Summer is here. A lot of us have been waiting all winter for this weather, but if you have to work in the heat and humidity, you may not share those same feelings. Not only can it be uncomfortable, but it also can be downright dangerous if not taken seriously. That’s why it’s important for everyone in your crew to... read more
Last Sept. 23, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) silica dust rule went into effect. This regulation is designed to protect workers from exposure to excessive levels of airborne silica dust that comes from cutting, drilling, sanding or grinding concrete pavers, bricks, stone or other materials containing crystalline silica. The health effects of prolonged exposure to silica dust are... read more
Using proper safety protocols around trenches is literally a life-and-death matter. Read on to ensure you’re following the guidelines. Last month, New Jersey landscape company officials pleaded guilty to criminal charges of failing to properly shore up a trench that caved in, suffocating two laborers. The charges against the company and two individuals are punishable upon conviction by up to... read more
The National Association of Landscape Professionals (NALP) partnered with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Alliance to launch the 10-hour OSHA Construction Course for the Landscape Industry. “We are pleased to have created this industry-specific 10-hour course that will provide comprehensive job site safety training that would be beneficial to all landscape industry companies,” said NALP CEO Sabeena Hickman. The... read more
After a four-month investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found a New York landscaper’s death was “easily preventable” with proper equipment maintenance. The organization proposed a penalty of $70,000. “This worker’s death was easily preventable. The attachment and use of the required guard for the discharge chute would have kept this hazard from occurring... read more
Ruppert Landscape, located in Laytonsville, Md., hired Sebastian Velez- Lopez and promoted Trevor Mann, Sean Davitt, Stacy Fryfogle and Charlotte McGehee at the company’s Maryland landscape construction branch to accommodate its growth. Velez-Lopez will serve as assistant production manager. He is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park where he earned a BS in plant sciences. Mann... read more
