September 2025

09-02-2025 - TBT - Ensuring safety on Work Platforms (Scaffolds)

9/2/2025 Toolbox Talk: Basic Scaffold Safety – Tips for Ensuring Safety on Work Platforms [Reference 1910 Subpart D / 1926 Subpart L]

The following TBT will focus on general safety rules so we can avoid accidents and injuries while performing work on scaffold platforms. Key requirements to remember include the following:

• Keep work platforms clear of excess materials, tools, and equipment that may accumulate and create a tripping hazard to workers on the platforms;

• Never perform work on scaffolds covered with snow, ice, or other slippery material, except when approved by the Competent Person for the removal of such materials;

• Make sure that platforms do not deflect more than 1/60 of the span when loaded. Heavy items such as, but not limited to, pallets of bricks or blocks, mortar boards or buckets, compressors, and other heavy materials or equipment, might need to be separated, or be placed at or near the vertical frames to lessen the load on the center of platform planks;

 • Work on or from scaffolds is prohibited during storms or high winds unless a Competent Person has determined that it is safe for employees to be on the scaffold, and those employees are protected by a personal fall arrest system or wind screens. However, wind screens shall not be used unless the scaffold is adequately secured against the anticipated forces imposed by the wind;

• Make-shift devices, such as pallets, concrete blocks, boxes, or barrels, shall not be used as platforms to stand on while performing work on a scaffold;

• Ladders shall not be used on scaffolds to increase the working level height of employees, except on large area scaffolds where the Competent Person has specifically approved the use of ladders that have been set up to meet additional OSHA safety criteria;

 • Do not climb up or stand on cross braces, guardrails, cross-members on frames, or other scaffold components to gain height while working on a scaffold platform; and,

• Where swinging loads are being hoisted onto or near scaffolds such that the loads might contact the scaffold, tag lines or equivalent measures to control the loads shall be used.

If followed, these safety requirements are essential to keeping our employees safe when working on and around scaffolding.

9-08-2025 - TBT - Suicide Prevention Week

9/05/2025 – TBT - Suicide Prevention Week (7-13 Sep 2025)

Almost 800,000 people die every year due to suicide, which means one death every 40 seconds, according to the World Health Organization.

One of the most helpful and effective ways we can observe Suicide Prevention Week is by raising awareness of it. We need to reduce the stigma around it and raise awareness so that more people can reach out for help.

Most of the people suffering from poor mental health do not reach out for help for fear of being judged or misunderstood. So we need to look out for others and check for warning signs. We need to help people feel heard and understood.

Individual Impact:

·         1 in 20 U.S. adults (5%) have serious thoughts of suicide each year.

·         About 1 person dies by suicide in the U.S. every 11 minutes.

·         79% of all people who die by suicide in the U.S. are male.*

·         Although more women* than men attempt suicide, men are 4x more likely to die by
suicide.

·         In the U.S., suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people ages 10-14 and among people ages 15-24, and the 11th leading cause of death overall.

Community Impact:

Annual prevalence of serious thoughts of suicide, by U.S. demographic group:

·         Non-Hispanic Multiracial: 12%

·         Non-Hispanic White: 5%

·         Hispanic or Latino: 5%

·         Non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native: 4.7%

·         Non-Hispanic Asian: 4.2%

·         Non-Hispanic Black: 4%

·         Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander: 2.6%

·         Female: 5.5%*

·         Male: 4.5%*

·         Lesbian, Gay or Bisexual: 18%

Annual prevalence of serious thoughts of suicide among U.S. youth populations:

·         High school students: 20%

·         LGBTQ+ high school students: 41%

·         LGBTQ+ young people ages 13-24: 39%

·         Young adults ages 18-25: 12.2%

 

 

9-15-2025 - TBT - Pinch Points

09-15-2025 TBT – Pinch Points

What is a pinch point?

A pinch point occurs when two objects come together, posing the risk of injury to a hand or finger or even a person that gets caught between them. Pinch points injuries are most commonly hand injuries, but they can impact any part of the body if you are not careful.

A crush injury occurs when a body part is put under pressure by another object. They often happen when a part of the body is squeezed between two heavy objects. Pinch points are a common hazard that leads to crush injuries.

Examples of pinch point hazards

Pinch point hazards are not always easily identified on a construction site. You must be aware of everything that could potentially make you at risk for an injury. Some common places on a jobsite for pinch point injuries can include:

These are only some examples of potential pinch point hazards on a job site. Pinch point hazards are everywhere, though. There is a hazard for a pinch point anywhere that a piece of equipment is transmitting energy. Should you have any questions about pinch point hazards, notify your foreman.

How to prevent pinch point injuries

There are a few tips and safety controls you can practice to avoid pinch point hazards and injuries. These include, but are not limited to:

These are not the only tips and safety procedures you can follow to ensure your safety on a job site, just some to make you aware of the hazards around you. As always, should you have any questions about the rules and tips you should ask your supervisor for clarification.

How to prevent pinch point injuries

There are a few tips and safety controls you can practice to avoid pinch point hazards and injuries. These include, but are not limited to:

09-22-2025 - TBT - Preventing Electrical Cord Fires

09-22-2025 -Toolbox Talk: Preventing Fires Caused by Electrical Cords [Reference 1910.305(g)(1)(iv) / 1926.405(g)(1)(iii)]

Electricity is something we all take for granted. It does its job, day after day, without us seeing it or even giving it a second thought. But this complacency can lead us to ignore potentially unsafe conditions that, if left unchanged, can lead to a fire starting, or even an electrocution. Here are a few examples of such conditions:

· Using staples, nails or similar devices to attach electrical cords to the wall – Nails, staples, wire, and similar objects can break through the insulating jacket of electrical cords; either immediately when they are applied, or later after months or even years of wear and tear. This could eventually lead to sparks or excessive heat building up and igniting a fire.

· Running electrical cords through doorways or windows – If the door or window gets closed, the cord can become pinched, which can damage the outer jacket of the cord. This too could eventually lead to sparks or excessive heat build-up, igniting a fire.

· Using electrical cords rated for indoor use outdoors – Cords intended for indoor use only are not designed to stand up to extreme outdoor conditions, such as cold, ice, wetness, or excessive heat. These conditions can weaken the cord and cause it to deteriorate, which could lead to sparks or excessive heat build-up igniting a fire. Check the tag on the cord or the packaging it came in to determine where it is, and is not, designed to be used.

 · Overloading an electrical cord – Electrical cords are designed to provide for a certain amount of electricity to be drawn through the cord (usually expressed as “amps”, or amperage). Overloading a cord by using it to power equipment that draws too much current can cause it to over-heat, possibly starting a fire. Check the tag on the cord or the packaging it came in to determine the maximum amperage for which the cord is rated and compare that to the amperage drawn by the equipment attached to that cord.

 · Leaving unsafe electrical cords in service – If you find a cord that is being used improperly, or is damaged, please notify your supervisor immediately, or turn it in to the person(s) responsible for replacement and/or repair. DO NOT try to repair a cord unless specifically authorized. Your quick action could prevent an unfortunate accident from occurring.

REMINDER: Quarterly inspections on electrical cords is required by SCS. This can prevent any electrical issues before work is started.