LEED Credit: Outdoor Air Delivery Monitoring Identified Risk: Time spent at heights to wire and mount the permanent monitoring system increases risk of falls. Suggested Mitigation: This risk may be eliminated by incorporating the monitoring equipment into the prefabrication process. LEED Credit: Construction IAQ Management Plan Identified Risk: A higher risk of falls and overexertion occurs from increased ladder time maintaining ductwork. Suggested Mitigation: Using different materials for the prefabricated “caps” on the ends of the duct, such as a universal magnetic cap, may make installation less awkward and therefore quicker and easier. Also suggested was the off-site fabrication of
LEED Credit: Stormwater Quality Control Identified Risk: Workers have an increased risk of falling from increased excavation and trenching. Suggested Mitigation: Designing detention ponds with gradual slopes to avoid steep embankments may help reduce risk of falling. Contractors could plan concurrent tasks away from the excavation. LEED Credit: Heat Island Effect—Roof Identified Risk: White roofing options can be heavier and slipperier than traditional black roofing material, which increases the risk for overexertion and falls. The bright material can interrupt line of sight and increase the risk of slips and falls during installation. Suggested Mitigation: Tan or light gray membranes could
During the past several years, the green building trend has soared, with an increase in government incentives and availability of affordable supplies driving a huge growth of U.S. Green Building Council LEED-certified buildings. With the LEED program ambitiously hoping to certify one million commercial buildings by 2020, it’s no surprise that this trend has come under some scrutiny. And while most great rewards often have a price, in this case it could be at the expense of the safety of construction workers on the job. When Matthew Hallowell, assistant professor in the Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering Department at the