Road workers need safety info

Tremendous employee turnover and lack of employer enforcement has led to inconsistent safety equipment usage by road construction workers.

A survey by the International Safety Equipment Association funded the research to "see how many unprotected workers are out there," said the group's spokesman, Joseph Walker, to the Construction Labor Report.

They found that hard hats and high-visibility safety vests were worn about 75 percent of the time they are needed. However, ear plugs and safety glasses are worn only about half the time they are needed, and usage for respiratory protection and face shields falls into the 30-40 percent range.

The survey found that between six and seven out of10 workers wear fall protection, gloves and safety shoes when needed.

Lack of employer enforcement was the top reason for the lack of compliance with safety equipment, while lack of information was cited as the reason for not using personal protection equipment like ear plugs.

"There's a constant need to keep workers informed about safety issues," Walker said.

Eastpointers asked to OK living wage

Voters in Eastpointe are asked to help uphold the city's Living Wage Ordinance by voting "yes" on the Sept. 11 primary ballot.

The Living Wage Ordinance applies to businesses, regardless of locale, that have service contracts with the City of Eastpointe for $5,000 or more. Those businesses must pay a minimum of $8.50 per hour with benefits or $10.50 without. The goal of living wage is to keep employees off public assistance.

The current minimum wage is $5.15 per hour.

The Eastpointe City Council unanimously voted to adopt the Living Wage Ordinance on April 3. However, a petition drive obtained sufficient signatures to place the measure on the ballot. The vote is on Sept. 11, but voters in Eastpointe can plan ahead to get an absentee ballot by calling (810) 445-5026. A fundraiser to support living wage will be held in the city from 5-7 p.m. on Aug. 22. For more information, call the Eastpointe Coalition for a Living Wage at (810) 776-7145.

Contributions can be sent to Leo LaLonde, Treasurer, Eastpointe Living Wage Coalition, 24801 Rosalind, Eastpointe, MI 48021.

Technical shortcomings slow construction

The Great Lakes Fabricators and Erectors Association's internet site "Riveteer" column took note of the lack of a trend in the construction industry in Michigan: using computers to electronically move documents like blueprints and permits in order to speed the building process.

The column mentioned a recent conclusion by the National Conference of States on Building Codes & Standards, which cited "inertia," "resistance to anything new," the construction industry's pronounced tendency toward fragmentation, and some technical restraints for preventing the standard digitalization of the building regulatory process.

The Engineering News Record noted the conference has been calling for standard digitalization to streamline the permitting and approval process since 1982.

The group is pulling together an alliance of representatives from 25 national organizations and governmental agencies, including the American Institute of Architects, Building Owners & Managers Association, and the National Institute of Building Sciences. It hopes to develop a standard systems of software and hardware that can be used by the more than 44,000 jurisdictions across the U.S. that regulate buildings, to reduce the expenses that can occur when building permits are delayed.