Crystal ball. Another prognostication for the future of the nation's construction industry has weighed in.

Construction consulting firm FMI expects new construction in the U.S. will increase by 3 percent during 2003 to $873.9 billion, up from $846.9 billion in 2002.

The group expects the residential market to pick up by 2 percent, nonresidential building to go up by 4 percent, non-building construction to go up 3 percent and highway work to rise by 4 percent.

"Overall, our analysts are optimistic about opportunities in the construction industry for 2003," FMI said. "Despite continuing anxieties over the war on terrorism and tight budgets for public projects, the interest rate stimulus and pent-up demand in many areas should help kick-start the economy in 2003. It is a cautious optimism, however, that is tempered by the fact that cost-cutting measures continue and many companies will struggle to find new markets and differentiate their services in a highly competitive arena."

Fewer sick and injured. The construction industry experienced declines in the total number of nonfatal injuries and illness in 2001, with the rate falling to 7.9 cases per 100 full-time workers.

In 2000, the rate was 8.3 cases per 100 full-time workers; and in 1999, the rate was 8.6 cases.

The numbers were released by U.S. Department of Labor at the end of 2002 - obviously it takes some time to compile the statistics.

The construction industry was second on the injury/illness list to manufacturing, which experienced 8.1 cases per 100 workers.

In the overall U.S. economy, the rate of nonfatal injuries and illness fell to an all-time low in 2001 to 6.5 cases per million workers.

Better attention through strobes. The Pennsylvania governor has signed into law a measure that requires contractors to install flashing strobe lights along signs that alert drivers to active road construction sites.

According to the Construction Labor Report, the motivation for the new law took place on Oct. 11, 2001, when five workers were struck and killed when a truck driver lost control of his truck and drove through a work zone while a work crew was patching asphalt in western Pennsylvania. And in one six-month period in 2001, three state transportation workers were killed on the job.

The law also requires motorists to turn on their lights when driving through work zones, limits the length of work zones and lane restriction, and removes the 5 mph "cushion" that state police officers often use before writing a ticket.

California appreciates sanitation. California has managed to mandate what federal OSHA and MIOSHA have failed to do: require constructors to provide hand-washing facilities on job sites.

According to the Construction Labor Report, by February 2003, one hand-washing facility is required for every 20 workers, in a new standard approved by the state's Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board.

Toilet facilities have been mandated in California, Michigan and around the country - but provisions to require employers to provide hand-washing facilities are rare.

Two years ago, federal OSHA dropped plans to require hand-washing sites on construction projects after President Bush came into office, claiming such a standard was not "doable."