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Tag Archive: OSHA

  1. End-of-the-Year Recap: A Look Back at 2016

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    With the holidays upon us, we at Knickerbocker Roofing and Paving Co., Inc. are taking the time to look back on the past year’s accomplishments. To recap some of our most important news, we’ve highlighted blog posts that detail recent achievements and outline our commitment to sustainable, environmentally friendly roofing solutions. Take a look below:

    Blog Highlights

    Our Commitment to Sustainability

    As an advocate of green roofing systems, we thought it was important to share our knowledge on responsible building practices in honor of Earth Day this past year. In April’s blog post, we discussed the benefits of green roofs, or “living roofs,” which are partly or completely covered with a waterproof membrane, a growing medium, and vegetation. Besides providing an aesthetically pleasing, elegant but modern design, these roofs reduce energy consumption and improve water efficiency.

    In another post, we delved into the benefits of white roofs — roofs constructed from white materials with reflective coatings. Common materials include polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO). These materials push back solar rays and help keep the roof — and therefore the interior of the structure — cooler during hot months.

    Keeping People Safe Across Industries

    At Knickerbocker, we’re serious about client safety and are committed to providing reliable, practical solutions for all types of industries. For instance, we have extensive experience providing school roof inspections, repairs, and installations; in our August post, we encouraged schools to contact us for a free consultation in order to prevent issues and safety hazards during the school year. And if things do go wrong, we have a 24/7 emergency service hotline to address issues around the clock.

    During National Safety Month in June, we outlined the steps we take to provide optimal fall protection. Utilizing the OSHA Fall Protection in Construction guidelines, we continually improve our safety procedures and invest in the highest-quality fall prevention and protection equipment. As a participant in National Safety Month and OSHA Stand Down, we conduct regular safety meeting, discuss job hazards with employees daily, and hold an annual safety training program for all workers.

    Looking to 2017

    As the year draws to a close, we at Knickerbocker are evaluating 2016’s successes, and, as always, are looking for new ways to improve our processes and better serve our clients. We hope everyone has a great holiday season and a happy new year. We’ll see you here in 2017!

    For the latest on roofing industry updates follow us on our Twitter and LinkedIn accounts!

  2. It’s Always ‘Safety First!’ When We Provide Our Commercial and Industrial Roofing Services

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    Workplace safety is a hot topic in every industry these days – as it should be! Actually, proof that safety in industrial and commercial work has been a priority for several decades now was the formation of OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration – part of the U.S. Department of Labor) in 1970. Forty-five years ago, OSHA was created “to assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education and assistance,” according to the OSHA website.

    While OSHA sets an important standard in the industry, our safety standards meet and exceed those set by OSHA, and we continually enhance our safety program as we are committed to safety in everything we do. The biggest hazard in roofing is a fall hazard, so our number-one priority in terms of keeping workers safe is to implement strong fall protection measures. We train our workers to identify safety issues and mitigate those through the use of company supplied safety equipment and safe work practices. Our workers install safety rails and/or warning lines when the conditions allow to provide the greatest protection. When work is performed at a roof edge, our workers utilize safety monitors or wear safety harnesses and use lanyards for fall restraint and fall arrest.

    Highlights of our safety training include:
    • All new apprentices attend an OSHA 10-hour training class.
    • Our foremen meet on a quarterly-basis to discuss relevant safety topics
    • A third-party safety company performs random inspections and training at our job sites.
    • We provide annual safety training for all of our employees every spring

    These are just some of the measures we take to keep safety at the forefront of our operations. In fact, this year (like we do every year), we’ll be attending the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association Trade Show at the Drury Lane Conference Center in Oakbrook Terrace, January 22nd and 23rd. All of our foremen and superintendents will be attending the OSHA roofing safety presentation that will part of the CRCA conference.

    Safety comes first for us at Knickerbocker! We’re proud of our commitment and our employees’ commitment to safety. We work hard and follow our own strict safety guidelines, which meet – and often exceed – OSHA standards. At the end of the day, we just want to get everyone home safely.