LATICRETE, a leading manufacturer of globally proven construction solutions for the building industry, has launched the ProjectSafety campaign, a company-wide initiative that provides superior access to safety education and alternative installation techniques to help lower the staggering injury and ailment statistics associated within the construction industry. This workforce handles tasks that range from carrying heavy loads to performing repetitive tasks to safely navigating often chaotic job sites, manufacturing facilities, warehouses and laboratories placing workers at risk of serious injury. In phase one, ProjectSafety is a focused effort toward educating construction workers in all trades, at all levels of projects and general contractors about the risks associated with respirable crystalline silica and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as well as best practices for back, knee, hand and eye safety in the workplace. Phases two and three will expand with added content to Laticrete University covering health and safety best practices training and education about products that are safer to handle and install.

“While construction is a vital part of the nation’s economy, it poses a physically demanding toll on its workforce that can often result in injuries and time away from work. Now, like never before, we are doubling down on our focus on helping create safer work environments for all in our industry and drive a positive change,” said Spencer Maheu, LATICRETE Director, Product Management. “Working through pain should not be an accepted consequence of a career in the construction industry. ProjectSafety offers a deeper solution for construction workers’ long term health and safety and furthers our commitment to providing innovative, safe products and tools to assure a better quality of life for future generations.”

The ProjectSafety mission is to raise awareness about the risks of construction installations and help educate the industry on ways to help mitigate the risks. In 2019 alone, the Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated that 80,000 lost work time incidents that ranged from weeks to months were due to eye, musculoskeletal and respiratory injuries. In ProjectSafety phase two later this year LATICRETE will help increase awareness and provide education about potential issues that can affect construction professionals including access to webinars, data sheets and product information through the ProjectSafety page on the LATICRETE website.

The goal of the campaign is for companies to adopt accountability measures to effectively execute safer installation methods, countermeasures and actions to lessen the risks and impact on the installer and their business for an improved work environment. These measures include specific practices such as proper bending and lifting techniques, knowledge of what products should be used or avoided on the jobsite, types of tools and PPE equipment that should be worn and when, education on a variety of certification systems and what they mean in regards to safety protocols, how various lightweight and rapid curing product solutions can be implemented, how to limit exposure to harmful chemicals such as respirable crystalline silica and VOCs.

For more information, visit laticrete.com/projectsafety.