Health and Safety

• Lowering hot surface temperatures
• Preventing accidental burns

Thermal insulation is one of the most effective means of protecting workers from burns resulting from contact with hot or extremely cold piping and equipment. For hot surfaces, especially, insulation reduces the surface temperature of piping or equipment to a safer level, resulting in increased worker safety and the avoidance of worker downtime due to injury. With today's specification tools it's very easy to calculate the insulation thickness needed to bring the surface temperature of your piping and equipment to safe levels.

In addition to the safety benefits of insulation, NIA member companies take job site safety very seriously and strive to meet the highest standards to protect their own personnel.

The Theodore H. Brodie Distinguished Safety Award

NIA promotes and recognizes safety in the workplace with this important annual award.

• For more information and to download the 2011 application
• Learn about the 2010 Safety Award Winners

Health and Safety Committee

The NIA is committed to the health, safety and welfare of its members, customers, and the insulation industry. Through professional safety leadership, the Committee will actively promote the highest standards of safety and health excellence, to ensure a safe working environment.

If you are an NIA member and would like more information about joining this committee, please contact the membership department. You may also log in to the Members Only to download committee minutes.

Articles

• Apply for the 2011 Theodore H. Brodie Distinguished Safety Award
  Date: October 2011

  The application deadline has been extended to February 10, 2012. Don't miss your chance to participate in this prestigious award!

  Safety is a vital part of our industry, and NIA encourages all members to have an effective safety program in place. For the ninth year, NIA is excited to recognize those companies that demonstrate excellence in safety with the Theodore H. Brodie Distinguished Safety Award. This award was named after Theodore H. Brodie in recognition of his devotion to safety and his untiring efforts to put safety in the forefront of the in...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Liability Issues for Subcontractors
  Date: October 2011
  Author: Gary Auman

  In today's business world, being a contractor or subcontractor is fraught with legal issues. Every time you sign a contract as either the principal or a subcontractor, you are exposing yourself to significant risk.

  Of course, the major risk is probably whether you will get paid. But you also have to be concerned about whether any of the other parties involved in the project will be filing a lien against the principal or against you claiming unpaid charges. And as an employer, you always have the concern of potential employment law claims against you by your employees or those of an...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Ohio Supreme Court Broadens Rights of Injured Workers
  Date: October 2011
  Author: Bob Dunlevey

  In the recent Ohio Supreme Court decision of Sutton v. Tomco Machining, Inc., the Court ruled that an employer's termination of an employee shortly after a work-related injury but before he filed a workers' compensation claim can be retaliation in violation of public policy. The effect of the decision is to cloak Ohio's at-will employees with an additional cause of action against employers for "workers' comp retaliation," even before the employee has expressed an intent to file a claim or has actually done so. Prior to this decision, Ohio law merely prohibited an employer from retali...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Mold and Insulation in Hot and Humid Climates
  Date: July 2011
  Author: Gordon H. Hart P.E.

  Mold in buildings isn't a new problem. However, it seems that we increasingly hear about it—sometimes even on the news. Why should we care?

  There are several reasons. Mold is not only unsightly; it can deteriorate the building materials on which it grows. It also poses a health threat to people in the occupied space. Some types of mold are worse than others from a health point of view, but all mold in buildings is highly undesirable and, left to fester, often results in costly lawsuits.

  Mold growth can show up on many different types of building materials, including m...READ FULL ARTICLE
  
  

• Preventing and Treating Mold
  Date: July 2011
  Author: Bill Begal

  It is much easier to prevent mold than treat it. As part of a preventive maintenance program, interior and exterior insulated areas should be inspected quarterly or, at a minimum, semi-annually.

  • Use a digital camera to document areas and compare to prior conditions.
  • Fix small problems. Ignoring a problem usually means it will resurface later—typically bigger.
  • Get up on a ladder for hard-to-reach areas.
  • If possible, use a thermal camera to see where heat or cold is leaking from pipes. This is a good indicator of a potential problem. (A local re...READ FULL ARTICLE
    
    
  • Health Care Reform: Past, Present, and Future
    Date: June 2011
    Author: Jim Sampson

    March 23, 2011, was the 1-year anniversary of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, better known as health care reform. Despite having lived with this monumental legislation for more than a year, there still seem to be more questions than answers. This article addresses some of those questions.

    How We Got Here

    To begin to understand health care reform, one must first understand the "why." Our country has struggled with this issue for a very long time. In 1912, President Theodore Roosevelt was the first to campaign on a platform that promised national health insur...READ FULL ARTICLE
    
    

  • OSHA Changes Are Coming—Or Here
    Date: June 2011
    Author: Gary Auman

    Keeping up with changes in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations is critical for all construction firms, including those in the mechanical insulation industry. Changes in the OSHA Field Operations Manual that Dr. David Michaels, OSHA Administrator, announced in spring 2010 affect all employers. Pending legislation may also affect the construction industry. Following are some of the most critical issues.

    Increased Penalties

    Changes to the OSHA penalty structure were made with the goal of increasing the average penalty for citations. These changes ...READ FULL ARTICLE
    
    

  • Safety Is Smart Business
    Date: June 2011
    Author: Gary Auman

    The National Insulation Association (NIA) emphasizes the need to provide a safe workplace to its members, affiliates, and employers in any industry related to mechanical insulation. NIA's Board of Directors and its Health and Safety Committee have not only instituted a safety award recognition program, but also hold two Safety Roundtables each year to provide members and guests an opportunity to discuss best practices in safety and to learn about new and proposed laws and regulations that affect all employers.

    The most recent Safety Roundtable was held at NIA's Annual Convention in...READ FULL ARTICLE
    
    

  • NIA Announces 2010 Theodore H. Brodie Distinguished Safety Award Winners
    Date: March 2011

    The National Insulation Association (NIA) announced the 2010 Theodore H. Brodie Distinguished Safety Award winners at NIA's 56th Annual Convention in Tucson, Arizona, on March 24, 2011. The safety award is the NIA's top industry honor for outstanding safety performance.

    • Specialty Products & Insulation, East Petersburg, Pennsylvania—First Place, Distributor/Fabricator, Large Company Category
    • Pacor, Inc., Cinnaminson, New Jersey—First Place, Distributor/Fabricator, Medium Company Category
    • Performance Contracting, Inc., Lenexa, Kansas<...READ FULL ARTICLE
      
      
    
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