From the Editor
Feng Shui on the Jobsite
Remember that neighbor you had as a kid with the messy house? Our mothers would compare our messy rooms to those messy neighbors’ homes, since that messy family had set the bar for clutter and disarray. My fianc??’s messy neighbors were “The Hammers.” His late mother used to describe anything messy as being “as bad as The Hammers’ house.”
Today in our family, The Hammers’ house is a metaphor for anything messy, chaotic or all-around destroyed. Sometimes I compare my daughter’s playroom to The Hammers’ house, even though I never actually saw The Hammers’ house when it was in its prime state of messiness – the 1970s. If a bad storm comes through, it leaves destruction “as bad as The Hammers’ house.” Even a crazy event or situation can be “Hammers-like.”
This brings me to the differences between an orderly and organized jobsite – one where mason contractors and their employees follow all the rules and regulations they’re supposed to and where all of the PPE they should – and just the opposite: The Hammers’ jobsite. Improper scaffold setup, a missing hardhat here, materials scattered there – all of these violations are just awaiting that shiny, new fine from OSHA.
This issue of Masonry addresses many aspects of the jobsite. In “Staying Safe on the Jobsite,” (click here), we examine the most common jobsite safety hazards and even consult directly with an OSHA representative as to what he looks for during his (sometimes surprise) visits to your site.
We take a look at new products on the market that are designed to help your jobsite become more efficient in “Easy Ways to Make Your Jobsite a Great Place to Be,” (click here), and an expert weighs in on choosing the perfect mixer for your given project and jobsite “The Right Mixer for the Job,” (click here).
I think there’s a feng shui element to having a clean and uncluttered work environment. And, while a jobsite certainly can’t be compared to a desk, chair and computer in a typical office, it still can be organized, with contractors and employees playing by the rules. After all, you don’t want a jobsite that could ever be compared to The Hammers’ house.