Environmental Health and Safety

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No matter what hustle culture might try to teach us, people are not machines. They get tired when overworked, and fatigue can create a safety hazard. This is especially true in industrial settings, where the presence of heavy machinery and other potential workplace hazards make alertness more critical for employees.

Shortages, supply chain disruptions and rising demand have made it much harder to procure PPE. Experts believe market conditions aren’t likely to return to normal any time soon.

We are often asked about what advice we would have for other women in manufacturing. At first, it was a difficult question for us to answer because we did not particularly focus on being women – we just were people working hard at doing the jobs we were engaged in. 

Today, there are approximately 1.2 million women employed in the US construction industry, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Women still account for only 11 percent of the construction industry overall, however.

In celebration of Women in Construction Week, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and Safe Site Check In announced the results of the “Digital Technology in Construction: 2022” survey. Participants included 600 women throughout the United States working in the construction industry at companies with revenues between $500,000 to over $1B annually.

Owners and operators of refineries, chemical plants and manufacturing facilities must change the way employees work as quickly as possible, and it is clear yesterday’s traditional operating model of onsite availability has evolved – not just due to current circumstances, but because of “The Great Resignation,” retirement of experienced plant workers is creating a shortfall of key skills.

Over the last two years, we have all sought ways to protect ourselves and those around us from harmful bacteria and viruses, and these efforts will likely continue well into the future. These additional precautions, which have become an integral part of daily routines, will translate into professional environments as employees begin to return to their workspaces in the new year.