Jeff Ship, Division Safety Manager for Walton Construction, was featured in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Ask the Experts” column on Friday.

“Q. In addition to possible fines, what are potential costs associated with accidents on the job site?”

“We base our safety program on risk prevention, not fines. We actually review the project before responding to a bid, evaluating all possible risks that could affect our employees and our company. Accidents can have an impact on a project on many levels, from increased cost production issues to delays. The medical bills and time lost by a worker recovering from a broken arm, for example, can cost the company $15,000. Accidents also can erode employee trust in the company if co-workers worry that a job site is not a safe environment.

“Serious or multiple work site accidents are likely to increase an employer’s insurance and bonding rates, and affect the company’s experience modification rating, which affects workers’ compensation rates. They can put a damper on future work prospects, even lead to contract termination if a client feels the contractor has failed to meet safety requirements.

“A good work site safety program prevents accidents by training employees to be responsible and accountable for safety, and by empowering them to enforce the rules to stop any unsafe act.”

Jeff Ship, Walton Construction

A new Miami-Date County ordinance went into effect on Friday, three days after a section of a tower crane collapsed at a Bay condominium construction site near downtown Miami, leaving two workers dead and five others injured.

The new ordinance requires certification of operators, who must pass a written test and show proficiency, including the ability to maneuver and shut down the giant crane, and then to secure it, according to ENR.

The state of Florida does not require certification. Miami-Dade County is among a handful of major metropolitan areas — including Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, Omaha and Washington — that have passed their own rules requiring licensing of tower-crane operators.

Missouri is not one of the 15 or so states that currently require crane operator certification.

In early March, a crane accident on the I-64 reconstruction project closed Clayton Rd. in St. Louis for 13 hours when a clamp holding a beam broke, causing the crane to topple. No one was injured in that accident.

Source: ENR

The entire industry seems to be focused on crane and construction worksite safety in the wake of two deadly crane collapses, one in New York City and a second in Miami. Those cities quickly moved to pass strict rules for crane inspections and safety practices.

But a survey of other areas of the country showed little discussion about standardizing crane inspections and operator certification procedures, unless a fatal crane accident has recently occurred locally, according to ENR. Some examples are Washington state and California, which were both motivated to tighten crane safety rules following crane accidents.

A couple of ENR blog posts worth reading - People Are Scarier Than Cranes and Walking the Walk: The Writing is on the Wall about Crane Safety.

What is your company doing about crane safety?

Ron Glaser, vice president of preconstruction services for Walton Construction, was recently quoted in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch “Ask the Experts” column on the impact of the slowing housing market on commercial construction:

“So far, commercial construction has not been affected by the slowdown in the housing market nearly as much as residential construction. Many sectors of commercial construction are moving forward with new projects. Plus, many of the traditional residential specialty contractors are beginning to compete in the commercial construction market.

In the last six months, we’ve seen subcontractors that had been focused on residential work for the last several years starting to bid on commercial projects. The cost of construction materials is beginning to stabilize from the increases we have seen over the years. The prices of items such as lumber and gypsum drywall actually are on the decline.

We are optimistic that the economic stimulus operations being put in place as a result of the slowing housing market also will boost the commercial construction market and turn around residential construction.”

Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Non-residential construction remains active in spite of the residential market slowdown and credit crunch, according to the Turner Building Cost Index, published by leading national construction company Turner Construction.

The index shows a continuing shortage of skilled labor and uncertainty about the availability and cost of materials, putting upward pressure on construction costs over the next several quarters.

At the same time, a decline of nine points in the Architecture Billings Index in February indicates tougher times ahead for both design firms and contractors. The downturn could indicate a noticeable slowdown in commercial construction projects coming online over the next nine to twelve months, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

Some AIA members, however, are still reporting strong business from a billings and demand standpoint.

The one bright spot in commercial construction continues to be the institutional sector, which is showing positive conditions for school, hospital and government construction.

Source: Building Design+Construction

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has contracted with Kwame Building Group Inc. for construction management of various renovations and new construction projects related to the university’s facilities master plan.

KWAME will act as an advisor to the University by reviewing project program, design and construction phases relative to issues of cost, schedule, constructability and quality control.

Source: Commercial Journal St. Louis