SafetySignals. 5 Stories For Safety People, By Safety People. 2020 - WK40

Safety Signals Digest – Week of 9/7/2020

Keywords: Safety Technology, Construction Safety, OSHA, Construction Tech, Construction Workers’ Safety, Awards, Influencers, Podcasts

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1. THANK YOU!! A WEEKLY UPDATE FOR SAFETY PEOPLE, BY SAFETY PEOPLE.

Allow us to start this update with a big THANK YOU to you and to our growing readership!

The entire team is happy to put this weekly newsletter together for you. Our goal is to bring you a weekly digest of 5 stories about Safety that matter and take you less than 5 minutes to read.

The entire SkillSignal team takes this mission at heart, so here is a little more about our approach. We've decided to gather (virtually) as a team every Friday to brainstorm and discuss the best safety stories each of us found. It's a moment we all look forward to. We start by pinning each story on a white board. I personally like this time of sharing, listening and discovering new safety topics together. A final editorial vote ends the process of what story will make it.

A little preview of things to come: we've been interviewing some of the best Safety Professionals out there and will be sharing their views and updates soon!

Do you have stories to share? Proud awards? Industry wisdom? Please contact us at info@skillsignal.com. Know someone who should be getting these updates? Anyone can subscribe on our website: just drop us your email at the bottom of any webpage and get the newsletter automatically every week in your inbox.

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2. WE CELEBRATE: FINANCE&COMMERCE TOP WOMEN IN CONSTRUCTION AWARDS

Finance&Commerce, a prominent independent daily newspaper, just published its 2020 Top Women In Construction Awards.

We quote from Finance&Commerce's editor Joel Schettler: "Today, more than 1.1 million women work in construction across the country. While they may make up only 10 percent of the construction industry workforce, their achievements should not go unrecognized. Whether it’s at the actual job site, or in an office behind the scenes, women are making a large impact on what has been a very male-centric field. Finance & Commerce is proud to recognize these construction leaders with the inaugural Top Women in Construction awards, recognizing achievement in six categories for innovative approaches to industry development, community involvement and business integrity."

Here is the entire Finance&Commerce Special. Below is the list of winners for their respective category but make sure to read about all the great professionals who were nominated. Each one is 100% hero and a safety champion!!

1. Top Company to Watch: Debra Hilmerson, Hilmerson Safety

2. Industry Leadership: Krystal Vierkant, Rock on Trucks

3. Outstanding Tradesperson: Kelly Martin, Mortenson Construction

4. Outstanding Project Management/Estimating: Sarah Paul, JE Dunn Construction

5. Outstanding Service to the Profession: Barb Lau, The Association of Women Contractors

6. Professional Services: Mary Cave, Cobb Strecker Dumphy Zimmerman Inc. 

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3. EMPLOYMENT

Finding and hiring great Safety professionals is more important than ever before.

Firms everywhere are looking for Specialists to help them setup and maintain successful EHS frameworks. Failing at these essential mandates, creates a substantial risk against reputation, profitability and competitive position.

If you're hiring EHS professionals, let us know and we'll make sure to insert your requisition in this letter for free, gaining a few hundred more potential candidates.

A quick search on indeed.com or ziprecruiter.com shows the optimistic view that there are currently more than 1,000 vacancies for EHS specialists across the US!

Also, make sure to check Safety Knights, as they have an active job board here.

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4. WE'RE FOLLOWING INFLUENCERS: BRUCE ROLFSEN, Bloomberg Law

Bruce Rolfsen is a Senior Reporter/Occupational Safety & Health Reporter with Bloomberg Law (formerly Bloomberg BNA). A look at Bruce's active Twitter feed or a simple Google search for his name will confirm his passion for thoughtful reporting about federal and state efforts to protect workers from on-the-job injuries and illnesses.

Bruce's readers are government policy makers, union and employer safety officials, public policy groups, and lawyers with occupational safety practices, putting him a unique place to influence the public debate about federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforcement programs, construction safety, OSHA's budget, whistleblower issues, and state programs such as California OSHA.

Over the last few months, his writing has focused on how states, industries and companies have responded to the health crisis. Some of his latest articles we recommend:

1. First-in-Nation Worker Virus Safety Rule Adopted in Virginia

2. Worker Safety Data for 238,000 Employers Posted by Group

3. OSHA Agrees to Release Employers’ Injury, Illness Reports

Bruce is at the very front of EHS reporting. That's why we've made sure to have Google and Twitter alerts letting us know when he posts insightful analysis or breaking news that anyone in the field should know about.

Bruce has a B.A. in Mass Communications and Fine Arts-Theatre Production from the University of South Florida.

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5. WE'RE LISTENING TO:

Our Podcast Special last week was our most viewed letter to date, confirming the interest for this medium! Thank you to the readers who reached out with their suggestions! We'll make sure to come up with a Podcast Special 2/Update to cover these new titles.

In the meantime, here's CONEXPO-CON/AGG's podcast: an award-winning show that provides perspectives from construction business owners, heavy construction equipment experts and construction technology providers. Missy Scherber is a regular host. Thank you to Spencer at Bechtel Corporation for recommending!

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Do you want to contribute? Have an announcement or an award to celebrate? Let us know and we'll make sure to feature your story in the next issue of Safety Signals. hello@skillsignal.com