According to OSHA, the construction industry is one of the most accident prone, with most accidents involvingáslipping and falling, especially from heights. One in ten construction workers is injured on the job every year and a 45-year veteran has a one in 200 chance of dying on the job, with 72% of fatal falls happen from a roof or scaffolding.áYet despite these grim statistics, the most commonly-cited OSHA violation isáfall protection. How do you protect workers on a roof? Here are some great tips to put into practice on your crew:

• Start by performing a safety inspection of the site. Take a good look at all possible safety hazards, including hard surfaces on the ground, electrical lines and rotten roof decking.

• Provide fall protection equipment for your people. Safety harnesses can be a great help to prevent injuries from falls. Roofing brackets can also help prevent falls by providing better traction, especially on steeper roofs.á

• Don't work in dangerous conditions. If it's been wet or freezing conditions, you'll should put off work until conditions improve. Dealing with these type of conditions on the level ground is difficult enough without adding a pitch and possibility of a fall from height into the equation. If you're working on a metal roof, make sure to sweep or blow off wood chips or sawdust to help maintain traction and stay on lumber or asphalt-shingled areas to take advantage of better traction. Keep your work area cleaned up and neat, so debris won't cause tripping.

• Move dangerous or hard items around the roof's perimeter. By moving these items away from the area around the roof's edge, there's less chance of someone falling on them, damaging the item and preventing additional injury if a fall does happen. You'll also want to keep tools and roofing materials away from the edges.

• Practice ladder safety on your job sites. Make sure your ladder is set up on a level, hard surface such as a board or concrete paver stone. Use ladder brackets to help prevent your ladder from slipping and falling over. Use an extension ladder that can reach at least three feet past the edge of the roof so you have something to hold onto while moving from the ladder to the roof or vice-versa. When possible, use a fiberglass ladder instead of an aluminum one, especially if you are anywhere near power lines.

• Make sure your people watch for electrical lines. Though this isn't specifically a fall issue in and of itself, it can add to the problem. Receiving a solid electrical shock can knock a person unconscious, causing the person to fall off the roof and receiveáfurther injury in addition to the injuries from the electrical shock.

• Use lifts to encourage safe materials handling. Don't allow your crew to haul roofing materials or tools up to the roof using ladders. Rent or buy a lift to get the materials where they're needed without endangering your crew. If you don't have a lift available, try putting items into a box or bucket that can be hauled up onto the roof using a rope.

• Don't skimp on your footwear. Good traction is vital to maintaining safe conditions on your roofing project. Soft-soled boots or treads designed to provide better traction are your best bet, especially those designed for construction work. Keep the treads cleaned to help allow better traction.

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Sources:

https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html

http://blog.capterra.com/13-shocking-construction-injury-statistics/

http://www.gaf.com/Roofing/Residential/DIY/Learn_Roofing_Safety

You can call it sulphate of lime, or even use the technical term of calcium sulphate dihydroxide.á Either way, you?re talking about gypsum. Gypsum is a mineral compound that's increasingly being used as a component in interior drywall boards, and with very good reason. Interior gypsum panels have a number of ideal uses, and they consistently outscore traditional drywall boards in all of them.

Standard Gypsum Panels

Gypsum panels come in a variety of different types to suit individual needs. Standard panels are typically the least expensive choice, and their features are found in all gypsum panels across the board. Features include:

• Resistance to mold, moisture and mildew
• Resistance to fire and heat
• Durable yet easy to cut without elaborate, heavy-duty tools
• Easy to install and finish
• GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified: Many gypsum panels carry GREENGUARD certification, which means they meet the strict chemical emissions limits required for indoor use. This can contribute to a healthier, safer air quality in the home or business.

Gypsum boards? resistance to moisture makes them particularly well-suited for bathrooms, kitchen sink areas and damp environments. Their ability to resist fire and heat help them serve as a buffer between a room?s interior and the structure?s wooden framework behind the walls. If you're used to working with traditional drywall, you'll find gypsum panels just as easy to cut, install and finish. You'll also be helping to maintain a healthier interior without the risk of the panels emitting high levels of harmful chemicals.

Specialized Gypsum Panels

Sometimes your clients may have specialized needs for specific areas of the home or business, which is where other types of gypsum panels come in. In addition to enjoying all the benefits of the standard panels, specialized panels come with an array of additional features.

Sound Control

Rooms which are either particularly noisy or need to be kept quiet can benefit from gypsum boards designed to control sound. Such boards can reduce the amount of noise that filters in and out of the room.

Residential uses can include bedrooms or nurseries to keep sound out. They also work well in game rooms or family rooms to keep noise from penetrating to other areas of the home. Using a sound control board on specific walls, such as one between a bedroom and the family room?s wall-mounted TV set, is another ideal option. Commercial applications for sound control boards can include yoga and meditation studios, broadcasting and recording studios, classrooms and areas used for band or choir practice.

Resistance to Heavy Abuse and Impact

Two more types of panels include those designed to withstand heavy abuse and others that stand up to high impacts. While the two types are similar, heavy impact boards have an additional layer of durability over panels designed for heavy abuse.

Heavy abuse panels feature a high-density gypsum core encased in abrasion-resistant paper. This gives them to power to stand up to scraping, scuffing, abrasions and slight indentations that may otherwise mar the standard board. Residential uses can include hallways, game rooms or children?s play areas. Commercial uses run the gamut from schools to hospitals, day-care centers to office corridors.

Heavy impact boards are for areas likely to be subjected to impact from hard objects. Even more durable than the high-abuse boards, heavy impact panels are designed to resist impact and penetration through the drywall. The garage is an ideal place for heavy impact boards, especially in areas where tools or gardening implements are stored. They also work well in weight rooms, kickboxing studios or other areas where potential impacts from hard objects may otherwise make a hole in standard drywall.

Outfitting a home or business with several different types of interior gypsum panels can ensure specific needs are met while keeping projects economical. Even the standard gypsum panels give you an edge over traditional drywall, helping to ensure high quality, performance and customer satisfaction rates.

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Sources:

http://www.wisegeek.org/what-is-gypsum.htm

http://nationalgypsum.com/resources/faqs/xp.htm#a3

This Spring, Buy Qualifying GAF Accessories and Get Unlimited Business Building Club Reward Bucks!

BUY GAF ACCESSORIES. GET REWARD BUCKS!

It?s easy. Just purchase qualifying GAF Accessories between April 15, 2015, and June 15, 2015. Redeem your Reward Bucks at GAFBusinessBuildingClub.com.

Go to GAFBusinessBuildingClub.com to view the qualifying accessories and their values in your area. Qualifying accessories and the number of Business Building Club Reward Bucks you can earn may vary by area.á

HOW TO GET YOUR REWARDS QUICKLY:

1. Purchase qualifying GAF accessories between April 15, 2015, and June 15, 2015.á

2. Log on to GAFBusinessBuildingClub.com using your email address and password that you created during registration. NOTE: Registration for the GAF Business Building Club is FREE, and you must be a member to participate in this promotion.á

3. Complete claim form and submit invoice(s) online.á

4. Redeem your Reward Bucks upon validation of claim by following instructions provided in the GAF Business Building Club Rewards Center. Allow up to 4?6 weeks from the time claim is received for validation. Allow 8?10 weeks from the time Reward Bucks are redeemed for shipment of merchandise.

OR, IF SUBMITTING BY POSTAL MAIL:

1. Log on to GAFBusinessBuildingClub.com. NOTE: Registration for the GAF Business Building Club is FREE, and you must be a member to participate in this promotion.

2. Download and fill out the claim form completely.

3. Include it and your invoice(s) in an envelope and send to: Corporate Rewards, Greeley Square Station, 4 East 27th Street, PO Box 20306, New York, NY 10001-9998. NOTE: Be sure to make copies of your invoice(s) and your claim form for your files.

4. Redeem your Reward Bucks upon validation of claim by following instructions provided in the GAF Business Building Club Rewards Center. Allow 8?10 weeks from the time claim is received for validation. Allow 8?10 weeks from the time Reward Bucks are redeemed for shipment of merchandise.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Whether submitting online or by mail, submissions must be received by July 15, 2015, and invoices must be dated between April 15 and June 15, 2015.

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Hilti

Hilti is well known for its high quality. It manufactures both direct fasteners as well as anchor fasteners, but tends to be more multi-purpose or general that some fastener brands. If you need extreme data and documentation, Hilti supplies some of the best in the business, with over 600 pages of information on their fasteners alone.

ITW

When it comes to fastening sheathing, foam board, roofing or hanging items on drywall, ITW provides an excellent assortment of plastic-based fasteners to prevent wind shear damage to large, thin, lightweight materials. Much like Star Sales, they don't provide a lot of technical information, but if you need these types of fasteners to get the job done, you probably already know a great deal about them and how they're used.

Scorpion

Scorpion is another company that provides fasteners for a few specific needs, specifically drywall, decking and acoustical products. With a range of products developed over the past 40 years, they offer an exceptional selection of fasteners for virtually any fastening task within the industries they serve. They feature an assortment of Phillips, square and star drive heads, which can make them much easier to drive without stripping.

Ramset

When you need to get a job done quickly, Ramset provides exceptional options with its powder and gas tool options. Recent additions to their line include insulation, concrete and hollow block fasteners, while their other fasteners include angle clips, ceiling clips, collated fasteners and their line of single shot fasteners to help keep the job siteámoving along efficiently. The powder-actuated fasteners work well for high-strength material when you need to drive a great number of fasteners in a day.

Star Sales

With over 85 years in the industry, Star Sales provides a great selection of general construction fasteners at a good price point. They don't provide the kind of information Hilti does, but does a good job of generally meeting construction needs with good quality fasteners for decking, drywall and wood, as well as producing fasteners that meet the requirements of other specialty manufacturers or tool companies, such as DeWalt and Ramset.

Grabber

Framing, sheathing, drywall and acoustical fasteners are the specialties that Grabber has built its name around. They've also spent a great deal of time developing fasteners to deal with specific problems in each of those industries, including their Scavanger drywall screw that spreads out the fastener's pressure further to prevent paper burrs, Vector point screws for faster fastening of metal framing, their Lox Drive system that prevents stripping and similar developments.

GEMCO

Gemco is another specialty fastening company, providing insulation fastening products that are designed specifically for that purpose. They provide a wide range of options for different types of foam board, blanket or batt insulation and fastening surfaces. From washer head nails and adhesives to weld pins and washers for sheet foam and lacing anchors and quilting pins for fiberglass and other soft blanket or batt insulation, Gemco has a product to meet virtually any need.

As you can see, there is actually a significant difference between these brands and how the fasteners will perform on the job. If you need more information about a particular brand of fasteners, please download our fasteners product guide below.

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Whether you dream in color or walk to the beat of a different drummer, you want your business to reflect that. Beyond the average, ho-hum designs that everyone uses, you want an exterior that goes above and beyond to make a stylized, vivid impression on áyour customers, clients, vendors and visitors. These beautiful designs will blow your mind and provide you with some amazing inspiration on what you'd like to do with your own commercial building.

1. The Wavescape Pavilion

The Wave Pavilion was designed for the Yeosu Expo to reflect the city's close ties with water. The large expanse of glass on the water side reflects the waves onto the glass, making it appear to always be in motion. The skin translates the ocean's motion into the appearance of a rippling facade that soothes the mind and calms the spirit.

á

2. The Energy Cube Structure

Don't let the flashy exterior of The Energy Cube Structure in Konstanz, Germany fool you - it's actually a net energy producer. The four-story structure incorporates numerous solar panels and a variety of energy-saving features that weren't even thought feasible five years ago, which is appropriate since it's the municipalityáutility's customer call center.

3. The UNStudio Gallery Cheonan

The UNStudio Gallery Cheonan may be an average if beautiful monotoneábuilding facade by day, but at night, it comes out to play with a wide range of colors, images and themes. This beautiful Korean work of art serves as a multi-level funhouse with a central stairwell designed around a propeller to facilitate easy access and traffic to the different floors.á

4. The KNN Media Center

The KNN Media Center may look like something out of "Back to the Future," but it was actually designed to represent the change from traditional broadcast to streaming media as our world becomes more and more connected. Located in Busan, South Korea, it holds a variety of broadcast studios, retail stores and a museum ofáteddy bears. The soft-surface base geometry blends the interior and exterior spaces at the building's base.

5. Anisotropica Busan Opera House

Sydney's got nothing on theáAnisotropica BusanáOpera House, the second beautiful structure from this lovely South Korean city. With a whimsical approach based around fluid music themes and piano parts, the building features a filigree exterior based on a piano piece that reflects the piece's repetitive musical elements in the elements of the structure.

6. Liege-Guillemins Station

In an attempt to allow for maximum permeability, the Liege-Guillemins Station in Liege, Belgium has no facade. Servingáthe country's high-speed railway, it features a steel and glass vaulted canopy covering five train platforms and reaching a height of 145 meters - no small feat for a vaulted ceiling.

7. The Perfomance Center Alexanderhoehe

The Performance Center Alexanderhoeheálooks like a something dreamed up by a science fiction writer, but it's actually built to create a single access point for visitors between the performance center and the town's Parktheater in Iserlohn, Germany. It combines the lobby for both structure while adding beautiful, modern space to the facilities.

8. The Kansas City Library

The Kansas City Library knows how to get the point across in terms of advertising what you'll find inside. The larger than life facade provides a nine foot by 25 foot cover for the parking spaces behind it, creating a much more interesting visual appearance than the usual assortment of sedans, SUVs and crossovers.áá

9. The Barcelona H20áBuilding

The Barcelona H20 Building was built to house the bottled water brand H2O, but goes well above and beyond your average office space. The six-story facade is constructed from a polymer composite that is suspended on steel trusses that are attached to the existing building.á

10. Hanoi Museum

Frank Lloyd Wright's influence in cantilevered structures and water featuresáis very apparent in the design of theáHanoi Museum. The upside-down pyramid reflects a right-side-up pyramid in the beautiful reflecting pool.

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Sources:áhttp://www.trendhunter.com/slideshow/architecture-exteriors