At our companies, safety is what guides us every step of the way, whether on a job site, plant or anywhere our work takes us. But what sets us apart is that we don’t forget about safety at the end of the workday; we take it home with us. There are many safety precautions we observe in our line of work that have relevance to daily life, and we’re sharing them here on our blog.
In our industry, we’re accustomed to working in all kinds of potentially hazardous settings: heavy equipment, high-speed traffic, hot mix asphalt, aggregate crushers, and much more. All of these elements require extensive safety precautions and attention-to-detail to keep ourselves and others safe in work zones and at our facilities.
So it may come as a surprise that the most likely safety incident that employees in the construction industry will experience is one that is actually not limited to our line of work. Slip, Trip or Fall (STF) incidents are the most common event that workers in the construction industry will encounter, and they’re also extremely common among the general public.
Over 8 million people received emergency treatment for fall-related injuries in 2019, and falls are the number one cause of death for older adults. STF events can happen in any setting, at home, work or in public spaces.
Here are a few tips we use every day to avoid STF injuries and to keep ourselves safe while working at heights or climbing into equipment.
Avoid overreaching: When reaching to climb onto something (a ladder, equipment, vehicle, etc), you risk injuring your shoulder by overreaching. When climbing into a truck, avoid reaching too far overhead if possible. Instead, use the closest part of the handlebar to start your climb.
Maintain 3 Points of Contact: The goal is free hands, so you try to keep two feet and a hand, or two hands and a foot, on steps and railings at all times.
Use Upper Body Strength: Use your upper body strength to control the lowering of yourself on/off ladders on fixed and mobile equipment. This will slow you down and significantly reduce the force upon your joints.
Plant Your Foot Before Coming Down: Most importantly, on the last step from fixed or mobile equipment before the ground, plant your foot and find your footing before transferring your weight from the ladder to the ground. This ensures you know where the ground is, if it is even or slippery, and if you are moving with intent.
Ladders Last: The practices above are effective, but the most effective control we can put in place is one that eliminates the hazard.
Privacy Policy
CRH recognizes the importance of protecting the personal privacy of its website visitors. The following Privacy Policy describes the types of information CRH may collect and permissible use of that information.
With over 1,700 locations throughout North and South America and 50,000+ employees, CRH is among the leading building and construction products companies in the world. CRH delivers outstanding performance and growth by acquiring, partnering and investing in companies with strong management teams that demonstrate consistent profitability and exceptional customer service. By using our website, you consent to the collection and use of information in the manner described below.
Collection and Use of Personal Information
CRH does not collect personal information (name, address, Email address, telephone number, etc) through its website unless you provide it to us voluntarily. CRH may ask you for personal information to respond to your questions; to process or fulfill your order, request or employment inquiry; or to register you in contests and sweepstakes. In some instances, CRH may need additional personal information in order to process or fulfill your order, request or employment inquiry. The decision to provide the additional information rests with you; however, if you do not provide some information, you may not be able to take advantage of all of our services or special offers.
CRH will not share your personal information with third parties without your permission, except as otherwise necessary (i) to process or fulfill your order; (ii) to respond to your request or answer your inquiries, including employment inquiries, (iii) to enter you in contests, sweepstakes or other promotional activities that you voluntarily participate in, or (iv) to comply with any applicable law, court order or other judicial process. CRH may occasionally hire other companies to provide certain services on its behalf, including management of contests, sweepstakes and surveys. CRH may provide such companies with the minimum amount of personal information necessary to deliver the service. CRH will take reasonable steps to ensure that any personal information shared under these circumstances will not be used for any other purposes.
CRH does not sell or provide personal information data to non-affiliate third parties for promotional purposes, and you will not receive Emails or mailings concerning CRH or its products, services or promotions unless you specifically elect to receive such information.
Collection and Use of Statistical Information
When you connect to our website, CRH may automatically collect technical, non-personal information. Examples include the type of Internet browser used, your computer operating system and the IP address of the website from which you linked to our website. CRH may share aggregate website statistical information (such as sales, traffic patterns or related information) with third parties to develop ideas for improving its website and the services offered through the site. No such shared statistics will contain any personal information.
Cookies
When viewing our website, information in the form of a cookie or similar file may also be stored on your computer. This information helps CRH tailor its website in a manner to better match your interests and preferences. If you do not wish to receive cookies or want to be notified when they are placed on your computer, many Internet browsers allow you to erase existing cookies, block cookies or warn you before a cookie is stored on your computer. Consult your specific browser’s instructions to learn more about these features.
Access by Children
CRH has no way of distinguishing the age of individuals who access our website. If a child has provided us with personally-identifying information without consent from a parent or guardian, the child’s parent or guardian should contact us, and we will take reasonable steps to remove the information from our files.
Modification or Deletion of Personal Information
If you need to change or correct any personal information provided to us, or wish to have all personal information we have collected removed from our files, please contact us and we will take reasonable steps to comply with your request.
Security
Although no system is currently 100% immune from external attack, CRH has taken commercially reasonable measures to prevent unauthorized access to and improper use of your personal information.
Scope of Policy and Third Party Sites
This Policy applies only to this website. The privacy policy of other websites, including those accessible by links from this site, may differ from ours. We encourage you to read the privacy policy for each website you visit, to ensure you understand and agree with the applicable policy.
Changes to Policy
CRH reserves the right to change the Policy at any time without notice. Policy revisions are effective upon posting and apply only to data collected thereafter. You should periodically visit this CRH website to review the current terms.
