Pittsburgh-based safety equipment manufacturer MSA has come up with a way to make hard hats greener — it uses sugar.

While it sounds like construction workers would be in for a sticky mess after that first rainstorm hits, that’s not the case. MSA developed the hats in Brazil using high-density polyethylene sourced from sugarcane.

“By developing a hard hat sourced from sugar, we have reduced the overall carbon footprint that’s associated with the entire life-cycle of this particular product, from start to finish,” said Eric Beck, MSA’s global director of strategic marketing, in a release.

The “green” polyethylene is made from sugarcane ethanol, which results in a smaller carbon footprint because, for each ton of the material produced, up to 2.5 pounds of carbon dioxide are captured from the atmosphere. Conversely, Beck said one ton of polyethylene sourced from petrochemicals emits more than 2 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The final kicker is that green polyethylene is 100 percent recyclable.

MSA claims the hats are the first industrial safety product produced from nearly 100 percent renewable resources. I wonder if the U.S. Green Building Council has LEED points for that.

For more information, check out www.MSAsafety.com.

Harbor Freight Tools has recalled its DrillMaster model No. 96526 cordless drills due to overheating.

The recall affects about 108,000 units imported from China by Camarillo, Calif.-based Harbor Freight Tools. If the black trigger switch on the 19.2-volt drills overheats it can pose a fire and burn hazard to users. There has been one minor injury reported.

The drills sold for $27-$30 at Harbor Freight stores nationwide and online between April 2008 and May 2012. Models with a gray trigger are not included in the recall.

Drill owners should remove the battery, stop using the tool and contact the company for a free replacement. Here’s where to do that: toll-free at (800) 444-3353 (8 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday); by email at recalls@harborfreight.com; or online at www.harborfreight.com.

In its quest to crack down on unlicensed contractors, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries says it made surprise visits to 63 work sites in Chelan and Douglas counties this past weekend.

The result? Eleven contractors were cited for either lacking a state registration or for not being registered for the work they were doing. Each first-time offense carries a $1,000 fine.

“An unregistered contractor typically has no liability insurance, no bond, and pays no taxes or workers’ comp,” said Dean Simpson, manager of L&I’s construction compliance program, in a release. “That means they’re leaving consumers unprotected and are unfairly competing with reputable contractors who do great work and meet the requirements.”

Simpson said his program has stepped up staffing and focus, inspecting more than 10,000 jobsites in the last fiscal year — 56 percent more visits and 39 percent more violations uncovered than in the previous year.

Mark Straub, executive officer for the North Central Home Builders Association, said his group supports L&I’s crackdown.

“We continue to receive numerous calls from consumers who thought they were getting ‘a great deal,’ only to discover that they have little or no recourse when they’re ultimately left in a lurch by these bad actors,” Straub said in the release.

L&I has carried out surprise inspections at 257 work sites, issuing 41 citations, since the agency began sweeps in August. The agency also found a number of other violations relating to uncertified plumbers, underage workers and unpermitted work on manufactured homes.

“We want to show people we’re out there, even on the weekends,” Simpson said. “We want unregistered contractors to know we will find them and for honest contractors to know we’re not ignoring this problem.”

L&I’s contractor compliance program has 21 inspectors around the state that make random site visits and respond to tips. Contractors can register at www.ContractorRenew.Lni.wa.gov.

Skanska is in the midst of its eighth annual Safety Week, which it bills as the world’s largest workplace safety initiative. That means all of Skanska’s 53,000 employees around the world, including its 9,400 U.S. employees, are putting an extra focus on workplace safety and wellness. Subcontractors, suppliers and business partners are also included.

The program has thousands of activities held at Skanska jobsites and offices that educate employees on how to better avoid workplace risks and evade injuries. Examples are rescue techniques and fire training, flex routines, health and first-aid training, and ladder safety.
Speaking of ladder safety, Skanska is hosting a ladder safety presentation at 7:30 a.m. on Thursday at its UW Medical Center jobsite. Doug Wing from Little Giant Ladders will give a demonstration.

Skanska has developed some best practices for ladder safety:
• Always inspect the ladder prior to use.
• Choose the right ladder for the job based on if you are working at low, medium or high heights.
• Move slowly and deliberately while on a ladder. Over-reaching or leaning can lead to a loss of balance.
• Most importantly, always maintain three points of contact while ascending and descending a ladder. The user should keep either two hands and a foot or two feet and a hand on the ladder at all times.

Over the past six years, Skanska’s lost-time accident rate for employees has been reduced by 50 percent. By 2015, the company aims to eliminate three out of four lost-time accidents.

More information on Safety Week 2012 can be found at www.skanska.com/safetyweek. It runs until Sunday.

Our Safety Director, Mandi Kime, reports that the Department of Labor and Industries has postponed the compliance deadline for new rigger rules to February 1, 2013.

When the Crane Safety Standards were promulgated they included provisions related specifically to riggers.  See Subsection (3) of WAC 295-155-53306 for rigger requirements, including the requirement that riggers demonstrate that they meet the requirements of the subsection through a written test and through a practical test.

The department announced expedited rulemaking in order to clarify the scope, address concerns and more closely mirror the new federal requirements.  Upon announcing the expedited rulemaking effort, the Department also announced an extension to the compliance deadline for this part of the rule.  NOTE:  this delay only applies to the rigging requirements, not the remaining construction crane safety rules.

The filing took place in June, and during the comment period, enough letters of opposition to the “expedited” nature of the rulemaking were received, that the Department will now have to go back to a full rulemaking effort in August after the comment period closes.

What does this mean to you?  Since the rulemaking effort has been adjusted to a more thorough, slow process it means that there is room for stakeholders to speak up and the Department to modify parts of the rule language.  So, if you have not qualified your riggers to the new standards, it may be a good time to hold off a while longer until we see what the rule language will actually be after stakeholder input.

Regardless of how the stakeholder input process goes, the rules do not require you to meet the written and practical exam segment until February 1, 2013.  You really only need to have your riggers qualified to current standards of Qualified Person which reads:

Qualified Person

A person who has successfully demonstrated the ability to solve problems relating to the subject matter, work, or project, either by: Possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing; OR Extensive knowledge, training and experience.

For more info and to keep updated on the rule developments see the L&I page on Cranes (these developments are so recent that the Department does not have current info regarding the extended compliance date up yet).

Some of the state’s top projects were showcased last night by the AGC of Washington during its 2012 Build Washington awards banquet in Seattle.

Advanced American Construction took home top honors in the construction category for its work on the John Day Lock and Dam gate and sheave replacement. Centennial Contractors Enterprises won the grand award for safety.

The DJC also held a Q-and-A session with John Hayduk of JTM Construction and  Dan Esparza of Sealaska Constructors.

Check out all 31 award winners in the DJC’s special section.

Genie has issued a safety bulletin regarding instability in some of the GS-2669, GS-3369 and GS-4069 models. Serial numbers of the affected units range from GS6911-101 to GS6912-412.

Some of the machines in the serial range may have been manufactured incorrectly, including assembly of the hydraulic circuit in the oscillation system; and installation of axle pivot pins that are out of specifications.

Call Genie’s service department at (800) 536-1800 for more information.

The state Department of Labor & Industries claims getting cited for a workplace safety violation can be good for a company.

L&I says a recent study of 10 years’ worth of inspection data found significant reductions in claims and claim costs following a safety inspection or consultation.

The greatest impact came when an inspection resulted in at least one citation. Research found a reduction in worker injury claims of as much as 20 percent over similar worksites that weren’t inspected.

“Safety is not always at the forefront of an employer’s mind. But when a significant event takes place, like a serious injury or an L&I inspection, it can really get their attention,” said Barbara Silverstein, director of L&I’s Safety and Health Assessment and Research for Prevention program, in a press release. “This can lead to a greater recognition of what can be done in the workplace to reduce hazards, itself leading to safer workplaces and fewer injuries.”

The study found that enforcement inspections at fixed-site businesses were followed by a 4.3 percent greater decline in compensable claims rates than at non-visited businesses. At non-fixed-site businesses, such as construction sites, the number was 3.1 percent greater.

A study summary can be found at http://www.lni.wa.gov/Safety/Research/OccHealth/DoshEval/DoshEffect19992008.asp.

3M issued a recall on its G-Series retractable lanyards. The company says to immediately stop using the devices and quarantine them.

The models affected are: GW-7, GW-11, GW-7-0241A, GW-7-0241H, GW-11-0241A, GW-11-0241H, GW-11NS, DLGW-7, DLGW-7-0241A and DLGW-11-0241A.

3M found that some of the lanyards returned to it didn’t properly lock up during pre-inspection pull tests on the webbing lifeline.

Owners of the lanyards should contact Ray Mann, 3M Fall Protection Technical Service, at (704) 743-2406.