Construction Equipment Owner

This morning’s New York Times ran an interesting article on the rise of amateur map makers. The story has links to some interesting maps, such as the Top 10 Oregon Vineyards and Biodiesel Stations in New England. This article got me thinking about how a concrete contractor could take advantage of these online mapping tools. If you’re a techy contractor, you could map out finished projects you’ve worked on in your community, adding photographs and descriptions of the job to each site. With the map posted on your website, potential clients could see images of your work and have the option of driving to the site to see the work up close.

I recently heard about a tent camper who died of carbon monoxide fumes emitted by a nearby generator and it got me thinking about how careful construction workers need to be when working with gasoline-powered construction tools indoors or in enclosed spaces. It’s important to make sure you’re working in a properly ventilated workspace when using gas-powered saws, power trowles, generators and so on. Headaches, drowsiness and nausea are some of the early signs of carbon monoxide poisoning. Remind your employees and co-workers of the dangers of carbon monoxide on the work site. OSHA offers tips on how to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning in English and Spanish.