Archive for the 'Pre-Fabricated Building News' Category

Toronto’s Roofs Go Green

Toronto adopted a new green roof policy.  After doing a study, they found that “8% coverage of existing rooftops with extensive green roofs, would generate over $300 million in initial cost savings in areas such as stormwater management, combined sewer overflow reduction, building energy savings, and the urban heat island reductions.”
Toronto is committed to ”install green roofs on new and existing buildings owned by the City.  For example, green roofs are to be considered for existing municipal buildings when roofs are due to be replaced.  For new City-owned buildings, the Green Roofs strategy sets a target of green roofs covering 50 to 75 per cent of a building’s footprint.  Council also recommended that a pilot program of financial incentives be initiated this year for the construction of green roofs.”
“These policies set the stage for a public-private partnership that will result in significant improvements to the quality of life in Toronto, reduce energy consumption and smog” says Stephen Peck of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities.   
Green roofs are proven technologies that utilize high quality waterproofing, root repellency and drainage systems, and lightweight growing media to grow plants on roofs.”
To read more about Stephen Peck’s press release, please visit: http://www.treehugger.com/files/2006/02/toronto_goes_gr_1.php

Four Ways To Green Your Roof

Looking for ways to add some green to your roof? Here are four ways your roof can have a positive impact on the environment:

 

Skylights

Skylights are a great way to reduce your electric bills. Installing skylights or solar tubes in your roof, can help you save money. It will decrease your need for electric lighting during the day. It will also bring in natural light which is good for your mental health.

 

Paint Your Roof White

By painting your roof white, you can deflect light and heat away from your roof. Not only will it help you cool your house, it will also help control climate change. According to the physicist, Hashem Akbari, a 1,000 sq-ft roof, painted white, can offset 10 metric tons of CO2.

 

Plant a Rooftop Garden

Putting a garden on your rooftop is a great way reduce urban heat islands. Did you know that it can also reduce the temperature of the garden-topped building by up to 15 degrees? Growing plants and trees in the city can also contribute to the overall air quality by eliminating carbon dioxide. That’s great news for all us oxygen-breathers.

 

Mount Some Solar Panels
Why not turn your roof into a power plant? By mounting a few solar panels on your roof and hooking them into your grid. You can generate some clean energy for your home. It’s expensive in at first, but it can save you money in the long run.

For more tips and information on how to make your roof environmentally friendly, please visit: http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/green-roof-tips.html?campaign=daylife-article

 

 

How to Prevent Hazards when Working with Vehicles in Work Zones

Workers who operate construction vehicles or equipment can be injured by overturns, collisions or being caught in running equipment.  Flaggers and other workers on foot are exposed to the risk of being struck by passenger traffic or construction equipment if they are not visible to motorists or equipment operators.  Falls, electrical, struck-by and caught-between are common hazards for workers in highway work zones. Each year more than 40,000 people are injured in crashes in these areas. 

An internal traffic control plan (ITCP) can be used to coordinate the flow of construction vehicles, equipment and workers who are operating in close proximity within the activity area, so that the safety of workers can be ensured.  A supervisor can evaluate the effectiveness of the temporary traffic control setup by walking or riding the job looking for skid marks, damaged barricades and other evidence of near misses.

Temporary traffic control devices such as: signage, warning devices, paddles and concrete barriers can be used consistently throughout the work zone to help reduce injuries.  Motorists should be given plenty of advance warning of upcoming work zones, and the messages on the warning signs should be simple and brief.  Providing flaggers with devices that increase their visibility to passing motorists and construction vehicles can also be very effective.

In residential construction, large vehicles on small lots present special hazards for workers and home owners, especially during remodeling or making additions. A ground guide should help move big vehicles that have limited views.

Here are a few safe practices that workers can follow when working near vehicles:

  • Use a back-up alarm or guide during all backing of bi-directional machines like rollers, compactors, front-end loaders, bulldozers and similar equipment, excluding forklifts.
  • Use a horn that is distinguishable from the surrounding noise level as needed when the machine is moving in either direction.
  • Keep the horn in operating condition.
  • Be sure that all vehicles have full operational braking systems and brake lights and that parking brakes are set when not in use. Block and chock on hills as needed.
  • Be sure that all vehicles have working headlights and taillights when used in low light.
  • Use seats and seat belts when transporting workers in motor and construction vehicles.
  • Inspect all vehicles before using them for broken or unsafe conditions, including: all brake systems, tires, the horn, steering, couplings, seat belts (which are not required for equipment operated standing up) and any other safety and health program system.

See OSHA’s resources on Highway Work Zones and Signs, Signals, and Barricades for more information.

Source:  http://www.toolbase.org

5 Minute Safety Talks to Initiate Worker Safety

The Construction Safety Association of Ontario recommends giving weekly safety talks to your workforce. According to the CSA, weekly safety talks will not only keep your workers informed, it will also keep workplace safety top of mind.

The CSAO offers tips for giving workplace safety talks, including:

 - Keep your safety talks topical

- Clearly introduce the topic of the week

- Talk in a pertinent location.

- Use actual props such as tools and equipment during your presentation

- Invite questions. If you do not have the answer to these questions, follow up

- Keep a record of your talks for future reference

CSAO offers several 5 minute safety session topics and guides for free download or for purchase. They  invite construction industry professionals to “Show your commitment to health and safety by giving a safety talk every week. ”

Tankless Water Heating Systems Becoming Popular in North America

Tankless water heating systems, or hot water on demand has been a popular item for a long while in Europe but it is just now becoming a viable and attainable option in North America. Home owners and business owners across Canada and the US are just now becoming aware of this water heating system.

 

While the tankless water heating system for the home / business may involve a higher initial cost, many are finding the long run benefits, which include energy and cost savings, are simply worth the added up front expense. When it came to installing showers in his boutique style Toronto hostel, small business owner Michael Scott easily chose water on demand instead of a traditional hot water tank.

 

“After a lot of research, I installed the Bosh AquaStar system. It had some excellent reviews and is designed to last more than 20 years. I was really limited on space in my hostel so the fact that it is less than 25” high, 15” wide and 10” deep is one of the main reasons I chose to go with this particular heating system” said Michael.

 

Michael was also impressed with the energy savings potential. – up to 50% over traditional heating methods. Many of Michael’s guests arrive in Canada from European countries so the concept is not new to many of them but he finds that he is constantly discussing the benefits of hot water on demand with many of his guests and friends that visit from closer to home.

 

“There is no hot water tank,” explains Michael “so the need to constantly heat a reserve of water is bypassed, yet hot water is available instantly when you turn the tap. For further control, I can digitally limit the temperature to my preference. The unit is capable of heating two major appliances at the same time. I find that my friends and family who visit the hostel are more impressed with this system than my out of country guests.”

 

Tankless hot water systems are popping up everywhere in business and homes across North America. There are plenty of online articles and reviews on the subject of hot water on demand, if you are planning to build, renovate, or replace in your new business, home, or cottage, why not research your options?

LEED, the Building Green Rating System: What is LEED and How Do I Get It?

LEED (Leadership in energy and environmental design) is the building green rating system.  It was created by the US Green Building Council and has now been adopted by the Canada Green Building Council (CGBC) as well.  LEED is the internationally accepted benchmark for design, construction, and operation of high performance in green buildings as well as it is a building certification process.  This will define what is green by providing common framework and verifies performance through benchmarking and measurement. 

 

 

The rating system has five areas which are: human and environmental health; sustainable site development; water savings; energy efficiency; materials selection; and indoor environmental quality.  This rating system was created to provide consistent, credible standards for what constitutes a green building. 

 

 

There are many steps that need to be taken for LEED certification; the first one would be to register a building project.  Registering during the early phases of project design will maximize the potential for achieving certification. In order to earn certification, a building project has to meet certain prerequisites and performance benchmarks within each category.  Depending on the number of credits projects receive, they can be awarded certified, silver, gold, or platinum certification.  LEED professional accreditation will confirm a contractor has the skills and knowledge to create and construct buildings that will meet the LEED certification process.

 

LEED has been successful in reduced operating costs, healthier and productive occupants, and conserving natural resources in the United States.  LEED has also been able to drive innovation, enhance building performance and lower lifecycle costs.   

 

Source:  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3993/is_200710/ai_n21137729/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1 

 

 

 

 

New Norsteel Mini Storage Buildings Website

Norsteel Buildings is proud to announce that we have created a new website to complement our existing prefab buildings website.

 

The new website, www.norsteelministorage.com, has been designed to showcase our Norsteel Mini Storage division. On our new site, we offer free mini storage building start up advice, as well as mini storage products, accessories, and colour options.

 

Norsteel will be continuously building upon this website to accommodate our valued mini storage building clients and staff.

 

Should you have any questions about the Norsteel Mini Storage buildings division, or any of our other steel building products, please do not hesitate to contact Norsteel Buildings at your convenience.

 

Norsteel Buildings and Norsteel Mini Storage are located in Markham, Ontario, Canada. We service all of Canada as well as the United States. We are proud to offer great pricing, superior quality, knowledgeable sales staff and, of course, the fastest delivery times in the business – as little as 5 weeks!

 

Norsteel would like to give a special thanks to iMark Communications for designing and creating two great websites.

Recycling Buildings Has Many Benefits

Each year, 125 million tons of debris is produced from the destruction of buildings.  In an effort to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills, some companies are starting to look at other alternatives and a distribution network for used building materials is taking action.

 

A company in Pittsburgh, PNC Financial Services is planning on recycling 8000 of the 11,000 tons of waste when they knock down the city’s former Public Safely Building and turn this space into a park.  They will use concrete to refill the site, steel will be used into new rebar, aluminum will be reused in cans and other products and foam-board ceiling tiles will be brought back to the manufacturer to be used again.  Not only will the company be saving $200, 000 in dump fees, this is a tremendous benefit to the environment. 

 

Source:  http://www.treehugger.com/files/2004/11/recycling_build.php

 

Want to learn more about the benefits of environmentally friendly buildings? Just visit our green building section.

Statistics: Why Employees Are Not Wearing Personal Protective Equipment in the Workplace

The other day we posted about Construction and Workplace Safety Resources for Canada.

After coming across an article about a survey that was done on employees who do not like to wear personal protective equipment, I thought it would be interesting to post the results of the survey. This is a very prevelant issue in the steel buildings industry and others as well as  great follow up to our last post

 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration enforces that employees wear personal protective equipment to avoid exposure to hazards when engineering in the workplace. Unfortunately, administration controls are not always effective in reducing exposure to acceptable levels.  However noncompliance continues to be a concern in the workplace.

In October 2007, 87% of safety professionals who surveyed at The National Safety Council Congress & Expo mentioned that workers failed to wear PPE when they should have.  At a 2006 event, a similar survey indicated that 85% of safety professionals answered yes to this same question.  Both of these surveys were conducted by Kimberly-Clark Professional.

 

When asked why people failed to wear PPE in a 2007 survey, 62% said the main reason was “discomfort”, this was followed by: too hot, fit poorly, unattractive and not easily accessible from the site of the work task.  When asked how PPE could be improved, 75% of professionals said they could make it more comfortable. 

OSHA guidelines state that employees should take the fit and comfort of PPE into consideration when choosing items for their workplace.  PPE that is comfortable and fits well will encourage employees to wear them. 

 

For full survey results, visit:  www.kcprofessional.com

Construction and Workplace Safety Resources for Canada

Safety in the work place is an obvious topic of discussion in the prefabricated buildings industry, just as it is in other construction and manual based industries. Unfortunately a lot of well intentioned companies, managers, foremen, employees, etc. can make mistakes. These mistakes can be based on perceived time constraints, plain old clumsiness or lack of sleep, or any number of circumstances. What really irks a lot of people, however, is when bad things happen to good people as a result of lack of knowledge.

 

Reading about workplace accidents, mishaps, or even tragedies that could have easily been avoided with just a little bit of knowledge or know-how is beyond disheartening. That is why I have decided to gather some online educational workplace safety resources. If, after reading the list, you feel as though I have missed a valuable resource, please post it in the comment section.

 

First we have Clientia, a website from British Columbia that has a wealth of information about construction safety. I found the workplace safety checklists to be particularly valuable. There are dozens of them on the site, an example of one is the Safety Walkaround Checklist for Scaffolds.

 

Of course we have OSSA, the Ontario Service Safety Alliance, which has several workplace safety resources including a workplace safety products store which includes WHIMS products.

 

The Pacific Safety Centre LTD has some free safety info and resource links such as the Canadian Society for Safety Engineering, Work Safe BC, and Occupational Health and Safety Administration. Perhaps even more valuable, though, is Pacific Safety Centre’s jobsite safety courses.

 

Here is another great resource for safety links. Finally, check out the Canada Safety Council website.

If you happen to be searching for offline resources, the 7th Annual Alberta Health & Safety Conference and Trade Fair 2008 will be at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton this October 27 to 29, 2008

 

Like I said, if you have any safety resources to add, please leave a comment in the comment section.

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