Learn more about what we are doing with our 2020-21 Work Plan, see upcoming events, and more, in our October newsletter.

Vaughn Pugh, President of Integrity Safety Services, is keenly aware of the risks associated with exposed rebar. A staple material across modern jobsites, rebar presents an unparalleled danger when improperly handled. "Rebar is typically placed on the ground, often on a walking path or work surface," creating an ever-present hazard. "Rebar affects every worker on a site and, therefore, has a greater impact on possible injury."

Rebar is used on almost every jobsite. All protruding rebar is hazardous. Employees can fall on protruding rebar, creating major and even life-threatening injuries.

This month, we’re sharing toolbox talks and facts to ensure everyone can work around rebar safely.

Christina Riley, Marketing Representative of the Laborers International Union of North America (LiUNA), believes every individual working in construction should prioritize hearing protection. Hearing protection is often neglected due to poor on-site availability and inadequate training. When hearing protection isn’t readily available, workers often forgo it altogether, risking permanent hearing loss.

Learn more about what we are doing to reduce deaths from suicide in the construction industry, see upcoming events, and more, in our September newsletter.

We’ve compiled resources, videos, and websites on hearing protection to help you stay safe on the job. This month’s resources include a course to teach workers about hearing protection, an OSHA pocket guide to evaluate noise and potential hearing loss, and our PSA-style video on hearing protection..

The Construction Center of Excellence (CCE) connects the construction industry to education partners across the state of Washington. Read about our 2019–2020 year and what we accomplished.

There are approximately three jobsite fatalities in construction every day and an estimated 10 to 12 suicides among construction workers. In the construction industry, mental health awareness and suicide prevention are just as important as job safety issues.

We’re pleased to announce that the all-new Toolbox Talks app is ready to download for free! Learn about fall classes at RTC and more in our monthly newsletter.

The suicide rate in construction is 53.2/100,000 – that is 4 times greater than the national average and 5 times greater than that of all other construction fatalities combined.

This month, we are focusing on suicide prevention and mental health awareness.

Vaughn Pugh, President of Integrity Safety Services, specializes in identifying the many factors that affect a worksite's emergency preparedness. In the case of fire safety and suppression, properly maintained fire extinguishers take top billing. "All buildings have combustibles, so it's important to have working fire extinguishers...The last thing you need is to go get one and find out it doesn't work."

With May being Mental Health Awareness month, now seems like a fitting time to talk about mental and emotional health and wellbeing in the workplace!

Mental health and wellbeing haven’t traditionally been something we’ve talked about much in the workplace…even among friends. Moreover, a majority of Americans were taught growing up that mental health is a personal topic. For many families, mental health wasn’t even discussed in the privacy of the home. In fact, in some families, the topic was completely discouraged and avoided. If you talked about it, you may have been scolded or even shunned. This stigma left a lot of people feeling ashamed and suffering in silence.

After many years feeling lost and even depressed in various jobs after high school in Canada, Jamie McMillan ran into an old friend who talked about becoming an ironworker apprentice, and getting paid to learn while training. That story was fascinating to Jamie, so she applied to and got hired for an apprenticeship in the trades. She had some familiarity with construction because her father was a miner and her parents had renovated houses. She picked up some basic knowledge of mechanics along the way, but had never thought about a related career for herself.