Construction Workers and ICE

What could possible go wrong......you got up, went to work...climbed onto your rig as always and hey, no problemo.....except maybe the subcontractor has a few "new" guys on the job today that somehow didn't go through the normal orientation process.......you (and the new guys) could find yourself in a nasty world of hurt......

"Hope" is not an operative word in the safety field, so hoping it won't happen is not going to make it go away or not happen.....you need to actively identify and remove hazards whenever possible...and constantly be vigilant.

It is not just the safety managers job! The best contractors out there have safety as their highest priority.

Construction job sites are by nature in a constant state of change and therefore everyone involved has to be knowledgeable about those changes and prepared to take action to prevent accidents. Being prepared to deal with an accident that does in fact happen is essential as well.

Affixing an ICE symbol to your required on-site posted Emergency Action Plan (EAP) is one simple way to use ICE. Any visitors and subcontractor employees having ICE Cards wouldn't hurt....making safety high profile and easy to identify is smart!
More as we go along.......

Low Cost ICE Containers

No need to spend tons of cash on your emergency kit or ICE Kit...in this case a 5 or 6 gallon plastic pail outfitted with a Gamma Seal Lid ($7-9). Sturdier pails are stamped with .090 on the bottom.....this lid can be found online or in some paint stores....black is not food grade....so choose one of the other bright colors...this lid allows ease of opening or closing with one hand...just in case one is broken.....women will like these as you don't have to use a lid tool ($1 at Lowe's) to pop a well seated standard lid. You can set aside a real basic collection of emergency equipment like food/clothing /water purification /communications/cash/batteries/lighting/multi tools/heat tabs/fire starters and boat matches/handkerchief/plastic bags that you can store near your exit to dump in your car or keep in your car/truck. Packs are nice....not very waterproof but pails are inexpensive and widely available for free. Oh, and this floats...some of the kits and lists of contents out there are pure crappola.....don't rely on junk...if you can afford quality equipment - get it....we'll put some online.....

NYC Explosion - A Reminder

This week 7-18-07 had seen a major pipeline explosion in NYC hurtling debris and sending people scurrying for cover......it looks like barefoot as well....a busload of children were so very close to the gaping hole in the street.....this would be a good time for low tech devices and practice/training on what to do in an emergency....

Opening Files from ICE4SAFETY.COM

Just a quick note for those folks wanting to use the free tools located on the ICE website....the only "unusual" documents located there are the ICE Cards and Stickers created using the free Avery DesignPro 5 software that is available from Avery at www.avery.com .

In general, you wouldn't normally be able to open those files unless you first download the program that was used to create the document. You can later import those documents into a variety of other programs and convert them to PDF, JPG etc.

Programs used to create ICE documents are PowerPoint, MS Word, MS Excel, MS Publisher. Hope this helps.

Save $$ Using ICE Tools from ICE4SAFETY.COM

Simple Tip from Gus at Office Max in Cicero, New York....
.....buy a ream of 90# or 100# paper and print out your cards using Avery Templates on a laser printer (both sides) and use a paper cutter (guarded or course) to cut up your cards and pass them out. Thanks Gus.....

Many businesses and homes have these items in use already so you can get going almost as soon as you access the ICE website. Laser printing (or commercial printer) is best as the image does not run because it is fused into the paper.

Still saving money for a small job for your family? Use laminating sheets or pouches designed for the purpose....cut the sheets up at a Kinko's/Fedex.

Now using a laser printer that can print both sides automatically is a dream...HP has a few..some manual double feeders are now only $225 on sale. Sweet!