 Every industry is influenced in immeasurable ways by the creative thinkers and inventors who change the way work gets done. For contractors involved in steel decking, that person was Harry Haytayan, Sr. (July 19, 1929—May 13, 2021), a Professional Engineer and founder of Pneutek, Inc. The pneumatic fastening tools and methods Haytayan invented have helped make mechanical fastenings for attaching steel deck the leading process in the industry.
 SEAA has completed its nationwide search for a new Executive Director, and is pleased to welcome Pete Gum to the position. Gum has 29 years of experience as the CEO of not-for-profit construction trade associations.
“We received applications from dozens of qualified candidates across the country. The Board of Directors was extremely thorough in their search and conducted multiple rounds of panel interviews throughout the process,” said Geoff Kress, President of SEAA. “We are thrilled to have Pete as part of our organization.” Gum has a proven track record with helping associations increase membership. He comes to SEAA from the Associated Builders & Contractors of Western Pennsylvania, where he served as President. It was in this role that he worked closely with the NCCER craft training curriculum and increased student participation in the association’s craft training programs. Gum attended his first SEAA Board of Directors meeting on July 7 in Pittsburgh, Pa. He said, “The Meet & Greet in my hometown of Pittsburgh was an introduction to the needs of members. I look forward to getting to know more erectors, fabricators, contractors and suppliers across the country, as we work together toward expanding the association’s footprint and increasing member value.” July 6, 2021 (Winston-Salem, N.C.) The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announces the recipients of the 2021 Safety Excellence Award and Craft Training Recognition Award. “These companies demonstrated a strong commitment to the safety and health of their employees,” said Bryan McClure, Chairman of SEAA’s Safety and Education Committee.
 Intermountain Erectors working on the Jackson Hole Tram in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. SEAA member company, Intermountain Erectors, Idaho Falls, ID, is a complete steel service company offering turnkey detailing, fabricating and erection services. As a premiere provider of Idaho's top quality steel erect, fabrication, and detailing needs, Intermountain Erectors, Inc. has provided remote, residential, and commercial steel services for over 25 years throughout the region. Their capabilities in mountainous environments has garnished the attention of ski resorts, hospitals, universities, retail facilities and more. They will continue to provide the means of production for steel projects in and around the great state of Idaho. We encourage you to follow Intermountain Erectors on Facebook and at IEIsteel.com to keep up with the latest news. If your company would like to participate in our Member Spotlight series, submit your information here.
OSHA’s Final Rule for Safety Standards for Steel Erection was published in 2001, and paragraph (e), Multiple Lift Rigging Procedure, outlines OSHA’s standard for lifting multiple pieces of steel at one time. Multiple Lift Rigging (Christmas-Treeing), is allowed only for steel erectors and should only be done when the outlined criteria are met. Recently, I have seen erection companies perform multiple lifts with items not approved under OSHA’s final rule. For example, bundles of decking, pallets of CMU blocks and portable toilets are not permitted for multiple lift rigging because it unnecessarily exposes employees to overhead loads. Multiple lifts should only be performed if the following criteria are met:
It is important to understand the Steel Erection Negotiated Rulemaking Advisory Committees (SENRAC) original argument captured in the Federal Register persuaded OSHA to allow steel erection employees to work under the load by using multiple lift rigging. This is because multiple lift rigging, when done properly, is a safe and effective method for decreasing the number of total crane swings and employee exposure on the steel while connecting. To be in compliance with OSHA, steel erectors may “tree” steel beams, bar joists, and girders. Other benefits of multiple lift rigging are:
Best Practices:
Resources:
OSHA’s Final Rule for Safety Standards for Steel Erection OSHA’s Safety and Health Regulations for Construction Subpart R This Safety Flash was contributed by Bryan McClure, Senior Safety Consultant, Trivent Safety Consulting in cooperation with SEAA’s Safety Committee. It is designed to keep members informed about ongoing safety issues and to provide suggestions for reducing risk. Best practices are gathered from a variety of sources. They may be more or less stringent than individual corporate policies and are not intended to be an official recommendation from SEAA. Always get approval and direction from your company officers on any new practice or procedure as these best practices may not work for all situations. Everyone benefits when a worker avoids injury. Submit your ideas for Safety Flash to admin@seaa.net  June 9, 2021 (Winston-Salem, N.C.) The Steel Erectors Association of America’s 48th Convention and Trade Show, to be held Oct. 12-14, 2021 in Orlando, Fla., features fresh education topics and live demos at its trade show.
Early Bird Registration Discounts for both members and non-members ends August 31, and hotel room block cut off date is September 22. Visit seaa.net/seaa-convention—trade-show to book your booth, register to attend, and reserve your hotel room.
By Bryan McClure We currently live in a world with ever-changing challenges as it relates to fall protection. It used to be as simple as telling workers to “stay tied off 100% of the time.” Or “make sure your anchor point can support your pickup truck (5000 lbs.)!” At the time, it was a victory just to get workers to tie off. But since the early 1990s, there have been great strides in fall protection planning, training and
development. Product innovation has also helped to protect ironworkers from falls in ways we never expected 25 years ago. These innovations have led to a multitude of different products and manufacturers, all with different acceptable uses and component compatibilities. As a result, equipment is often used incorrectly or in the wrong situations. These are three of the most common mistakes I frequently see on steel erection sites. |
RSS Feed
