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Understanding Fall Protection: Importance, OSHA Standards, and Compliance

Posted on April 24, 2024 by anthony@the-robinson-agency.com

For the tenth year in a row, fall protection citations lead the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) list of most frequent violations. Despite the high human and financial costs and heightened awareness, fall protection negligence continues to plague the construction and general industries.

To successfully tackle this problem, the parties responsible for fall protection, much like a three-legged stool, must do their part to succeed. Building owners and property managers must ensure their building complies with OSHA fall protection standards. At the same time, building contractors are responsible for ensuring the site is safe and their team is properly trained on fall protection safety standards and outfitted with the proper equipment to work from heights. Lastly, employees are responsible for adhering to their training and using personal protection equipment (PPE) to carry out their work safely.

OSHA continues to ratchet up fines, inspections, and awareness efforts to reduce injuries and fatalities due to preventable falls from heights. This article covers the role of standards and compliance as it relates to a building owner’s fall protection responsibilities. This article provides insights and resources to help you ensure your building is safe and compliant.

The High Stakes of Fall Protection

According to the National Safety Council, in spite of being 100% preventable, falls are among the top ten leading causes of death and nonfatal injuries. It doesn’t take a fall from very high to sustain injuries. In fact, OSHA’s fall protection requirements apply to employees working at heights of 4 feet or more in general industry workspaces.

Fines for Not Complying with Fall Protection Regulations are Costly

The fines for violating OSHA regulations are steep, costing some negligent parties hundreds of thousands of dollars. Failure to abate the infractions can lead to daily fines of up to $16,131 per day, and willful or repeated violations are ten times that. Fines can add up quickly, especially for willful and prohibitive violations. The fine structure incentivizes businesses to ensure a safe working environment to reduce the likelihood of workplace injuries and fatalities. The message is clear, the cost of non-compliance far exceeds the cost of safety compliance.

Preventable Injuries and Loss of Life

Fatal work injuries increased by nearly 6 percent in 2022, totaling 5,486. Falls, slips, and trips account for 15 percent of those fatalities. In 2022, falls to a lower level and falls to the same level resulted in over 900,000 cases of gravity-induced injuries.

In addition to avoiding fines, and protecting workers, compliance with fall protection standards helps mitigate legal risks and potential liabilities in the event of a fall-related incident. Additional benefits include higher morale and productivity of working in a safe environment and the potential for favorable insurance premiums.

OSHA’s Role in Fall Protection Compliance

OSHA plays a pivotal role in fall protection serving as the primary agency responsible for ensuring safe and healthy working conditions for employees across the United States. OSHA inspectors work to assure compliance through building inspections, addressing complaints, and working with employers to reduce hazards and mitigate risks. Overall, OSHA’s involvement in fall protection encompasses setting standards, enforcing regulations, providing education and training, and conducting research to prevent workplace injuries and fatalities due to falls.

Building Owner Responsibilities and Compliance Strategies

A simplified version of a building owner’s responsibility to provide fall protection, according to OSHA 1910.26 & 1910.28, is to provide protection for anyone exposed to falls or falling objects. Our on-demand webinar, Compliance Simplified: Essential Rooftop Fall Protection Solutions, simplifies this topic by introducing the fall protection hierarchy.

1. Hazard Elimination: This is the most effective solution to entirely eliminate the risks by removing the fall hazard.
2. Passive Fall Protection: This method involves using physical, stationary barriers to protect from fall hazards. For example, installing guardrails or covers to safeguard edges, roof hatches, and skylights to protect against falls from heights.

Fall Restraint Systems: This type of system is considered active fall protection and prevents workers from reaching unsafe zones.

Fall Arrest Systems: Another type of active fall protection, fall arrest systems activate after a fall has taken place and stop the fall in mid-air.

Controlled Access Zones: Use methods like warning lines to heighten worker awareness of dangerous areas. This method is considered the least effective of the five.

Whether installing guardrails or certifying anchor points for rope descent systems, maintaining building compliance is a formidable task if you aren’t up to speed on OSHA’s regulations.

The Role of Pressure Washing in Maintaining Your Building’s Exterior

Posted on April 22, 2024 by anthony@the-robinson-agency.com

Adding pressure washing to your routine building maintenance strategy is a simple yet effective way to achieve a clean and attractive facade. In spite of its simplicity, pressure washing is an often neglected strategy for maintaining a building’s exterior thought to be reserved for the toughest of stains or addressing years of neglect.

Pressure washing revitalizes surfaces by cleaning and removing pollutants such as oils, mold, graffiti, and rust, thus making your building appear years younger. However, removing all those pollutants also contributes to your building’s structural longevity and can make walkways safer. In this article, we will walk you through the ins and outs of pressure washing, including what you should pressure wash and what you shouldn’t, along with the benefits of adding pressure washing to your routine property maintenance and spring cleaning.

The Dual Benefits of Pressure Washing: Aesthetic and Structural

In spite of its deep roots in physics, pressure washing is fairly straightforward. A water pump accelerates water creating a high-pressure stream. The water is then directed through a hose and out a spray wand. Users can tackle different levels of cleaning tasks by adjusting the pressure and changing the nozzle.

Getting the most out of your commercial property requires proper maintenance that addresses its aesthetic appeal and structural integrity. Pressure washing shines in this facet, as it supports both of these goals. Leveraging this type of facade maintenance will improve your curb appeal, thus adding value. In addition, pressure washing can also remove harmful pollutants capable of breaking down sealants and other vital materials designed to protect your property.

Can You Pressure Wash Your Building’s Facade?

The type of material being pressure washed, the level of pressure, and the nozzle all factor into whether or not you can pressure wash your facade. The pressure or water flow is measured by pounds per square inch (PSI) or gallons per minute (GPM). To better understand this, let’s take a look at the three levels of pressure washers.

Light-duty pressure washers – up to 1900 PSI (2 GPM) and are designed for residential requirements.
Heavy-duty pressure washers – top out at 2800 PSI (3 GPM) and can tackle most commercial requirements.
Industrial pressure washers – max out around 7000 PSI (5 GPM) and are more efficient at taking on the toughest tasks.

To put that in perspective, an automatic car wash operates at 1,000 – 1,200 PSI, while a pressure washer up to 7000 PSI can remove graffiti and paint and cut through wood. The U.S. General Services Admission (GSA) advises against pressure washing porous materials (red brick, marble, stone, etc.) due to the risk of severe damage.

The nozzle on the pressure washer determines the cleaning pressure. Without the nozzle, you would just have a motor-powered garden hose. The lower the angle of the nozzle, the more intense the spray pattern. For instance, a 0o spray pattern produces a laser-esque stream useful for tough jobs, while a 40o spray pattern is wider and softer, making it ideal for more delicate surfaces. Turbo nozzles rotate and, when combined with a 0o spray pattern, have more power and cover more ground which can speed up the cleaning process.

You must also factor in the materials you are pressure washing, as using the wrong combination of pressure and nozzle can damage them or produce poor results. Companies providing professional pressure washing services often have specialized equipment to transport pressure washing equipment to hard-to-reach spaces or where water is inaccessible.

So the answer is “Yes”, you can pressure wash your facade if you do it correctly. This is where leaning on professional expertise can make all the difference. Professional pressure washing companies know what PSI, nozzle, and technique each job requires without damaging your property. Next, we will cover which technique works best in various situations.

Choosing the Right Technique: High PSI vs. Soft Washing

Soft washing offers a gentler approach through low-pressure water, often combined with specialized cleaning solutions. This technique effectively removes dirt, algae, moles, and other contaminants and is ideal for those porous surfaces we mentioned. High PSI pressure washing harnesses the power of high-pressure water to tackle tough stains and build-up on durable surfaces. It’s an excellent choice for areas that endure heavy use and require deep cleaning.

Ideal Applications for Each Method

High PSI Pressure Washing

- Sidewalks and curbs: Removes gum, stains, moss, mold, and grime effectively.
- Walkways and retaining walls: Cleans deep-seated dirt and revitalizes the appearance.
- Loading docks and dumpster pads: Essential for sanitation, and removing oil, grease, and debris.

Just like doing dishes at home, hot water works best for the toughest jobs. When high PSI isn’t enough, hot-pressure washers may be required to achieve the desired results. Rusting, for instance, is extremely difficult to remove. It’s also a good sign of an underlying issue that needs to be addressed, or that same rusting will return.

Soft Washing

- Exterior facades: Protects against damage while cleaning, especially those made of materials like vinyl, wood, Exterior Insulation and Finish Systems (EIFS), or certain types of stone and brick.
- Roofs and gutters: Removes mold and mildew without risking structural damage.
- Landscaped areas: Using harmful chemicals to speed up the cleaning process can easily create a costly landscaping problem. Areas above sensitive vegetation require a mix of gentle psi and the proper chemical that gets the desired result while taking avoidable damage out of play.

With the right technique, pressure washing keeps your property clean and well-maintained, preventing costly repairs.

Revitalize Your Property with Pressure Washing Services

Pressure washing revives your property, improves safety, and removes harmful contaminants capable of causing damage. It’s an effective way of keeping your property looking its best and a must-add for most property’s year-round upkeep. We take on pressure-washing projects of all scopes and sizes, including facades, parking garages, loading docks, and more. Here are some features that help us stand out from the crowd.

Pressure Washing Expertise: Our pressure-washing team knows precisely what technique, nozzle, and angle to use on various building surfaces.
High-Rise Pressure Washing: We understand what it takes to pressure wash the highest heights with the utmost safety precautions.
Sustainability Mindset: When jobs arise that require chemicals, we leverage our expertise to choose the appropriate chemical cleaning solution to restore your facade’s appearance without harming your facade or the environment.

How Spring Cleaning Builds Resilience for Commercial Properties

Posted on March 28, 2024 by anthony@the-robinson-agency.com

Leap year provided us an early spring this year, while the “prognosticator of prognosticators,” Punxatawney Phil, all but guaranteed it. With spring comes the welcoming, warm weather, losing an hour of sleep due to daylight savings time, and possibly even more when we realize it’s also time for spring cleaning.

For commercial property owners, spring brings about the opportunity to get your buildings in tip-top shape in preparation for all that Mother Nature brings in beauty and beast. This article covers how a robust spring cleaning regiment fortifies your building against the upcoming seasonal challenges.

The Power of Spring Cleaning

The concept of spring cleaning dates back hundreds of years, if not more, and is steeped in cultural tradition. As a long-standing tradition, spring cleaning presents the perfect opportunity as the temperatures get warmer, the days get longer, and nature awakens from its slumber to restore your building’s shine.

The building’s exterior is the first thing people notice, and a well-maintained facade can significantly enhance the building’s curb appeal. Spring cleaning improves the overall appearance and hygiene of your building by removing accumulated dust, dirt, and other debris. While the act of cleaning itself positively impacts health and well-being, it also affects the health and morale of occupants. As a building owner, checking off your spring cleaning list provides a sense of accomplishment and instills confidence that your tenants are taken care of.

If you don’t have a spring cleaning checklist, start with an assessment of your property to uncover what areas most need attention. Sidewalks, parking garages, windows, and parking decks are a few of the most common areas to review during your assessment. This is also an excellent time to work with your building services provider to check sealants for signs of wear and the facade for damage. Spring cleaning and proactive maintenance are your best line of defense and offense for upcoming seasonal challenges.

Pollen Impact and Preparation

Itchy eyes, runny noses, and sluggish feelings are just a few symptoms people struggle with as spring flowers bloom. Pollen doesn’t just wreak havoc on those with allergies. If left unabated, pollen can affect indoor air quality. Pollen can pile up on parking decks, walkways, and other exterior surfaces, making your building look dingy and neglected. Pressure washing and window cleaning, can rid your building of its coat of pollen.

Bracing for the Buzz: Pre-Spring Pest Prep

Pollen isn’t the only thing that emerges around springtime. This year experts predict what they call a double brood event of cicada emergence, producing billions of noisy creatures. While cicadas aren’t quite the nuisance to building owners that, rodents, roaches, and bedbugs are, their emergence will leave behind carcasses and attract predators sure to leave their mark. Birdproofing and a proactive approach to spring cleaning and maintenance is your first line of defense in ensuring your building is well-protected from pests.

Spring Into Action With Proactive Maintenance

Both spring and fall present opportune moments to spruce up your building and remove the remnants of the previous season. Just past the winter thaw and before the full brunt of the summer heat is perfect for comprehensive window cleaning. Professional window cleaning services don’t just remove superficial dirt, they take care of pollen, bird droppings, and smudges and streaks. This is essential in preventing build-up on your windows that can deteriorate their quality over time. When that happens, returning your windows to the ideal condition requires more extensive efforts including deep cleaning, restoration, or even full replacement.

Other common areas, like parking decks and walkways, are equally important in spring cleaning. These high-traffic areas bear the brunt of daily traffic and the harsh summer and winter environments. Using a scrubber or pressure washing these surfaces removes residue from ice-melt treatments and other contaminants. Pressure washing can remove mold growth from walkways common during the rainy season and a potential risk for slips and falls. This paves the way for a safer and aesthetically pleasing building and campus.

Make Spring Cleaning a Breeze with Valcourt Services

Through spring cleaning and preventative maintenance, you can avoid costly repairs and replacements, significantly boost tenant satisfaction, and, ultimately, enhance your property’s value. Valcourt Building Services stands at the forefront of preserving and elevating commercial properties with an unwavering focus on safety and customer satisfaction.

By entrusting your property to Valcourt Building Services, you choose a partner dedicated to maintaining its aesthetic appeal and structural integrity. Contact Valcourt today to see how our range of services, from cleaning facades to large-scale restoration projects, ensures that your building not only withstands the tests of time and nature but also thrives.