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• Project Spotlight • Director Article • Safety In Action
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Project Spotlight:
WASHTENAW ISD HIGH POINT SCHOOL
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The Washtenaw ISD High Point School project is a 130,712 sf renovation consisting of 12,378 sf existing, a 118,334 sf addition, and significant civil infrastructure. The building serves early childhood, special needs, and continuing education students. To achieve this, the building features specialized equipment in a standardized layout throughout the building. In addition to functionality, the building features more than two miles of maple trim, polished and stained concrete floors, and accent canopies lining the corridors. Infrastructure put-in-place for the building included all new storm, sanitary, building pad, and a 100 years drainage pond.
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Washtenaw ISD Safety Challenge: Asbestos Abatement Our initial plan was to perform a wet demo and line the dumpster in order to contain the asbestos. However, further inspection showed that the walls were packed with vermiculite. This discovery required further precautions to be taken, so the next step was to open each individual block and vacuum out the vermiculite, starting from the top and moving down. Although this process pushed out the “demo” start date by a few weeks, we were able to proceed with the initial plan and safely disposed of the demolition debris.
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Director Article FROM THE DESK OF DALE AVE-LALLEMANT, SAFETY DIRECTOR Protect Your Hands We use our hands for virtually every task we do at work and because of this fact they are commonly injured on the job. Keeping our hands and fingers out of harm’s way on the jobsite is critical. A serious injury to an individual’s hands or fingers results in a huge negative impact on their ability to work and overall quality of life. Did you know while gloves are the most common form of PPE found in the workplace, hand injuries are still the second leading type of injury on the job? Hand Injury Statistics (source: www.bls.gov) • There are 110,000 lost time cases due to hand injuries annually • 1 million workers are treated in an ER for hand injuries annually • 70% of workers who experienced a hand injury were not wearing gloves • Another 28% of victims had gloves on, but they were damaged or inadequate for the work task Here’s what you need to think about when selecting gloves. In addition to identifying actual or potential hand hazards, you also need to think about such things as: • • • • •
How employees use their hands when they perform specific tasks How often and how long they perform those tasks How much manual dexterity is required for each task How great the risk of exposure is for each hand hazard How to ensure a good fit (because a glove that doesn’t fit right won’t protect correctly and may even create new hazards)
Considerations like these will help you determine the right kind of glove for each job. Then all you have to do is match the glove to the hazards and conditions. For example, employees are required to wear: • Level 2 cut resistant gloves for everyday tasks on the jobsite • Rubber gloves to protect hands from strong cleaning products and moisture, as well as to provide insulation when working with electricity • Disposable gloves for protection against mild skin irritants as well as bacteria and viruses • Chemical-resistant gloves (e.g., nitrile, neoprene, rubber, polyvinyl) to protect hands against hazardous chemicals (when the hazard is chemical, be sure to consult the SDS for recommendations about glove selection) • Temperature-resistant gloves to protect against extreme heat or cold • Metal mesh gloves to protect against cuts and amputations when sharp instruments or objects are being handled • Shock-absorbing gloves to protect against repetitive motion stress and vibration Hand injuries can be life changing. Ever tried to play video games, fish, cook, clean with only one hand? As mentioned earlier, hand injuries are the 2nd leading injury type in the construction industry. They can be prevented with the right glove choice and planning. LEFT OF OF ZERO - Q4.2021 LEFT Q1.2021
Safety in
Safety in Action Don Volk Don Volk was selected for SAFETY IN ACTION recognition Q4 2021. Nominees should consistently demonstrate their commitment to Living Our Values in the form of safeguarding the health and safety of themselves and those around them. How to Nominate: Similar to the LIVING OUR VALUES nomination form on C-Port, a SAFETY IN ACTION nomination form is available.
Action
Don Volk is all about safety! He is dedicated to keeping employees and trade contractors safe on the jobsites. Prior to iAuditor, Don would inspect the jobsites using a checklist and writing down the safety issues he observed....He was instrumental in starting the Safety Guide program for personnel on jobsites and keeping it up to date. Don has been a valued and contributing member of the Safety Committee since March 2003 when he retired from being a full-time Project Superintendent. It has ALWAYS been a pleasure to work with Don! Paula Cadwell
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Don Volk has had a great impact on the safety of the employees of Clark Construction as well as all trades people working on the sites. His method to insure safety is implemented two fold. 1. Having worked as a carpenter and superintendent, he understands what makes a safe site and how to watch out for potential hazards and stop them from occurring. 2. Anyone who has ever met Don knows he cares deeply about their safety. He is one of the most genuine people I have ever met. Workers understand he is looking out for their safety so they can return home safe to their families at the end of the day. Ken Lawless
After Don’s long career as a superintendent with Clark Construction Company, he put on the safety hat and accepted the tough task of inspecting the job sites of his long-time colleagues. This may have been a difficult transition for most, but with Don’s caring and genuine personality it was a seamless transition. Anyone that knows Don, understands that he was dedicated to the safety of our trades and employees, because he truly cares about everybody. Safety is not just a job to Don! He exemplifies the family culture that has been and continues to make Clark the best place to work. While organizing superintendent’s gatherings and the many summer picnics, he has always made everyone feel welcome. This has been key to creating the culture of safety that exists throughout the company today. Safety is about caring, and nobody has been more caring than Don Volk. Chad Thelen
I have worked for and/or with Don on and off for most of my career here at Clark. He is easily one of the nicest guys I know. Even when I was in the field as a carpenter working for him while he was running a projects no matter how challenging the situation was you never saw him mad. There wasn’t a single subcontractor who ever said anything negative about Don (except for that roofer on the C.C. Project). Even when walking around the project with him today while he is doing what is sometimes a thankless job of pointing out safety issues there isn’t a single tradesman I have seen have a cross attitude with Don. When you worked around Don you couldn’t help but see the enormous amount of pride he had working for Clark Construction and that pride couldn’t help but rub off on any who worked around him. I consider myself lucky to having the chance to work for and around Don and I’m sure Clark Construction as a whole feels just as lucky. Jim Anderson
Don is a down to earth, honest, sincere person. We shared many rides to job sites talking about safety, life, how to make things even better at Clark, and drumming up new ideas for interesting safety seminar presentations. Don was my eyes and ears on the ground when I couldn’t be there with him. A good friend to me and many others. Tony Rohac
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WE BUILD ON A FOUNDATION OF TRUST