1. San Rafael-Bye By Country Club Bowl-Hello 70 Housing Units!– San Rafael approves Canal townhouse project (marinij.com)
2. Compare Marin Supervisor Candidates-ECA endorses Eric Lucan!– Novato race for Marin supervisor seat draws contrasting rivals (marinij.com)
3. Vintage Oaks on the Town Green gets underway–Construction begins on large downtown Windsor housing development (northbaybusinessjournal.com)
4. James Gore Vs Challenger-Read about the comparison here-ECA Endorses James Gore!- Drought, affordability, transit drive race for 4th District Sonoma County supervisor (pressdemocrat.com)
5. Want to fly direct to Tahoe/Reno from Sonoma County?- aha! announces nonstop flights to Santa Rosa from Reno-Tahoe hub (ca.gov)
6. City of Santa Rosa Website for roads has most recent “News article” as Feb 3, 2018-that should tell you all you need to know!!- News (ca.gov)
7. Governor Newsom proposes $300.6 Billion budget. https://www.ebudget.ca.gov/budget/2022-23MR/#/Home
8. ‘Risk of further outages’: California warns of blackouts as another hot summer looms
9. Officials said California has made considerable progress in shoring up the grid, including the addition of nearly 4,000 megawatts of battery storage in just over two years. But climate change is creating ever-worsening heat waves, and supplies are tightening all over the West, making it harder for the state to import electricity in a pinch. Wildfires can knock transmission lines out of commission. Dale Kaslerin the Sacramento Bee
10. White House seeks to speed infrastructure permitting
11. Speedier permitting without sacrificing attention to environmental factors is the goal of a new action plan for infrastructure released by the White House. The plan calls for agencies to coordinate their efforts early in the permitting process, but critics say the plan could lead to cutting corners and less thorough reviews. Full Story: The Hill The White House
12. Study: Nonunion firms struggle more to find workers
13. The ongoing worker shortage in construction is affecting nonunion firms more than those with unions, according to a review of surveys by Associated General Contractors of America from 2018 to 2021. The disproportionate shortage began before the pandemic, with nonunion firms 16% more likely to have difficulty filling positions and 13% more likely to lose qualified workers to other industries, according to AGC. Full Story: Contractor Magazine
14. Economists see uncertain outlook for construction
15. A long list of factors, including the war in Ukraine and the pandemic, could bring a slowdown in US construction after a good first quarter, according to five economists, including the Associated General Contractors of America’s Ken Simonson, participating in an online presentation. Although recession is possible, AIA chief economist Kermit Baker pointed to other factors that could sustain a good pace of growth, including job gains, corporate profits, consumer spending and business investment. Full Story: Daily Commercial News (Ontario)
16. Buttigieg seeks $1.5B for infrastructure upgrades
17. Improvements for existing transportation infrastructure across the US are the focus for $1.5 billion in funding requested by the Biden administration under the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity program, says Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The fiscal 2023 funding would help state agencies and serve to ease snarls in the movement of goods along the supply chain, Buttigieg said during a recent House subcommittee hearing. Full Story: Transport Topics
18. Contract goes out for $235M Calif. transit project
19. Kiewit Shea Traylor has received a $235 million contract to design and prepare for construction of a Bay Area Rapid Transit extension in San Jose, Calif. The Valley Transportation Authority board, which awarded the contract, is concurrently beginning an independent review of the single-bore tunnel plan for the 6-mile project. Full Story: The Real Deal/San Francisco
20. Balfour Beatty tapped for $16M in Calif. light-rail work California’s Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority has awarded Balfour Beatty a $16 million contract for renovation, modification and replacement of the overhead contact system along the Guadalupe light-rail corridor. The work will include replacing 38 miles of contact wire and an array of other components as well as introducing safety improvements at a maintenance facility. Full Story: The Construction Index (UK)

At our safety meetings we stress accident prevention. And we try to follow through on the job. But accidents sometimes occur despite all of our efforts.

HELPING A VICTIM MAY DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD

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Ever feel that the motoring public is out to get you? Speeding through your work area and if you do not hop out of the way quickly enough, they will run you down? It is probably because many drivers take the attitude that we should see them and keep out of their path. Just one of the hazards of flagging traffic. When flagging traffic, we want to do everything we can to prevent an accident. Because when an accident occurs, everyone suffers: the motorist, our Company, and us. An accident can mean damaged vehicles and equipment, personal injury, and fatalities.

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There is an endless list of possible hazards that result from the operation of heavy equipment. A few incident types in particular cause many serious injuries and fatalities each year.

Three types of incidents that result in these serious injuries and fatalities are struck-by incidents, caught-in or between incidents, and tip overs.

While these incident types deserve a lot of attention because of the harm they can cause, there are also many other hazards relating to heavy equipment operation that can result in frequent injury.
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Every single day, new technologies and equipment are being introduced into the marketplace. These technologies and equipment eventually make it to our workplaces.

It is important to fully understand these new tools before beginning work. Often new tasks and equipment are a source of injury on the job.

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Theft is a major concern for all companies. Construction companies especially deal with unique challenges in protecting themselves.

According to the National Equipment Register, construction jobsite theft costs the industry up to $1 billion each year.

It is important to consider the challenges of protecting a worksite from theft and take steps to prevent it from occurring.

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There are many different hazards on any single construction site. Dust can be one of them. Dust can cause a variety of issues from health concerns to physical hazards for workers who are exposed to it. It is important to understand the issues dust causes and what steps that should be taken to prevent its related hazards onsite.

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There are many injuries while using hand tools on the job. Most of these injuries occur from improper use, but there are also injuries that involve a tool that was broken or in need of repair.

What tool is being used will decide what needs to be inspected on it.

Common hand tools found on almost every job site and at home across the country are screwdrivers, hammers, chisels, and wrenches. This is not an all-inclusive list, but these are some of the most commonly used hand tools.

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Striking fixed objects with moving equipment or vehicles
is common on construction sites, and for occupations
such as delivery drivers.

Striking fixed objects is 100% avoidable if the proper
steps are taken to prevent these kinds of incidents.
It is important to take the time and energy to properly
eliminate or mitigate the chance that fixed objects are:
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Clothing & Safety

An important but often overlooked aspect of safety is what we decide to wear each day on the job. Safety rules, weather, type of work, hazards of the work, and many other factors weigh in on what type of clothing is optimal for the tasks being completed that day. It is vital to consider the impact clothing can have on safety at work.

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