Many federal and state statues apply to the employment of construction workers and any construction firm must have an understanding of their workings and implications. As depicted in previous blog posts in response to assigned videos, any construction site can be subject to injuries or death of workers or the public due simply to the nature of the work. From our book, "there are approximately 400,000 reportable injuries to construction workers and more than 1,000 deaths each year in the United States as the result of work-related injuries." Employee orientation and training becomes so important in the construction industry. And not only can project safety concerns affect workers, but damage of materials or equipment, spoiled work, and adverse publicity can be costly side effects as well. Common indirect costs include workers compensation, liability, penalties, and public relations. Ensuring project safety has not only a humanitarian aspect, but many financial benefits are gained as the project does not have to be set back and insurance costs can rise as more accidents occur. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, safety inspectors can conduct unannounced site inspections to see if employers are complying with safety standards. Today, OSHA inspectors must be approved by the employer or must first obtain a search warrant.
Here is a video we were assigned to watch regarding building a scientific village at the South Pole.
Planning became extremely important due to the far distance from civilization, freezing temperatures and unusual daylighting throughout the year. Every 90 minutes workers were taking a break at one point in construction to avoid frost bite. The steel framing workers faced unusual and difficult circumstances due to the low temperatures which freeze the steel and actually cause it to shrink. The workers also ran into issues with equipment sometimes not working due to the temperatures.
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