Did you know that a single fatigued employee costs a construction company at least $3,500 a year in decreased productivity? 94% of construction workers report that they feel the impact of fatigue while on the job. Furthermore, 100% of construction workers report having at least one risk factor for fatigue. Risk factors include:
- Physically demanding labor
- Extended shifts (10 or more hours long)
- Irregular shift times
- Working 50 or more hours a week
- Being in constant communication with other crew members
- Having less than 12 hours in between shifts
A study was conducted by the National Safety Council in 2018 examining how big a factor working fatigued truly is. These alarming statistics listed above illustrate the fact that construction workers are at great risk of compromising their safety due to fatigue wearing on the body throughout the workday. The National Safety Council recommends various remedies to combat fatigue, such as proper shift scheduling practices and sleep education, but there are other ways to help eliminate this plague in the construction industry besides these.
Ultimately, having workers use products that save time, money, and effort cut down on worker fatigue and safety-related incidents.
Solutions
Paving
In the paving industry, the amount of time spent halting operations to remove built-up asphalt throughout the day is staggering. It is unrealistic to expect end-of-day cleanup to be performed each day perfectly by already fatigued workers who just want to get home. Naturally, corners will be cut, causing equipment and machinery to break down and fail.
PavePro Green is an asphalt remover that eliminates hardened asphalt five times better than competitors such as diesel fuel and citrus products. It possesses release qualities that leave behind a slick, oily substance preventing asphalt from building up over time. With a flashpoint above 200° F, PavePro stays on equipment and tools longer, preventing the asphalt from building right back up. PavePro’s unparalleled level of cleaning power and unique release qualities save pavers time throughout the day and especially at the end of the day. Simply spraying PavePro on the equipment and letting it sit overnight will completely remove all dried asphalt. Using PavePro cuts down on worker fatigue and preserves the integrity of your paving machinery. PavePro is by far the most efficient solution, saving money in worker productivity and equipment maintenance/replacement overtime.
Silica Dust Suppression
After OSHA released the Table 1 silica dust rule in October of 2017, companies started implementing engineering controls such as water delivery and vacuum systems, in an attempt to bring the respirable silica dust below the permissible exposure limit. However, these methods require a larger amount of effort to be put forth, causing fatigued workers and decreased productivity.
Vacuums need the dust to be emptied regularly, causing operations to be stopped in order to properly dispose of the harmful particles. It is important to note however that emptying the vacuum bags puts the worker at high risk of silica exposure, as there is no measure for controlling dust during the process. OSHA has agreed that water-based suppression is more effective than vacuums. However, the amount of water alone needed to truly keep the amount of silica dust in the acceptable range is double the amount typically sprayed, creating a slurry. We all know this decreases efficiency and increases workload, wasting time and energy that could be allocated elsewhere.
NeSilex, a silica dust suppressant that is added to water tanks, reduces the amount of water needed to properly suppress silica dust by chemically changing the composition of the water droplets, making them attract the dust as opposed to repelling it. This chemical change allows the amount of water sprayed to be drastically reduced. Reduction in water increases the efficiency of operations, cutting down the number of times workers need to stop and refill the water tanks. NeSilex is extremely easy to use and requires no mixing or cleaning. Save money and effort by cutting down on the amount of water used and time wasted each day with NeSilex.
Conclusion
Fatigue on the job doesn’t have to be a given for construction workers. Fatigued workers ultimately take away from your bottom line and put companies at risk of work-related safety incidents. Choosing more effective options, such as PavePro and NeSilex, for your operations is the smarter solution in the short AND long term. Cut down on fatigue, save money, and make your company a safer and more satisfying place for road construction and maintenance workers.