The First Facility Management Blog

To coincide with the proposed rule on Cranes and Derricks in Construction, published in the 10/9/08 edition of the Federal Register, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has initiated a National Crane Safety Initiative to address safety hazards during construction crane operation. The Crane Safety Initiative also builds on a number of steps taken by OSHA earlier this year to raise awareness on crane safety and increase enforcement of the current standards, including launching local emphasis programs in a number of regions to inspect high-rise construction, stakeholder outreach, and additional training on crane safety.

“Three important features of this initiative are that it will provide information and outreach to the construction industry and other stakeholders, offer enhanced resources to OSHA inspectors who address crane safety, and implement a National Emphasis Program on Crane Safety,” said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. “The Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported the 2007 fatality rate was the lowest in recorded history, including a reported 5% reduction in fatalities for the construction industry. This initiative builds upon this successful record.”

Through its agency partners in the construction industry, OSHA will increase awareness of—and provide information on how to avoid—crane hazards. The agency’s compliance safety and health officers will receive enhanced resources on crane safety. Additionally, the National Emphasis Program will incorporate increased targeted inspections of construction worksites to identify crane hazards and promote compliance with workplace crane safety requirements.

For the construction industry, it has been one month since officials said goodbye to the old New York codes. The 2008 New York City Codes went into effect across all five boroughs on July 1, 2008.

The first major modernization of the city’s building codes in nearly 40 years; the 2008 New York City Codes are based on the 2003 International Building, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Fire Codes. The codes can be purchased from the International Code Council at this link.

 “Any code that’s designed to protect the public safety in a way that developers, homeowners, and others in the building process can understand is a breath of fresh air,” said Rick Bell, FAIA, executive director of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) New York Chapter.

Bell explained that adopting the new codes in New York City is important for several reasons, but especially because more firms in New York are practicing nationally, even globally. The new codes, he said, coordinate better with those used in other jurisdictions.

“Codes at home were so different from codes in every other city in the land,” Bell said. “Bringing the International Building Code to New York provides greater flexibility and comparability. It means that now, when architects move to work in New York from other areas, they’ll be trained and familiar with how to look up the code. That’s very important.”

“It’s interesting, because one of the things I’m finding when I look at a lot of the reference standards is they’re all modern reference standards,” said Ernie Conrad, P.E., LEED, AP; principal of Landmark Facilities Group and board liaison for professional members at Building Owners and Managers (BOMA) New York. “What a thought!”

Conrad explained the new codes reference modern standards that incorporate updated scientific data. “The new codes reference a more recent edition of the AISC [American Institute of Steel Construction] Steel Construction Manual, enabling architects and engineers to use updated formulas and properties when designing in steel,” said Gary Higbee, AIA, director of Industry Development for the Steel Institute of New York.

The 2008 New York City Codes also include updated materials acceptance criteria. As long as a particular material or equipment meets the necessary laboratory approvals—often already nationally attained—specifiers won’t have to resubmit it through New York’s materials acceptance program.

Higbee added, “This important feature and its associated changes will facilitate using new products and materials—something widely considered to result in construction savings and enhanced occupant safety.”

“It was a magic day when New York City officially started using the I-Codes,” said Conrad. “The city is getting safer; no question about it.”

Group C Communications, Inc., an integrated business to business media company comprised of national magazines, events, and Web communities, announced that Hanley Wood, LLC has acquired The TFM Show. Hanley Wood, LLC will produce the annual TFM Show beginning with the 2009 event. Terms of the agreement are confidential. This acquisition followed the successful operation of the 2008 TFM Show, which was held April 22 - 24 at Navy Pier in Chicago.

For the past 11 years, The TFM Show has been attracting attendees and industry attention from every corner of the world. The TFM Show is the nation’s premier event for senior facility management executives, and is the only facility management event that offers a comprehensive program including top-notch educational courses; an exhibit hall featuring the latest facility products, services, and technologies; networking events; and unique facility tours.

The agreement fits the long-term strategic goals of both organizations. Ted Coene, co-president of Group C, said, “While the divestiture of an asset such as The TFM Show is never an easy decision, we feel that in the long run this move will prove beneficial to the event’s attendees and exhibitors. The facility managers who attend The TFM Show will now have the opportunity to network with architects, engineers, specifiers, and general contractors at CONSTRUCT, and our exhibitors will gain access to a wider audience that is responsible for the entire life cycle of the building environment—from design and construction to maintenance and operations.”

“This is a milestone for our company which will accelerate the growth of Group C Communications,” Coene added. “The sale of The TFM Show allows the company to expand its portfolio of hosted buyer events, print, and online media and broadens our opportunity to generate new revenue sources and profit centers.”

As Group C Communications, Inc. enters the next stage of its development, the company plans to launch a new Web TVchannel in the spring of 2008, a new real estate publication in the fall of 2008, and two new hosted buyer events in the spring of 2009.

Group C Communication’s publication group includes Today’s Facility Manager magazine, which serves the information needs of facility management professionals; and Business Facilities magazine, which is read by executives who are looking to relocate or expand their companies.

In addition to these leading print brands, Group C Communication’s event division also produces two annual hosted buyer events—The TFM Forum, a hosted buyer event for senior level facility management executives; and Business Facilities LiveXchange, another hosted buyer event for corporate executives who are looking to streamline the site selection process.

Group C extends its reach and dominance online via an array of Web sites tied to its magazines and events. The company has also built Group C-Link, a matchmaking computerized appointment system that will allow hosted buyer event attendees to make the very best use of their time. In May 2008, Group C Communications will introduce TFM Tube, an exciting Web TV channel that provides facility management and real estate professionals with the industry’s most comprehensive selection of how-to videos and demos of the latest facility management products and services.

About Group C Communications
Group C Communications, Inc., founded in 1968, is an integrated business to business media company comprised of national magazines, events, and Web communities that educate and connect business leaders with high quality content that allows them to make informed decisions. As publishers of Business Facilities and Today’s Facility Manager, Group C reaches facility managers and top-level executives who make significant decisions involving the long- and short-term needs of their company and facilities. The company also offers targeted face-to-face networking and valuable educational opportunities through Business Facilities LiveXchange, and The TFM Forum.

To prevent injuries and illness among construction workers exposed to hazards associated with the installation and extraction of piles during construction and demolition operations, the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recently announced the approval of the new voluntary consensus standard “Safety Requirements for Pile Installation and Extraction Operations” (ANSI/ASSE A10.19-2008).

According to the standard, a pile refers to a concrete, steel, or wood column which is driven or otherwise introduced into the soil, usually to carry a vertical load or to provide lateral support. The ANSI/ASSE A10.19-2008 standard is one of a series of voluntary consensus standards that focus on construction and demolition operations. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved the standard on March 24, 2008.

“Preventing injuries and illnesses among construction and demolition workers is the goal of the A10 standard committee,” said A10 Committee Chair Richard F. King, CSP, CRSP. “Voluntary national consensus standards, such as the A10.19, offer a balanced perspective based on the insights of the final users and the opinions of professionals who work at all levels of public and private sectors in technology development, safety and health, manufacturing, training, financial analysis, personnel, and academia.

“The value of workplace safety to workers in the construction industry and their families can not be overstated,” said A10.19 Subcommittee Chair Philip Colleran, CSP. “The new A10.19 consensus standard establishes the necessary safety requirements to prevent injuries that are associated with pile installation and extraction hazards, helping construction and demolition workers to return home safely every day.”

According to the 2006 Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries Summary (CFOI), construction accounted for 1,226 fatal work injuries, the most of any industry sector. In addition the CFOI indicated that the two occupational groups, construction and extraction occupations and transportation and material moving occupations, together made up almost half of all fatal work injuries in 2006. Also, construction and extraction worker fatalities rose 6% in 2006.

The A10.19-2008 standard applies to employment and places of employment where workers may be exposed to pile installation and extraction operation hazards during construction and demolition operations. The piles referred to in the standard include piles made of hot and cold rolled steel, concrete, wood and composite materials. This standard does not apply to structural steel erection covered in ANSI/ASSE A10.13 or ANSI/ASSE A10.16 voluntary consensus standards.

ASSE serves as the secretariat for the A10 Accredited Standards Committee on construction and demolition operations. The A10 standards serve as guides to contractors, labor and equipment manufacturers in the construction and demolition industry.

The A10.19-2008 standard will be available soon in both print and electronic format. For more information on A10.19 or other ANSI/ASSE construction and demolition related safety standards, contact ASSE Customer Service at 847-699-2929.