supported the executive order. She believed it would protect millions of workers from wage reduction, workplace discrimination, and dangerous working conditions. She also felt the executive order was “a major step forward in ensuring that federal contractors provide fair and safe conditions for their employees.

A Step in the Wrong Direction

Many contractors were against the executive order. Their concerns started before it even went into effect. Public outcry forced the government to extend the period of public discussion before implementation. Meanwhile, leadership in the U.S House and Senate both requested that the Department of Labor withdraw its proposed advice on the matter. Leadership focused on issues regarding state laws covered under the order, deciding whether prime contractors would need to facilitate subcontractor reporting. Congressional leaders felt that these unsettled issues made it impossible for federal contractors to provide useful feedback and prevented the FAR Council from adequately estimating the genuine cost of these laws. Construction industry groups, such as the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) and the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), also had concerns about Obama’s order, which they renamed the “blacklisting rule.” They felt that this order stopped smaller subcontractors from applying for federal contracts because of the risks involved, along with the lack of staff to make sure they complied with the law. The AGC’s Chief Executive Officer Stephen E. Sandherr put it this way: “This new Obama administration’s rule is a step in the wrong direction when it comes to weeding out the very few unfair and unscrupulous federal contractors.” Sandherr also felt that the Order gave federal bureaucrats the unfair ability to decide which firms were permitted to apply for contracts and which should receive governent punishment for safety violations. They could base these decisions on “alleged” violations, personal, political or social causes, instead of violations not carried out and to what extent. Others criticized the order for failing to level the playing field. Critics stated that any companies with a history of violations would be exposed before work began or not hired because the violations made them unsuitable for the jobs available. Suitable contractors are less likely to be affected by anyone unsuitable who is bidding for a position.

Fair Pay and a Safe Workplace: Why Accidents Aren’t Reported?

A 2015 study from the AFL-CIO-connected: Center for Construction Research and Training, surveyed 135 construction workers, creating a list of reasons why accidents and injuries never get reported. The most popular reasons listed were:

A small incident that didn’t even matter
Accepting pain as part of their job
Not wanting to be depicted as “a complainer”
Feeling home treatment was enough
Not sure if this incident was a result of work
Fearing the loss of their current job
Difficulty finding a future job
Cannot afford the time off to visit a doctor

Another critical reason for workers not reporting an injury is not wanting to be penalized for unsafe work practice. Reporting these injuries and near misses could cause employees to lose out on cash bonuses because of safety violations. Most workers don’t want to be considered accident-prone or described as crybabies because of an accident. Instead, they tend to brag about their scars, never wanting to be seen as weak or unable to “take it.” The Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order did nothing to create a safer work environment that reduced the chance of one of these accidents occurring in the first place. Whatever the case is with reporting injuries, Trump’s revoking of the Fair Pay and Safer Workplaces Executive Order, improves workplace safety because it increases the reporting of safety data. This order also defends the construction industry from a law that was not just bureaucratically cumbersome but also confusing.

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How to Improve Employee Retention Rates

Jenny Snook — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 13:10:28 +0000

How do effective orientations help?

Research shows that up to decide to stay or leave an organisation within their first few months. Retaining new employees is a challenge for many businesses. Employee turnover, however, hurts a business—whether you’re a local construction company or a Fortune 500 firm, like Apple Computer or Ford Motor Company.

High employee retention benefits you significantly no matter what size company you are or what industry you’re in. High employee retention:

Reduces turnover hassle
Boosts employee morale
Cuts acquisition and training time
Creates dedicated company experts
Increases overall productivity
Improves customer service and experience
Cut costs and increases profits

Put simply, retaining employees for long periods makes a difference. Sometimes, it makes or breaks a business. Below we look at a critical reason why employees leave companies and give you some proven strategies that can help you boost retention.

Poor Orientations Hurt Employee Retention Rates

Poor orientations hurt employee retention. Orientations fail thanks to two factors: vague work expectations and poor employee integration. Addressing these factors in orientations is your first order of business. You want to make employees feel welcome, confident, and comfortable their first day on the job. But conducting effective orientations can be a challenge. Each employee enters the workplace with different needs and expectations. You must meet these needs and expectations to make a positive impact on new workers. That can be hard. The secret to making a positive impact is having a flexible yet formal onboarding program that addresses the different needs and expectations of workers. Creating and implementing a flexible yet formal onboarding program, however, goes beyond just boosting employee retention rates. It also:

Increases corporate productivity
Speeds up employee assimilations
Builds confidence in the organisation
Empowers new employees to do quality work
Makes them feel the company ‘cares’ about them
Instills trust in the new employee
Aligns the employee’s work and the organization’s needs

While creating this type of onboarding program takes discipline, using technology helps. It allows you to create and implement a well-designed formal onboarding program that sells your company to new employees.

Using Technology to Boost Onboarding

Setting up a technology-driven onboarding process is critical to executing good employee orientations. It’s also critical to boosting employee retention rates. Companies with a formal onboarding program of new workers. Technology can help you make new workers feel competent and comfortable during an orientation. For example, using digital resources, such as a cloud-based onboarding software, helps you intake new employees and train them in a company’s priorities, like health and safety, quickly and efficiently Below are seven ways technology enhances onboarding. Doing so can help you make the right impact during orientations. Technology

Improves comprehension through micro-learning
Builds engagement by simplifying onboarding
Personalizes the onboarding journey
Capitalizes on mobile-enabled learning
Infuses technologies like AI into the teaching process
Creates easy-to-access training resources
Improves accuracy in employee record keeping.

These seven tactics help squeeze the most out of your orientation process. More importantly, they help you boost employee retention. That, in turn, increases company productivity and profitability.

Strategies to Boost Employee Retention Rates

Boosting employee retention rates, however, doesn’t stop with orientations. You also need to take measures that retain good performers. To do that, you need to find things that employees like in companies and implement them. These things are different for different generations. What works for baby boomers may not work for millennials. The key is to determine what your workers want, then take steps to implement those things. Below are some examples of some changes you might make:

Improve your hiring practices — Boost employee retention rates starts by hiring the right people. So be wary of job hoppers. Hiring one or two is fine if you want to take a chance on someone. But don’t make it a habit.
Increase pay/bonuses — Re-examine your pay and bonus structure. It may be dragging down retention rates. Raising pay rates beats hiring new people. It’s also much more cost-effective and cost-efficient.
Career advancement/development — Numerous studies link career development and retention rates. It makes employees feel like their careers are advancing and they’re getting somewhere in life. Set up a career development program if you lack one.
Flexible scheduling — Money doesn’t always motivate job changes. Millennials prefer schedule flexibility over money. It allows them to do other things in their lives outside of work that they want to do.
Relaxed workplace culture — Having a cutthroat workplace impacts employee retention rates. Today’s workers aren’t thrilled about high-pressure situations. They want a collaborative workplace that encourages self-expression.
Insurance options — Additional medical coverage is a big plus, especially adding dental insurance. This strategy appeals to many of today’s workers. Providing good medical coverage encourages workers to stay.

Implementing any or all of these examples can make employees feel like they want to stay with your company long-term, boosting your employee retention rate. That, in turn, can increase productivity and profitability, and make a difference to the health and welfare of your company.

Bottom Line on Employee Retention

It doesn’t take long for new workers to decide if they want to stay with your company long-term or leave it after a few months. Often, they decide on the first day. That makes employee orientations a critical tool in the onboarding process. Creating a formal technology-driven onboarding program helps you induce positive impressions in new employees. Organizations with a strong onboarding program improve new hire retention by . Those numbers are hard to ignore. Taking a proactive approach to keeping employees once they’re on board can make them want to stay. So, find out first what things will keep your employees around longer. Then implement programs to infuse them in your company. Being proactive like this can’t help but boost employee retention rates and help you survive and thrive well into the future.

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ISO45001: Ideal for Contractors Looking to Boost OH&S

Jenny Snook — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 17:19:30 +0000

How’s your safety record? Is it as good as you say it is it in your marketing materials? Many contractors say they have outstanding safety in their marketing materials only to fall far short in reality. That trend seems to hold true for the industry. Construction’s occupational health and safety (OH&S) record is less than stellar. In fact, its ill health, stress, and injury statistics are among the highest of all industry sectors. According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for 2016/2017:

80,000 workers suffer from work-related injuries each year (LFS)
30 fatal injuries occurred in 2016/2017
64,000 non-fatal injuries to workers occurred in 2016/2017

Obviously, Construction has a way to go when it comes to OH&S. But if you’re a contractor looking to boost onsite OH&S, you now have a powerful new tool to combat today’s tough safety challenges: ISO 45001. Below we cover what ISO 45001 is, its benefits, how it differs from other standards, and how it impacts contractors. We also cover recommended actions for contractors migrating from ISO 18001.

What is ISO 45001:2018?

ISO 45001 is already the most widely recognized standard for managing occupational health and safety. It replaces OHSAS 18001—whose certification remains valid until March 2021. Released in March 2018, ISO 45001 provides a new framework that helps companies achieve continuous improvement in managing occupational health and safety, identifying risks, and reducing hazards. Here’s the ISO’s formal description of this standard as posted on : ISO 45001 is an International Standard that specifies requirements for an occupational health and safety (OH&S) management system, with guidance for its use, to enable an organisation to proactively improve its OH&S performance in preventing injury and ill-health. ISO 45001 is similar to ISO 18001. Unlike that standard, however, ISO 45001 links health and safety to business strategy. It also focuses more on workers and their interactions onsite. Designed to integrate with ISO 9001, ISO 45001 reduces:

Overall costs of worksite incidents
Downtime and the costs of disruptions
Costs of insurance premiums
Absenteeism and turnover rates

In addition, ISO 45001 pumps up a company’s ability to respond to compliance issues. Plus, it provides widespread recognition for achieving a critical international health and safety benchmark. ISO 45001 applies to any company that wants to create, implement, and maintain an effective OH&S management system—regardless of the organization’s size, type, and activity. ISO 45001 certification lasts for three years and requires mandatory audits yearly to make sure you’re compliant. After three years, companies must complete a reassessment audit to become re-certified to the standard.

Difference Between ISO 45001 and OSHAS 18001

These two standards are similar but different. Both use a structured approach to boosting OH&S. Both focus on identifying, assessing, and controlling worksite risks. And both emphasize continuous improvement through risk reduction. But ISO 45001 differs from OHSAS 18001 in one key area: It employs the same high-level structure as other international standards do, including ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. ISO 45001 helps companies manage safety by requiring them to view risk reduction as a business process instead of as a traditional standard. The standard also helps executives manage risk through opportunity management—all while emphasizing a company’s role of leadership and management and the need for continuous improvement. Since ISO 45001 features the same high-level structure as other standards, it’s easy to integrate with existing management systems. If you’re OHSAS 18001 certified, you’ll need to migrate to ISO 45001 to remain certified. Obstacles to doing that often come from managers not understanding the standard’s actual purpose: ISO 45001 is ideal for companies sincerely interested in boosting safety at their worksites.

ISO 45001: Tailor-Made for Construction Industry

ISO 45001 is tailor-made for the construction industry. It aligns core requirements with ISO 9001, simplifies implementation, boosts holistic safety management, and mirrors aspects of Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015). In addition, ISO 45001 is scalable to cover many combinations of multiple contractors at a single site and applies equally to large organizations and SMEs. A significant benefit of ISO 45001 is that it emphasizes the role primary contractors play in boosting onsite occupational health and safety. Contractors can’t control everything onsite, but that doesn’t let them off the hook. The standard also emphasizes the importance of worker participation—including both contractors and direct employees—in the continuous improvements process. Their involvement in making OH&S decisions is critical to hazard identification and risk management.

Credibility an Overlooked Benefit

One overlooked benefit of ISO 45001 certification is the credibility that comes with attaining it. When you’re ISO 45001-compliant, you prove to everyone—customers, subcontractors, regulators, societal stakeholders—that you’re serious about safety. That’s often a significant commercial advantage of undergoing ISO 45001 training and achieving certification. Savvy contractors are making technology tools like ��Ĵ�ý’s software solution a crucial part of their arsenal when seeking ISO 45001 certification. The reason: The right technology not only helps simplify the management effort but also boosts control over the process. ��Ĵ�ý, for example, helps companies increase onsite health and safety thanks to its ability to streamline contractor management, creating safer workplaces, and reducing onsite mishaps—all while boosting efficiency and productivity.

Migrating from ISO 18001 to ISO 45001

The OHSAS family includes two standards. ISO 18001 focuses on an OHS management system and ISO 18002 covers implementation guidelines. Statistics show that about 92,000 organizations in 127 countries implemented the standard. These companies will all have to migrate to remain certified. Below are several recommendations makes to those companies migrating from ISO 18001 to ISO 45001. PECB is a certification body for a wide range of international standards. It also provides ISO 45001 training:

Identify organizational gaps you need to address to meet the requirements
Develop an implementation plan specific to your organization
Provide appropriate training for the appropriate parties that impact your organization’s effectiveness
Update your company’s OH&S standards to meet the revised requirements, then verify effectiveness
Liaise with your certification body for transition arrangements where necessary

ISO 45001: The Bottom Line.

Implementing this is a must for today’s contractors. It provides company and commercial benefits that boost safety and increase profitability. But the new standard doesn’t improve OH&S alone. It takes training and hard work if you’re new to OH&S certification. If you’re a contractor looking to migrate to ISO 45001, on the other hand, you’ll need to implement an on-target action plan to make the transition. The plan should include technology tools like �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s software solution to help enhance safety training and smooth the transition. Make the transition to ISO 45001 and you’ll enjoy all the benefits that come with improving onsite OH&S. Plus, it helps you win more jobs, enhances efficiency, and increases your productivity—all protecting your best asset: your workers. It’s how everyone goes home safe at night.

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Why do accidents happen at work?

Jenny Snook — Tue, 19 Mar 2019 13:10:31 +0000

Manual Handling and Equipment A HSA report “Summary of Workplace Injury, Illness and Fatality Statistics’’ found that ‘Manual handling’ is the highest accident trigger as far as top workplace accidents are concerned. Workplace accidents happen all the time. When they occur, they can result in severe injuries and even fatalities. That’s especially true in construction. In Great Britain, for example, the construction industry accounted for workplace fatalities that occurred in 2017/2018 (RIDDOR). That’s the most of any of the nation’s industry sectors. Dealing with just one of these fatality costs construction companies dearly and cut its profitability dramatically. The total self-reported injuries and ill health in 2016/17 in Great Britain, for example, is £15.0 billion. The average cost of a construction fatality in the United States . These costs are often hard for contractors to digest. As a manager, it’s your job to prevent workplace accidents. That’s not easy in the construction industry—where the liberal use of contractors and the existence of the safety training language barrier complicates things. While these reasons aren’t the only ones for workplace accidents, they are among the more prevalent. If you want to reduce workplace accidents, you need to get everyone working for your company to buy into health and safety. You also need to create a culture of safety throughout the organization bolstered by the right kind of safety training. Using proven solutions like �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s onboarding platform to enhance contractor training helps. Below we look at the most common causes of workplace injuries in Great Britain, six reasons why they occur, and ways to prevent them from happening.

Most Common Causes of Workplace Accidents

Manual handling is a key cause of non-fatal workplace injuries in all industry sectors in Great Britain (2018). But it’s not the top cause in construction. That honor goes to slip, trips, and falls on the same working levels. That might surprise you, but it’s true. Below are the top causes of non-fatal workplace accidents in all industry sectors, according to a .

Slip, trip, and falls on the same level 29%
Manual lifting and handling 22%
Struck by object 10%
Fall from height 8%
Acts of violence 7%
Contact with machinery 4%

Strike against something fixed /stationary 4% Key non-fatal injury in Great Britain’s construction industry in 2017/2018, according to a Health and Safety Executive report.

82,000 workers suffered from work-related ill health
Workers suffering from muscular-skeletal disorders 62%
Workers suffering from depression or anxiety 25%
Slips, falls, and trips on same level 24%
Injured while handling, lifting, carrying 21%
Falls from height 19%
Struck by moving, flying, falling object 12%

When selecting mobile machinery and equipment for use on construction sites, you need to consider the following legislative requirements:

Safety Health & Welfare at Work Act 2005
Codes of Practice/Guidelines/Other Legislation
Safety, Health & Welfare at Work (General Application)
Safety, Health & Welfare at Work (Construction) Regulations (2013)

Meetings the requirements in these four pieces of legislation will go a long way to helping you prevent workplace accidents.

Why Work Place Accidents Happen

Many workplace accidents that occur involve the person doing the work. Some experts say that as many as occur that way. This statistic underscores the need for you to remind workers to be more careful. Safety training helps in this regard. Below are the top six reasons why accidents involving the person doing the work happen:

Worker overconfidence — Confidence is great. But if workers enter a work site thinking nothing is going to happen to them, they’re overconfident. That’s bad news for them and you—if you’re a manager or supervisor at a construction company. Overconfidence leads to the use of improper methods, lack of proper procedures, and tool misuse.
Poor housekeeping — The order and cleanliness of your job site reveal your attitude toward safety. Poor housekeeping and equipment disarray lead to not only unsafe working condition but also reduced productivity—especially and construction setting. Good housekeeping and tidy workplaces boost safety and productivity.
Workplace distractions — Life’s distractions—divorces, illnesses, romantic relationships—often trigger accidents. They distract workers and have adverse effects on them and the company. Employees need to eliminate these types of distractions and focus on the job at hand to avoid workplace accidents.
Add to these six triggers the penchant for taking job shortcuts, and you have a recipe for disaster at a work site. The last thing you need is to have an increase in the number of accidents or fatalities at your worksite or even fatality—especially if you’re in construction.
Workplace accidents that severely injured workers can drive up your company’s costs and cut its profitability. It’s your job to prevent that from happening.
Ignoring safety procedures — Among the worst thing a worker can do on a job site is to ignore safety protocols. Companies have safety protocols for a reason. Savvy companies educate employees on these protocols and expect them to follow them. Workers that disregard the safety protocols or fail to educate themselves on the right procedures do so at their own risk—and your company’s.
Starting jobs while lacking information — Don’t underestimate this trigger. It happens more than you think. Make sure workers have all the information before starting a job. If you let workers start jobs without all the information, you’re asking for trouble. Having all the information also helps workers finish jobs the first time around.
Failing to prepare for a job — Using tools like pays off. It tells workers the best and most efficient way to do things. If your workers start tasks with hastily made plans or fail to think beforehand, they’re more likely to not only to fail at jobs but also cause accidents.Add to these six triggers the penchant for taking job shortcuts, and you have a recipe for disaster at a work site. The last thing you need is to have an increase in the number of accidents or fatalities at your worksite or even fatality—especially if you’re in construction.Workplace accidents that severely injured workers can drive up your company’s costs and cut its profitability. It’s your job to prevent that from happening.

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From Engineers to entrepreneurs: Why Engineering is a Great Career Option!

Jenny Snook — Thu, 07 Mar 2019 17:08:24 +0000

March 2nd signalled the beginning of Engineers’ Week here in Ireland. 13 years after introduction, it is a week-long festival of nationwide events celebrating and promoting . This week is a component of Engineers Ireland’s STEPS programme, a not-for-profit strategic outreach, aiming to increase interest and awareness in Engineering as a future career for primary and secondary school students. 3D-printing, robot programming and a virtual-reality tour of a wind farm give a flavour of the events that aim to showcase the amazing ways in which Irish engineers are pushing the limits of Engineering theory, creativity and innovation. As a recent graduate of UCD’s Civil Engineering programme, I wanted to comment on the current state of Engineering in Ireland, whilst looking at where we’ve come from and where we’re going. Engineers Ireland is one of Ireland’s largest and oldest professional institutions, established in 1835 and with 25,000 current members. We would be foolish to assume that the industry started there though, given the evidence of Irish engineering ability from every age strewn across the land. Go back 5,200 years and you’ll find Newgrange- the world’s oldest astronomical observatory, built 400 years before the pyramids by a band of people who had neither metal tools nor wheels. Closer to the modern age, it is less commonly known that the submarine, hypodermic syringe, stethoscope, rechargeable nickel-zinc batteries, and colour photographs were all invented by the Irish people. When I was in secondary school, I realised that if we stop to look around us, everything we see has been engineered by someone; buildings, phones and cars are perhaps the obvious ones here. Looking for more subtle examples, we might notice the clasp on the window, the gas piston in the swivel chair that you’re sitting on or the ball-bearing at the tip of your pen. Our mastery has come so far that seemingly everyday actions represent complex transitions of energy states from one form to another. Earphones aren’t loud enough? It takes a tenth of a second between tapping the volume key on our laptop (mechanical energy) to sending an electrical current through to the circuit board (electrical energy), reverting that current back through to our earphones (magnetic energy) to increase the volume (sound energy) with huge precision and reliability. The simplicity is underappreciated, but that’s the desired outcome- the best solution is the one you never notice. The role of the engineer is to reduce friction in our lives identifying the problem and resolving it with an effective, safe and aesthetic design. It was problem-solving that initially attracted me to Engineering in school. I was always analytical and, like most of the people in the field, enjoyed maths and science. I have a love for figuring out how things work- be it engines, structures or electronics. Civil Engineering was a natural choice for me, as I knew I could find work almost anywhere in the world and opt to work either on-site or in an office. However, as I progressed through the course, and after several internships, I continued to realise that the problems I liked to solve were business related rather than Engineering issues. The technical aspect became less appealing- my interest was in discovering a problem or need for consumers and working out how to fulfil it. So, if it took me until secondary school to realise that everything around me was engineered, it took me until the end of college to realise that everything around me was also bought and sold. Even given my change in interest, my college studies empowered me to easily make the transition from a technical background to a more commercial one. Studying Engineering gives a robust framework to the way your mind approaches problems- the result is a skillset that is more transferrable than that of almost any other degree. So why is it that we need Engineers’ Week to entice primary and secondary school students into Engineering, when the rewards are already obvious? Engineering is a continuously developing profession. Advancements in technology such as robotics and artificial intelligence, as well as the changing landscape and climate change considerations, means that the industry is evolving at a rate that makes it indistinguishable from that of a decade ago. While this rate of change is exciting for some prospective Engineers, it may seem daunting and too ambiguous a career choice for others. Similarly, given the cyclical nature of Civil Engineering, and its vulnerability to economic conditions, it seems students have a lot of trepidation when it comes to opting for Civil rather than the much more popular Electrical, Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering streams in college. This was certainly my experience. In an initial class of well over 350 students, only around 10 chose the route of Civil after first year. This alarmingly low intake, down from the heady heights of pre-recession class sizes of 50 or more, represents a critical skills shortage in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) sector. The effects of this increased labour costs (salaries for Graduate Engineers are up over the past 5 years). Limits to construction output and productivity are hampering our growth as the economy recovers. Even if the desire to study Engineering is there, the barriers to get into, and, more importantly, to get out of an Engineering course are high. While CAO points to get into the programmes at UCD, Trinity, UCC or NUIG mean you would have to be in the top 25%, we must also appreciate that the workload once in College is hugely demanding too. Engineering has the of any program in Ireland. We travelled to Coolock to visit , a post-primary school and a college of further education offering a range of courses that provide entry to Universities and Institutes of Technology. We spoke to students from their Preliminary Engineering and Technology courses, where they offered some interesting insights into what the view of the profession is at grassroots level. One of the best aspects about these courses at Coláiste Dhúlaigh, noted by several students, is that they’re only a year long. This is a far less daunting prospect than signing up to a four-year program, whilst offering a flavour of what is to come should they decide to pursue further study. The benefit of this softer entry is reflected in the survey results we collected; over 90% of students said they would recommend Engineering to their peers and two-thirds said they planned to undertake further study within the field. In a similar sentiment to what I thought when I was in their position, students were split 50:50 as to whether they would like to work on site or in an office when they entered the working world. When asked about their favourite aspects of the course, the resounding response was that they loved the hands-on elements of the course in the workshops. On this basis it’s easy to see why Engineers’ Week is effective in recruiting students; it adapts practical work into fun events in a more engaging setting, greasing the creativity wheels and hopefully sparking an interest in the subject. One stark finding from our surveys, albeit not surprising, was the male to female ratio in the class of 20:1. The position of Women in STEM is often touted as the industry’s largest shortcoming, and rightly so. Gender imbalance has been a historic issue in Engineering, not just in Ireland but globally. Our critical skills shortage is exacerbated by leaving women as an untapped resource in our workforce. Women constitute only 12% of new entrants into Engineering courses, and a miserable 6% of construction apprenticeships. An Engineers Ireland identified the key barriers to encouraging women to pursue STEM careers as:

Negative stereotypes towards STEM subjects and careers
Fragmented information about STEM career paths
A lack of information and understanding of parents
A disconnection between the necessary skills requirements and girls’ choices for Leaving Certificate subjects

Fortunately, we can report that there is welcome progress in raising awareness around this issue and launching ambitious targets to promote gender equality. , is an initiative that aims to inspire, encourage and motivate young female students to pursue careers in STEM through annual conferences, interactive exhibitions and campus-based programmes reaching 12,000 students so far. Introducing young women to impressive role models in a variety of STEM fields is hugely influential in encouraging them to consider the career. A 2017 by Accenture notes that early intervention by parents and teachers is paramount to alleviating negative perceptions about STEM, offering support to young girls who have shown an interest in the subject. Only about a of secondary school parents would feel confident explaining what an Engineer does. STEM subjects are objective, so they can require guidance, patience and determination to really understand the material involved, not always provided to younger female students. John Halligan, Minister for Training and Skills, is seeking to double the number of women undertaking apprenticeships in Ireland this year through the extension of grants and creation of new courses. Young women must be better informed and understanding of the merits of apprenticeships to build our talent pipeline in the hard-hat industries. Engineers are critical to our environment, our economy and to improving the way we live and work. It is estimated that 6,000 new Engineering jobs will be created in Ireland this year, and so it is paramount that we demonstrate to young people that Engineering offers a diverse career that is both rewarding and accessible. Engineers’ Week plays a key role in the multi-faceted approach we must take to ensure Ireland remains a centre of Engineering excellence.

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Impact of Tech Savvy Contractors on Today’s Construction Industry

Jenny Snook — Wed, 06 Mar 2019 15:04:41 +0000

Tech-savvy subcontractors are spearheading a digital revolution in the construction industry that’s helping get more done in much less time. Not only are more and more subs adopting new technology, but they’re also pushing contractors and other companies in the industry to bring in new technology as well. While the benefits of adopting construction technology far outweigh the costs, some construction companies continue to use paper and pencil. That comes as no surprise. Construction has traditionally been slow to take advantage of technology. That continues to be the case so far. In fact, some statistics are showing that the construction industry may actually be regressing in the pace of adopting technology. A recent by JBK Knowledge, for example, says that the percentage of companies spending 1% or less than 1% of annual sales volume on IT is growing, going from 45% in 2015 to 70% in 2016.

Driving the Pace of Adoption

Enter tech-savvy subcontractors. They’re driving the pace of change in the industry. With increasing numbers of subcontractors embracing new technology, they’re speeding up the pace of adoption in the industry. Plus, they’re pushing other construction companies to do the same. And why not? Adopting technology benefits companies significantly. Doing so boosts efficiency, productivity, and profitability not only for subcontractors but also for general contractors (GC) in the industry. That can make a difference in the industry’s contribution to the world economy. If construction “were to catch up with that of the total economy—and it can—this would boost the sector’s value added by an estimated $1.6 trillion, adding about 2 percent to the global economy,” says a McKinsey Global Institute

Delivering a Tangible and Healthy Return

Adopting technology makes sense for construction companies only if it provides a monetary return on investment (ROI). When implemented correctly, construction technology provides a tangible and healthy ROI. That’s critical for any company trying to compete in today’s hotly contested building environments. Bringing in technology helps companies survive and thrive in these environments. Technology does three key things for contractors. Today’s tech helps contractors:

Capture data that aid them in making better real-time decisions
Boost opportunities with customers and prospects for more businesses
Creating efficiencies in both the back office and the field

While the first two benefits are important, it’s the last benefit that helps provide a significant return for contractors and subcontractors. Put another way, adopting new technology, like BIM modeling, AI, automated fabrication, onboarding software like �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s, and so on, helps contractors mine efficiencies in the office and the field. That, in turn, pumps up productivity and profitability dramatically. Adopting new technology also help contractors differentiate themselves from other subs using paper and pencil. Put simply, it helps contractors create a sustainable competitive advantage, which can help subs win more bids from GCs. Often, these bids that may have better profit margins and generate higher profitability.

Contractors Must Embrace Technology

To achieve technology’s benefits, however, contractors must embrace it. That can be a challenge for some. Often, it requires making a significant shift in how contractors do things in key areas both in the office and the field. Those areas are different for general contractors and subcontractors. For example, the best areas for general contractors to mine efficiencies are in administration and management. Key target areas to mine these efficiencies for GCs are in-house in areas like planning, communication, documentation, and organization. Subs can find similar efficiencies in-house in the same areas, but that’s not where the big payoffs for subs are. Instead, they need to mine efficiencies on job sites, where technology can impact activities more than in the back office. Mining efficiencies on the job can make a real impact for subs.

Key Target Areas for Subs

The best area for subs to mine efficiencies is the skilled labor side in activities like recruitment, training, safety, and worker productivity. These areas are where the big payoffs for subs. Using �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s onboarding software, for example, can cut training time and costs, boost onsite safety and compliance, and pump up worker productivity. By digging deeper on the skilled labor side, tech-savvy subcontractors can also generate greater return for the money invested than looking in-house for efficiencies. That, in turn, can impact not just the projects they’re working on but also the company themselves. Plus, it can push other companies within the industry to also embrace technology.

Beating Two Challenges is Critical

Tech-savvy subcontractors, however, must beat two challenges to implement new technology effectively in the field. One is meeting the varying processing demands from general contractors that have different systems and ways of doing things. The other involves the skilled workers doing the work on onsite. That’s the tougher of the two challenges. Many construction workers have special expertise. Taking them away from their work to train them on new technology increases costs and cuts productivity—two things subcontractors don’t look forward to doing. But it’s necessary to generate the benefits technology offers. For example, the right software can provide real-time availability of correct information on plans, specs, and RFIs to workers in the field. That reduces work interruptions and project delays. Meanwhile, tools like robotic total stations can significantly cut labor hours by providing accurate layouts.

The Bottom Line for Tech-Savvy Subcontractors

Technology products in the construction industry aren’t new. Many have come before and vied for the industry’s attention. But those products made little impact on the industry. In fact, even as long ago as a decade, construction companies could ignore these new products and survive using paper and pencil. But no longer. That’s because today’s technological advancements are different. They’re about connectedness, communication, real-time data, and streamlined processes, not erecting structures. More importantly, they’re about creating efficiencies that pump up productivity and profitability. Tech-savvy subcontractors are spearheading this technology revolution by embracing today’s new technology, like �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s onboarding software—technology that hold great promise for construction companies. Subs are also pushing other construction companies to do the same, which can provide a tangible return for everyone involved.

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Construction Industry Technology: Top 10 Trends

Jenny Snook — Fri, 22 Feb 2019 14:03:30 +0000

The construction industry is constantly evolving, changing the way that your company performs and the work involved. Now more than ever, you need to remain up-to-date with the latest developments occurring in the construction industry technology. Doing this helps you do your job better, keeping you from falling behind other managers while preparing you for the future. Construction industry technology is a critical area to concentrate on and keeping up-to-date with what’s happening in the industry will pay off significantly for workers, managers, and owners. Advancements in areas such as IoT, Big Data, cloud-based collaboration, and advanced materials are driving the industry forward. Ignoring these advancements can have a harmful effect, not just on your own profession, but your entire company.

Technological Advancements Impacting Construction

Below are ten construction technologies that Professor Ibrahim Odeh expects to have an impact on the industry over the next decade or so. The Professor is Research Director and Founder of the Global Leaders in Construction Management (GLCM), Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, Columbia University, New York City. Last January, he discussed these technologies at a briefing sponsored by ��Ĵ�ý and the Construction Industry Federation (CIF). All ten of them can help boost construction productivity, efficiency, safety.

1. Advanced building and finishing materials for construction industry technology

This new generation of building and finishing materials can improve overall performance and functionality. For example, smart building materials such as smart concrete, shapeshifting metals, and self-heating coatings respond to temperature, pressure, and the presence of oxygen. Additional advanced materials worth watching are magnetostrictive, piezoelectric, and electrochromic materials and electrorheological fluids. Just some of the benefits include ease of installation, cost reduction, and design flexibility.

2. Pre-Fabricated or modular construction

Off-site construction allows the primary elements of a standard building to be assembled in a factory, before being moved on-site. These “elements” can include everything from bathrooms to pre-wired light fixtures to exterior walls. This is not a new approach, but it can cut the time of construction significantly and effectively.

3. 3D Printing or additive manufacturing

Some are calling this form of technology the future of construction. Additive manufacturing, used in construction continues to evolve, relying on a growing number of different materials and technologies. 3D printing reduces costs, cuts material waste, increases the speed of construction, slashes the number of accidents on-site, and enhances complex architectural shapes. This form of technology is still under development but progressing rapidly.

4. Autonomous construction

Autonomous construction vehicles can help companies meet their requirements for equipment capable of performing repetitive work on a job site. Many of these vehicles are built to take care of the most dangerous jobs on-site, letting skilled workers focus on other challenging but safer tasks. Driverless dozers, cranes, dump trucks, and excavators all fall under this heading.

5.Augmented reality/virtualization

These two technologies provide a live view of the existing environment then add to it. It was first used by Seattle’s BNB Builders to show clients any changes which would occur in the existing environment before and after construction. Apple iPads and mobile devices were used to share these images on construction sites. These technologies increase the accuracy of construction site plans, saving time and money, while improving project management, often with a more impressive outcome than was first expected, perhaps taking less time or money than was first expected.

6. Big Data & Analytics

Big Data gathers vast quantities of data that have been stored in the past and managers still continue to collect. It provides a wide range of uses during critical phases of the design-build-operate lifecycle. Brown University used it to determine where to build its for optimal student benefit. Another example is the use of sensors built into buildings, bridges, and other forms of construction to monitor their performance levels.

7. Wireless monitoring and connected equipment

This form of technology bridges the communications gap between people and equipment. One big advantage is the ability to let you sense actions and events in real time over the Internet so you can warn others. It also allows project managers to oversee numerous projects simultaneously and gives real-time updates on projects automatically. An improvement in safety and increased productivity are rewarding results.

8. Cloud and real-time collaboration

There are a number of reasons why cloud and real-time collaboration is used in construction. It can help office workers, managers, and field people to complete projects quickly and efficiently. For example, �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s onboarding software is cloud-based, cutting costs. Benefits include ease of use, increased communication, improved checklists, and fewer data silos. The Cloud can prevent delays and other issues that are common in construction.

9. 3D Scanning and photogrammetry

Photogrammetry obtains measurements from photographs and then uses multiple, overlapping photos to create an accurate 3D visualization of the subject. It then detects and compares common visual elements shared across many images. Serving as a low-cost alternative to laser-based scanning, photogrammetry also helps companies capture and process data for building information modeling (BIM).

10. Building information modeling

BIM uses 3D modeling to optimize work and company procedures. It transforms the way companies design, build, and operate buildings and infrastructure. It also helps improve decision-making, assessing performance across the building and infrastructure lifecycle. BIM increases productivity, reduces wastes, captures reality, enhances collaboration, and improves project control. It can also resolve certain problems that occur, studying project details and sharing project choices, steps and outcomes. Technology continues to transform the modern construction industry. More importantly, it is helping managers to boost productivity and efficiency on worksites and within companies. Remaining up-to-date with the latest technology can help you do your job better, prevent you from falling behind other managers, and assist you in preparing for the future. As for companies, technology can help increase productivity and efficiency, boost profitability, reduce risks, and cut down on compensation costs. These are all critical goals for any construction business.

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��Ĵ�ý’s Completion Certificates are now customisable to suit your exact needs: A4, wallet sized, hard-hat sticker – whatever is most practical for your site

Jenny Snook — Fri, 01 Feb 2019 12:05:45 +0000

Contractor safety is critical to ��Ĵ�ý, helping companies to form a safer working environment, more compliant with vital rules and regulations. This is why ��Ĵ�ý is always looking for ways to improve its industry-leading cloud-based onboarding software solution.

Adding new features to this software solution helps hard hat executives to reduce the number of on-site injuries and other workplace incidents from occurring. These issues can delay projects significantly, boosting compensation costs and reducing company profits as a result.

Recently, the company added more features to its software solution, including upgrading the design of the solution’s safety certificates. It has also improved its printing options, providing safety administrators with more flexibility to output the certificates.

Current users can upgrade to this new certificate design without any additional costs, improving both the health and safety management of on-site contractors. This demonstrates ��Ĵ�ý’s personal trust in this design, helping employers to achieve outstanding health and safety management.

A More Practical Safety Certificate Design

This new design offers a more comprehensive, understandable version of the safety certificate, still including all the mandatory information required. Upgrading this design also allows administrators to print the safety certificate in three sizes—A4, letter, and credit card size. The previous design provided a logical but quite basic looking certificate.

The new design is also more practical for contractors working on-site. They will no longer have to fold certificates, while carrying them on the job. The new credit card printing option enables administrators to create a safety certificate that contractors can place in their wallets.

What Is a Safety Certificate?

To manage contractors safely and effectively, ��contingent and temporary workers must have all of their mandatory documentation, that is both completed and updated. Also critical for better safety is the improvement of existing management systems. They should be designed to minimize potential risks, cutting financial and operational costs, as well as reducing the number of workplace injuries that could delay projects, causing companies to miss deadlines. That’s where a Safety Certificate for Contractors (SCC) comes in.

The SCC is a standard applicable to the auditing and certification of safety management systems. The standard was initially developed to enable hard hat companies to boost safety awareness, cutting down the number of accidents occurring on-site. Gradually, the SCC took over in importance. ��

Today, the industry regards SCC as a mandatory requirement for any companies conducting activities on job sites that are not their premises. This standard is similar to other critical management safety systems, including ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001, as well as OHSAS 18001. The SCC demonstrates a company’s commitment to occupational health and safety.

Why is the SCC Important?

Adopting the SCC management standard commits companies to the long-term goal of continuously improving the management of their health and safety policy. Unlike other management systems, such as OHSAS 18001 and ISO 9001, the SCC standard provides an increasing improvement in the control of safety, health, and the environment (SHE). ��

Meeting this standard is a challenge, but will pay off for companies in the long run, reducing workplace incidents and lowering the costs involved. However, senior decision-makers, must provide sufficient resources to meet the required standards. Critical considerations for companies include:

Determining the company strategy to make this a success.
Deciding on the best way to build a decision-making process regarding SHE management. ��
Measuring, identifying, and reducing the varying levels of hazardous risks involved.

Smaller companies have certain advantages when it comes to meeting the necessary standards. While they can be more flexible in approaching safety management, they can also make quick safety changes, implementing them a lot faster than larger companies.

Lines of communication within smaller companies are also a lot shorter, promoting better and more responsive communication throughout the company and on-site. Nevertheless, every company needs to concentrate on the continuous improvement of the health and safety management systems, which the SCC standard promotes.

Action Plan for Assessing Safety Management ��

Health and Safety Executive’s employer’s guide for managing contractors provides practical advice in the creation and maintenance of health and safety systems. Designed primarily for small to medium-sized companies in the UK, this guide can be of use to businesses in other industries and larger companies.

The five-step action plan for assessing health and safety procedures and practices is listed below. This plan covers five critical areas of health and safety management:

POLICIES – your health and safety policy, including contractor arrangements.
ORGANIZING – involves people working in the organization, in-house staff, and contractors; lines of communication and authority.
PLANNING AND DOING – practical arrangements and methods of working that are used; contracts/agreements whether written or not.
MONITORING – remaining to keep track of what actually happens.
REVIEWING AND LEARNING – researching how the company is getting on with contractor management, deciding what needs to be improved and how to do it.

The plan comes originally from HSE’s leaflet This guide also provides a checklist businesses can use to assess their existing health and safety management position.

Obtaining Safety Certificate Accreditation

Accreditation services exist, helping companies to certify their management systems and meet the SCC standard.

This Scheme helps construction companies to refine health and safety management by offering tangible objectives to meet. It also certifies those contractors whose safety systems they’ve assessed, showing that they have met specific criteria, including the ILO guidelines for (ILO-OSH 2001).

Designed for contractors of all sizes, this Scheme is the product of a joint effort by Dublin’s Construction Industry Federation (CIF) and Belfast’s Construction Employers Federation (CEF). It is applicable to companies in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, and Great Britain.

Safety Certificate for Contractors: The Bottom Line

Managing health and safety should be the primary concern of hard hat companies around the world. Having more contractors working on-site increases the risk of someone being injured on the job, since these workers are often new to the company and job site. ��

While hiring contractors has its benefits, it also presents serious health and safety management challenges. Obtaining SCC accreditation is a critical step for companies to deal with these challenges, boosting health and safety management systems within the company and on job sites.

The emphasis that SCC places on the continuous improvement of a company’s health and safety management systems can dramatically increase on-site safety, reducing workplace accidents, cutting costs and boosting profits. Accreditation services can help companies achieve this designation.

Upgrading the design of the safety certificate in �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s software solution can be done under no extra costs, helping companies to meet the SCC requirements for accreditation. This new design further displays �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s commitment to helping companies create a safer, healthier working environment by achieving compliance.

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Consult RIDDOR to Dramatically Cut Costs of Workplace Incidents

Jenny Snook — Tue, 29 Jan 2019 09:14:06 +0000

In 2016/17, the total cost of workplace illness and injury in Great Britain was . Of these costs, £9.7 billion accounted for ill health, and £5.2 billion for work-related injuries. £8.6 billion of these costs were absorbed by individuals, £3 billion by employers and £3.4 by the government.

As you can see, compensation costs for illness and injury at work are no small matter. Even a small injury can cost more than you think—a lot more. ��This is the same with near misses. These costs come directly off the bottom line, so they substantially affect your profitability.

Consult RIDDOR to Cut Costs

Remember that reporting workplace illness and any injuries promptly can cut costs dramatically. ��Of course, you don’t need to report every one of them, just report the more critical ones. How do you know which incidents to report? Savvy managers consult RIDDOR.

The acronym stands for the Reporting of Injuries Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations, a 2013 statutory instrument of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. When it comes to reporting any illnesses or injuries efficiently, RIDDOR can be an enormous benefit.

Below are answers to six frequently asked questions about RIDDOR:

Why is RIDDOR important?

RIDDOR can help you decide if you need to report an incident or not and who to report it to at the right authority. The statute requires businesses, the self-employed, and those that manage or control business premises to report injuries and illnesses to��relevant��law enforcing authorities, keeping a record of any work-related deaths.

According to RIDDOR, managers and employers, must report incidents “if they’re out of, or in connection with, work.” Of course, just because an accident occurs on the premises this doesn’t mean it’s work-related. The activity itself needs to contribute to the incident.

RIDDOR states that an accident is work-related if it is the result of:

the way that work was carried out
any machinery, plant, substance, or equipment used for the work ��
the condition of the site or premises where the accident occurred, contributing to the event.

Report any incidents that occur in Scotland, Wales, and the English communities to (HSE). Report incidents that occur in Northern Ireland to .

What RIDDOR regulations are most helpful to employers/managers?

The most helpful regulations for employers and managers are 4, 5 and 6:

Regulation 4 addresses specific injuries to workers and injuries resulting in worker incapacitation for more than 7 days.
Regulation 5 accounts for injuries to non-workers who have to receive hospital care or specified injuries to non-workers that occur at a hospital.
Regulation 6 addresses the death of any person.It accounts for the death of a worker or member of the public due to an incident in a workplace, including a worker who is physically attacked at a site.

Regulation 6 doesn’t include a suicide at a worksite. Regulations 8 and 9 address diseases that stem from work-related activities.

What are some examples of reportable RIDDOR incidents?

Some specific injuries occurring in the workplace which are covered under RIDDOR include fractures, amputations, injuries resulting in the loss or diminishment of sight, any scalping that requires hospital treatment, occupational diseases, dangerous occurrences, and gas incidents.

Employers and managers also need to report injuries that extend over seven days within 15 days of the incident. If a worker is unable to come in over three days after an accident occurs, this needs to recorded, but not necessarily reported.

Employers and managers do not need to report incidents��if they just feel someone should be taken to��hospital as a precaution, or there’s no apparent injury. Of course, it’s worth keeping a record of any incidents occurring, for your own protection.

Who should report incidents?

People that need to include the responsible members of a business, the self-employed, and those that oversee work on-site. Other parties that need to report incidents include:

Members of the public, employees, injured persons, and their representatives
An employment agency
A gas supplier
A gas engineer
People responsible for mines, wells, quarries, pipelines
Those responsible for offshore installations

For specific details on reporting procedures after an offshore incident you can contact

What records does RIDDOR require you to keep?

RIDDOR expects you to keep a record of any injuries that are , an injury lasting over three consecutive days, a disease, and any dangerous occurrence. If you use HSE’s online form, you can print it out, save a copy to your computer, or both.

If you don’t want to keep a copy of your online form, at least keep records that include the date and method of reporting; the date, time and place the incident occurred; people’s personal information; and a short write-up of the event, disease, or dangerous occurrence.

If any incident occurring was an accident, employers that must keep an Accident Book (B1510) under Social Security law. This can be used for recording any injuries, but you’ll need to use a different method to record disease cases. Also, remember that any information that you provide HSE with not passed on to insurance companies.

What are RIDDOR timescales?

Any responsible workers must report to the enforcing authorities without delay, for most incidents for most incidents that occur straight away, while using the correct reporting procedure (Schedule 1). ��

You can report these incidents online . But you can also phone in fatal/specified and major incidents at 0345 300 9923 (opening hours are Monday to Friday 8.30 am to 5:00 pm.)

For more information on the timely reporting any incidents that occur, . You can also make amendments to RIDDOR notifications once made.

Bottom Line on RIDDOR

Everyone wants their workers to be safe, but accidents always happen. When they do, they can be costly. The cost of dealing with any compensation claims can significantly affect overall profitability.

The immediate reporting of any injuries that occur can cut costs dramatically. However, how do you know what incidents to report? Just consult RIDDOR. The statute provides detailed guidance on any injuries to report, how to report them, and when to report them, among other things.

RIDDOR also provides you with guidance on which records to keep, who should be reporting the incidents, and other details to clarify the whole situation for you. Generally speaking, you can report most incidents using HSE’s online form.

�Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s online contractor management platform can also help you cut compensation costs, forming a safer workplace by helping you manage worker behavior more efficiently, training them to consider safety more efficiently while tracking their performance more accurately.��

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Six Ways to Supercharge Construction Productivity and Boost Profitability

Jenny Snook — Fri, 25 Jan 2019 13:43:40 +0000

Construction productivity is intractable. That’s what a recent from McKinsey Global Institute says. While other industries like manufacturing and retail have transformed themselves and their productivity performance, the construction industry has been “stuck in a time warp,” says the report. Statistics bear this statement out. Global labor-productivity growth in construction has averaged only about 1 percent over the past couple of decades. Meanwhile, the lack of interest in boosting productivity has cost the industry billions globally, says McKinsey’s report. But that’s changing. Productivity is taking on a new urgency in the industry. This new urgency is pushing construction companies to find ways to supercharge productivity at job sites. And with good reason. The soaring costs of inefficiency and project delays can halt a project almost in its tracks and cripple construction companies. Even minor inefficiencies can drive up project costs dramatically. For example, a recent shows that rework costs about (US)$4.2 billion in the U.S. annually. Increasing productivity, on the other hand, can boost value-added globally by . Considering this trend, ��Ĵ�ý recently hosted an event in conjunction with to solve the issues of productivity in the construction industry. The event was marked by the presence of Dr. Ibrahim Odeh, Research Director and Founder of the Global Leaders in Construction Management (GLCM) at the Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University, New York City, and Jeanette Mair, Economic and Policy Research Executive, Construction Industry Federation (CIF). Below we examine several key issues, discussed at the event, driving the demand for increased construction productivity and four megatrends that could impact productivity within the industry. Plus, we discuss six steps to help you jump-start productivity at your company.

Construction Productivity Issues

Jeanette Mair pointed out key production issues in construction in a breakfast briefing held jointly by ��Ĵ�ý and CIF at the agency’s Dublin offices on January 16. Mair said in her presentation that construction contributed little to world productivity between 2000 and 2016, and may actually have experienced negative labor productivity growth during that period—a bleak research finding at best. She sees construction productivity issues at three levels within the sector—the industry, the firm, and the external environment:

At the industry level, she sees the key variables as the bespoke nature of the operating environment, contractual and procurement levels, and fragmented industry structure—both horizontally and vertically.
At the firm level, she sees the critical variables as the availability of skilled labor especially at the supervisory level, underinvestment in project management basics, digitization, and innovation, and the hiring of workers to drive digitization.
At the external level, Mair sees the key variables as increasing site and project complexities, external regulations and the cyclical nature of public investment, and problems with design processes.

Key steps companies can take to pump up construction productivity in the future, says Mair, are increasing innovation, boosting investment in training and education, reducing waste and rework, using customizable standard designs, and enhancing communication between client, design, builder, and regulator.

Mega Trends Driving the Demand for Improvement

Professor Ibrahim Odeh also spoke at the Odeh is Research Director and Founder of the Global Leaders in Construction Management (GLCM), Department of Civil Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at Columbia University, New York City. Odeh discussed four key megatrends shaping the industry’s future—trends that will impact the quest for more productivity. They are:

Markets and customers
Sustainability and resilience
Society and workforce
Politics and regulations

Below are factors within those trends that Odeh sees impacting construction productivity within the next few years:

Markets and customers

Odeh sees larger and more complex projects, like Britain’s huge Crossrail project and Dubai’s massive mall, as the type of projects that would further drive the demand for productivity improvement. Other factors driving the demand for increased productivity within this trend are aging infrastructures, increased demand in developing countries, and massive financing needs.

Sustainability and resilience

The construction industry, says Odeh, must address the industry’s growing footprint in the world environment. For example, the construction industry in the U.S. produces 50 percent of the solid waste and is the top consumers of global raw materials. Plus, says Odeh, today’s buildings generate 30 percent of global greenhouse gases.

Society and workforce

Urbanization is a growing factor in this trend, says Odeh. He points out that about 200 thousand people are added daily to urban areas and need affordable, healthy housing. Also, He sees an aging workforce and lack of talent as two other key factors. About 50 percent of general contractors, says Odeh, fear not finding experience craft worker for their workforces.

Policies and regulations

The most significant factors in this megatrend, says Odeh, is political corruption. For example, a recent survey found that 49 percent of respondents believe corruption is common in the Western European construction market. Geopolitical uncertainty is also a major factor impacting construction projects. These four mega tends, says Odeh, will reshape the construction industry in the coming years and pump up the demand for increased construction productivity.

Boosting Construction Industry Productivity

Construction projects are strange business events. Minor inefficiencies in job site production can massively boost projects costs. On the other hand, incremental gains in job site production can dramatically impact on a project productivity. That can save construction companies significant time and money, boosting profitability. Below are six best practices you can implement to boost productivity at your job site and within your company:

Capitalize on technology — Adopting technology is among the best and fastest ways to enhance productivity and generate big payoffs. Solutions, like onsite productivity, project management, and building information modeling software, eliminates rework and cuts costs.
Improve planning with more data — Analyzing the building process from end-to-end on past projects can pinpoint strengths and weaknesses in production. Implementing measures to address these areas can make a difference.
Upgrading skills training — Boosting skills training is critical to driving up productivity on projects. Project supervisors are critical training targets. They make or break jobs.
Increase the use of prefabrication — Prefabrication beats building from scratch almost every time. Prefabrication not only boosts productivity, but also cuts cost and enhances quality.
Create shorter more team-friendly contracts — Instead of adding people to your legal team, create shorter contracts requiring less mediation and more engagement from team members. Japan and South Korea have done this and its paid off.
Improve safety training and provide more of it — Worksite accidents increase project delays and cost overruns. But many construction companies use outmoded safety training practices, like classroom sessions to train workers. Technology can help here, too.

�Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s software platform, for example, can help you implement many best practices that can boost productivity quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively. Simple and easy-to-use, ��Ĵ�ý can:

Streamline the contractor management process
Provide a structured roadmap for worker training
Create a safer, more compliant workplace
Provide workers ready to start work on the first day
Increase training effectiveness with its online teaching approach
Eliminate the paperwork associated with contractor management
Enable workers to self-register their qualifications and skills online

Implementing some or all of these practices can dramatically cut worksite costs, reduce project rework, and boost corporate profitability—without making major changes to how you do things. Controlling productivity has always been a challenge for construction companies. But the demand for increasing construction productivity is growing in importance daily. And with good reason. Project rework can demoralize workers, delay project completion, and cripple construction companies’ reputations. More importantly, it can boost project costs. But things are changing in the industry. More and more companies are taking productivity seriously. That’s creating more urgency to find solutions and eliminate rework. Implementing some or all of the six best practices discussed above can help companies finally gain control of construction productivity.

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Updated OSHA Safety Program Guidelines Drives Worker Safety

Jenny Snook — Tue, 22 Jan 2019 11:50:30 +0000

What is your company’s most valuable asset? If you said your workforce, you’re right. Without good workers, businesses tend to struggle badly. The last thing you want is to lose any worker to injury, illness (even for a short time), or even death. Losing workers this way will always have a major impact no matter how big or small your company. Management guru Peter Drucker agrees with this assessment: “The most valuable assets of a 20th-century company were its production equipment,” says. “The most valuable asset of a 21st-century institution, whether business or non-business, will be its knowledge workers and their productivity.” Creating an OSHA safety program is an effective way of protecting workers and boosting productivity. The key to creating an effective and healthy program is using OSHA’s program management guidelines. Following these guidelines provides numerous business benefits: More specifically, OSHA safety program:

Identify and resolve health and safety issues
Build trust between management and workers
Generate products and services of superior quality
Boost worker productivity and efficiency
Increase corporate profitability over the long-term

Despite these benefits, many companies still choose more traditional methods of forming safety programs, which they tend to publish in safety manuals and just ignore. This approach doesn’t cut it anymore. It fails to address workplace issues until it’s too late. This means that the accident has already occurred and the company, as well as any workers involved, now have to pay for it. OSHA safety program take a much more aggressive, progressive approach. This means, creating programs based on the agency’s program management drives and measurable health and safety results. When it comes to keeping workers safe and boosting productivity, this is what needs to be done.

Implementing OSHA Safety Program Management Guidelines

OSHA introduced its program management guidelines in 1989. Over the years, these guidelines have provided businesses with a solid foundation and reliable plan, for creating an effective OSHA safety program. Many companies have used them to do just this, but a lot has changed in the workplace since these guidelines were first written. For example, the increased hiring of temporary and contract workers has recently formed a higher risk for businesses than ever before. Meanwhile, integrating technology into the workplace has resulted in some new and different health hazards. This is why OSHA has recently updated its guidelines, bringing them into the 21st century. OSHA’s updated guidelines:

Reflect what the agency has learned from best-in-class programs
Place greater emphasis on involving and informing workers about it
Provide a more dependable evaluation element
Implement continuous program improvement
Emphasize the need for better coordination/communication
Build on successful methods and practices
Meet all national/international consensus standards.

OSHA’s updated guidelines target a diverse workplace. They can guide companies in both the manufacturing and service sectors. Plus, they include information designed specifically for dealing with temporary and contract workers, as well as multi-employer situations.

Emphasize Proactivity and Continuing Improvement

OSHA’s guidelines emphasize two things. One is a proactive approach to health and safety. It focuses on recovering and dealing with any hazards which could occur before they actually do. Put another way, proactivity forms a safer and more positive working environment, saving companies time and money, while boosting productivity and profitability. These are all good things. OSHA’s guidelines also emphasize the importance of continuous improvement. This approach starts by building a basic program that sets modest goals, monitors performance, and evaluates outcomes. Over time, you continue to improve and update programs, producing a more impressive level of worker health and safety. Using OSHA’s program management guidelines helps you to create a safety program that does everything you need it to, and more. This includes:

Improving product, service, and business process quality
Increasing employee morale at all company work-sites
Improving employee retention and recruitment
Developing an impressive reputation
Dramatically reducing compensation costs

One example is a who cut their average cost per claim by 80% using these guidelines. They also cut the average time lost per claim by 87% and claims per million dollars of payroll, by 88%. They can also help you cut the indirect compensation costs of workplace incidents, estimated to be.

Core Elements of OSHA’s Health and Safety Guidelines

OSHA’s guidelines cover seven core elements. These are:

Management and Leadership
Worker Participation
Hazard Identification & Assessment
Hazard Prevention & Control
Education and Training
Program Evaluation & Improvement
Communication & Coordination

Each of these elements suggests the best practices to use that are proven to work. These practices are specific, not prescriptive, so they work well across all economic sectors, dealing with any hazards, in either a fixed or mobile environment. OSHA’s best practices are both interrelated and integrated. Actions taken that are based on one core element impact on actions taken under another core element or elements. However, you’ll need to tailor them to meet your company’s own needs and current situation. Also, you’ll need to progress in each one of these core elements in order to maximize the total impact of the guidelines. The key to doing this rests primarily in the hands of the company, based on how dedicated they are to executing the best practices.

Worker Participation is a Critical Element

Worker participation is critical to meet OSHA safety programs. Workers must take part in the creation and implementation of all program elements. Much of the advice given and actions suggested in these guidelines, relies on the perspective, skills, and insights that best come from workers and their representatives. The last core element recommends any actions that the host employer can take when dealing with contractors, subcontractors, and temporary workers to ensure that everyone at the worksite is well protected. Combining these best practices using �Ҵǰ�ǲԳٰ��ٴǰ�’s platform, simplifies and streamlines this process dramatically. It also helps create a safer, more productive workplace for everyone included, an enormous benefit to any companies involved.

OSHA Website, Tools, and Resources

OSHA provides a website and numerous to help you tailor its management guidelines, as well as the best methods of meeting your company requirements. You can also combine the safety program with other OSHA compliance programs, such as its Compliance Assistance Quick Start tool, delivering solid and measurable results. Workers are your most valuable assets. Without good workers, businesses wouldn’t survive for long. Protecting your workers from illness, injury or even death has to be made your top priority, if you really want to survive and thrive in today’s ever-changing business arenas. Creating an OSHA safety program based on the agency’s program management guidelines can help you do this in more a cost-effective way. Adopting the guidelines not only protects your most valuable asset but also lowers compensation costs, increasing worker uptime. Given today’s modernized workplaces and the changes that have taken place over the years, creating an OSHA safety program could be the right method of boosting productivity and profitability. This is something that every company strives for no matter what its size or the industry involved.

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Women in Renewable Energy: A Long Road Ahead

Jenny Snook — Fri, 11 Jan 2019 10:44:11 +0000

Women account for half of the global employment potential. Yet, their talents and personal insights remain under-utilized in the Renewable Energy sector. In fact, there’s a significant gender gap in this sector when it comes to hiring women. Many energy companies simply refuse to recognize women as anything more than passive energy users.

If this sounds like your company, then it’s missing out on the opportunity of a competitive advantage in the Energy industry. For example, evidence from all sectors of the industry, suggests that incorporating more women into the Renewable Energy workforce will encourage a greater appreciation for clean energy, resulting in better overall environmental benefits.

Encouraging more women to enter the Energy workforce, also produces measurable business benefits. This can strengthen development outcomes, improve return on investment, increase productivity and profitability, along with driving business growth. These benefits could separate your company from its rivals, surviving and remaining to grow over time.

Gender Gap Existing in Energy

The gender imbalance that exists in the Energy industry, does go beyond the Renewable Energy sector. It exists throughout the Energy industry, and at all levels. For example, a recent study completed by the , estimates that “women occupy only 4 percent of the World Energy Council (WEC) positions and 18 percent of the WEC Secretary positions.”

Meanwhile, the states that the industry is among the top business sectors in which the least number of women can be found. According to a report, surveying 20,000 workers from all sectors of the industry, they account for only 10% of the global energy workforce.

In addition to Renewable Energy, another sector in which an obvious gender gap is easy to recognize is Oil and Gas—especially when it comes to wages. This sector has a “controlled pay gap” (men and women working similar jobs) of -7.4% for women. According to the PayScale report, this is the highest gap found in any industry.

Female Barriers Aren’t New

In Renewable Energy sector, this gender gap mainly exists because of the barriers associated with hiring women that already exist on a structural and individual level. These same barriers affect the hiring of women in all areas of the Energy industry—from executive boards to field positions. They have been a problem for years and are nothing new.

Barriers include:

Less access to decision making spaces in Energy
Lack of recruitment by Energy companies
Discrimination by men in the workplace
Environments unsupportive of work, life, family balance
Women’s roles as primary caregivers in many societies
Limited access to support systems, such as daycare and flexible hours
Not encouraged by society to overcome these cultural barriers.
Access to and control over critical assets and resources, including economic opportunities

Given recent developments, the Energy industry cannot afford to let these barriers prevent them from recruiting and hiring skilled female workers on every level. For example, the recent Oil & Gas downturn, saw about 450,000 experienced, highly skilled workers leaving the industry. Hiring women trained to replace them is a skills gap solution staring Energy in the face.

Empowering Women Boosts Bottom Line

Recent studies show that gender equality and female empowerment boost the bottom line. on the subject found that organizations with three or more women in senior management positions score higher in organizational effectiveness. McKinsey & Company, is a global management consulting firm, that implemented the study.

This study also found that closing the gender gap has a significant economic impact when performed correctly. For example, if all countries were able to match this level of progress, balancing the number of women in their national workforce in the fastest way possible. This could add as much as $12 trillion to annual GDP growth in 2025.

According to this study, women in top management positions also boost corporate growth. Following an in-depth analysis of 300 companies worldwide, the study found “a difference in return of 47 percent between the companies with the most women on their executive committees and those with none, and a 55 percent difference in operating results.”

Closing the Gap with Best Practices

Companies in Renewable Energy sector have made some progress in closing the gender gap with the help of outside organizations. For example, trade body RenewableUK, recognized 30 exceptional women in the Global Wind Energy sector in 2017. These 30 women were all high-ranking executives. This trade body also formed a database of female Renewable Energy experts for speaking engagements.

More and more government agencies continue to create programs designed to encourage more women to work in the Energy industry. Meanwhile, progressive companies in the industry are introducing the most effective practices to encourage the integration of female workers into their organizations. Below are some of the best practices your company can use to close the gender gap:

Establish a level of corporate commitment to gender equality
Conduct outreach to educational institutions for female job candidates
Implement candidate recruitment activities for women candidates
Analyze internship program(s) to set a balance between male and female interns as an expectation
Revise internal and external communication materials to contain gender equitable language and photos
Support government efforts to influence female economic empowerment opportunities within their supply chains
Collect sex-disaggregated data at the company level and use the data to regularly monitor progress for gender equity interventions.
Include the proportion of female employees in the company overall, female employees in the company overall, in the annual report. This includes senior executives and board members.
Adopt a pay equity policy with methods of analyzing and redressing pay differences
Create a sexual harassment/workplace violence policy

These are just some of the best practices companies use to close the gender gap throughout their organizations. They appeared in a brief put forth by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)—.

This brief is a product of , a nonprofit institute, for USAID. It includes a considerable amount of practical information on engendering women in the Power industry, including a best practices framework and other helpful resources.

Women in Renewable Energy Sector: The Long Road Ahead

Solving this gender gap in the Renewable Energy sector, still remains a critical business issue—for many companies in the industry. In addition to addressing critical political and cultural issues, gender equality results in better performance, innovation, and decision making. It is also the cause of more effective clean energy initiatives, increasing greater return on investment, and expands emission reduction opportunities.

Despite this continuing level of progress, there’s still a long road ahead for women. This is one that more and more companies need to travel. As RenewableUK’s recently said: “Promoting diversity is a priority for our sector. We’re competing against other industries to secure the best talent from the greatest variety of backgrounds. The wider we cast our net, the more innovative and successful we’ll be in the future.”

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Safety Tips for Transporting Construction Machinery

Jenny Snook — Fri, 04 Jan 2019 10:40:07 +0000

Your mission: preparing your construction machinery for safe, reliable transport. Stress levels: over 9000! The shipment of heavy equipment is no easy feat (no pun intended). It always requires careful planning and the ability to foresee any possible problems which could result in an unexpected accident. One minor oversight and things can turn from bad to worse, jeopardizing your personnel’s safety and equipment reliability. The stakes are estimated to be even higher for construction companies, compared to other industries. According to the , the construction industry has the highest rate of recorded accidents. When it comes to the hauling of heavy equipment, construction machinery was the primary source of fatal collisions recorded between 1992 and 2010. For instance, the rate of vehicle accidents that happened on road construction sites in 2010, was double the number of injuries occurring in the entire construction industry in 2008. Nearly 500 construction workers died from accidents related to heavy machinery and vehicles between 2003 and 2007. The numbers paint a clear picture: this is a dangerous industry to work in. You must take all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of your people, especially when it comes to transporting heavy equipment. Here’s what you need to remember.

Select the Right Trailer

Before planning the route, getting your equipment ready for transport, and collecting any permits required, you need to determine the right type of trailer for the job. It’s one of the most important parts of the process and getting it right can ensure a safe, stress-free travel period. Review the most common types of trailers for heavy haul and see which one fits your specifications best.

Flatbed Trailers: This type of trailer features a flat platform without any walls or railings.
Lowboy Trailer: The main advantage of this trailer is that it is very close to the ground, making it easy for you to transport equipment as large as 12 feet in height.
Drop Deck Trailer: As the name suggests, this type of trailer features one drop in the deck height.
Extendable Drop Deck Trailer: Similar to the drop deck trailer in design, this version has the added choice to extend the body and carry loads that are longer than the usual container might hold.
Gooseneck Trailer: Gooseneck trailers come in a variety of designs, such as fixed, removable, hydraulic or mechanical. Regardless of its design, this trailer works by allowing you to attach it to the hauling.

More often than not, height is the biggest problem when it comes to transporting construction machinery. Remove any accessories, such as the scoop or bucket which could make your equipment bulkier than it already is. Always try to think two steps ahead and identify potential problems that you might come across when loading the equipment to the trailer. Once you have uncovered all this information, you will be able to choose the right one for the job.

Make Sure You Comply with the Regulations

If you don’t want to get the oversize designation status (and the extra stress that comes with it), always remove any accessories that might make your equipment extra heavy or wide. It may seem like a good idea to ship them all together, but it’s usually cheaper and more comfortable than you might think, just doing it separately.

Prepare Your Machinery for Transport

Try to think about any potential problems that you could possible encounter before loading the machinery on the trailer. Are there any parts that might break during this process? If so, then remove them or wrap them in bubble wrap for protection. Here are some factors to keep in mind when preparing your equipment for hauling:

Make sure to disconnect the battery if you want the machinery to start when it reaches its destination;
Latch the doors properly. Otherwise, they might open and flap around during the transport;
Wash or safely clean your machinery. We know, it’s probably the last thing you want to think about, but clean equipment will make it easier to see if something went wrong on the road.

Securely Attach the Construction Machinery on the Trailer

It may sound like obvious advice, but this needs to be repeated, especially considering the high rate of fatalities occurring in the construction industry. Always check and double check if the equipment is correctly loaded and stored safely on the trailer. You are responsible not only for the safety of your workers and the driver involved, but also for anything that happens during the haul. For example, if you’re transporting any hazardous chemicals and part or all of the content spills, you could be endangering an entire ecosystem. Check with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety to find what you need to remember when transporting heavy construction machinery. Remember that regulations could change from one state to another, so go to . to make sure you are always complying with the rules.

Choose Experienced Drivers

Transporting heavy construction machinery is a complex job. That employee who took a family trip across the states and now feels up for the job, isn’t a good idea. You always need someone who has experience in transporting heavy equipment, knows how to load it, and how to unload it safely. If you don’t feel comfortable hiring just one person for the job, then you could hire someone to load and unload the cargo, as well as someone whose main job it is to drive. Regardless, both should have all the necessary experience.

Plan Your Route

So, you are now confident the trailer you selected is suitable to hold your equipment, the permits are all obtained, and your cargo complies with all the states and federal routes. What’s left now is to plan your route so that you can minimize the time of your journey. Try to avoid busy roads that tend to get jam-packed or roads that are undergoing construction. Check overall weather and traffic reports to identify any potential problems that might affect your schedule.

Ask for Help

If you feel overwhelmed after reading this article, then we completely understand. Transporting bulky construction machinery from point A to point B is a complex task that requires careful thought. The number of moving pieces is just one of the issues you need to consider. One minor oversight and you might put someone’s life at risk or end up paying tens of thousands of dollars for damaged goods. If you don’t feel up for the task (maybe you don’t have the proper equipment, experience or qualified personnel), then it would be smart to to deal with this.

Over to You

Re-read this list twice or maybe three times to ensure you haven’t forgotten anything. Check over any safety regulations when it comes to transporting heavy construction machinery to make sure you always comply with the rules. Plan everything and don’t leave anything to chance. This is a task where you need to be in total control.

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