The time value (TV) element demands work during adverse weather conditions.
In the Professional Safety, Journal of the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE, www.asse.org), September 2017 cover story article entitled “Fire & Ice, Protecting Workers in Extreme Temperatures,” author Donald J. Garvey highlights how the time value (TV) element, in the construction industry and built environment, demands that work activities and equipment operations from time to time must continue during adverse weather conditions.
Between 2008 and 2015, 109 U.S. workers suffered heat-related occupational fatalities!
Further, work crews and trade laborers putting in place work during adverse weather conditions adds to the risks of already hazardous work environments in the construction industry and built environment. Garvey cites the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA, 2015a) statistic where, between 2008 and 2015, 109 U.S. workers suffered heat-related occupational fatalities during high intensity, high temperature events.
Four-fold approach to managing and mitigating risks of temperature events
In contrast to heat-related occupational fatalities during high intensity, high temperature events, occupational fatalities due to hypothermia are less common but result in non-fatal injuries and increase the risk of incidents and near-misses on the jobsite. Garvey advocates for a four-fold approach to managing and mitigating risks of low and high temperature events and stressors, to maintain production rates, minimize work interruptions, and protect life safety:
- Anticipation
- Recognition
- Evaluation
- Control
More in the next blog post about weather planning, Weather Controls®, and weather risk management for construction industry and built environment…
Headquartered in Cambridge, MA, WeatherBuild® offers a suite of decision support solutions that empower contractors, owners and operators to improve situational awareness and make better-informed decisions about weather events, schedule impacts and probable outcomes.
Increase productivity. Enhance safety. Manage risk.™
Download WeatherBuild Mobile on the App Store and rate us 5 stars!
© 2017 Weather Build, Inc. All rights reserved. “WeatherBuild®” and “Weather Controls®” are registered trademarks of Weather Build, Inc. The WeatherBuild “W” logo and app icon, “WeatherBuild Notify™”, “WeatherBuild History™”, “WeatherBuild Enterprise™”, “WeatherBuild Maintenance™”, “Decision Support Solutions for the Construction Industry and Built Environment™”, and “Increase productivity. Enhance safety. Manage risk.™” are trademarks of Weather Build, Inc.