May is Building Safety Month, and at Superior Aluminum we take safety very seriously. Safe, code-compliant designs and a workforce that keeps safety front of mind are integral parts of the Superior Way.
May is Building Safety Month sponsored by the International Code Council (ICC). The ICC develops and maintains building codes used in all phases of the construction projects. These are the baselines for safe, legal structures. We have discussed this organization in the past, namely the time we talked about building codes, and another time we talked about them (or possibly that third time).
The deeper focus of building safety month is on ensuring that the places we live, work, and play are built in a safe and reliable manner. By focusing on safe building practices, we can ensure a safer environment with the structures we build.
BUILDING SAFETY AT SUPERIOR
First and foremost, each and every piece of pre-assembled aluminum railing that leaves the Superior Aluminum facility is code-compliant based upon the safety standard implemented by the ICC. Sometimes, additional work will even be done to ensure the shipment meets special local codes within the region.
If necessary and with some additional cost, Superior Aluminum can have your project stamped and signed by a professional engineer to ensure peak safety conditions for the exact application in the exact location are met.
Building Safety is embraced as much inside our facility as it is outside. 2018 marked Superior’s fifth straight year as a 100% accident-free workplace, thanks to the team’s dedication to safety. We firmly believe that a mindset which embraces safety internally leads to products that embrace safety out in the world!
BUILDING SAFETY IN THE FIELD
While the ICC’s Building Safety Month initiative focuses more on the complete project meeting code and safety requirements, at Superior the focus goes further. We are determined to ensure anyone installing Superior Railing is adequately protected. The Superior belief is that building safety is a responsibility from production to installation to actual product usage.
Our recommendation is that any installer always wear proper basic safety equipment along with extra protection if needed. Typical equipment would include: safety glasses, steel toed shoes, protective gloves, ear protection if performing heavy drilling and a hard hat (especially if the installation site is an active construction site). Depending upon the location of the installation and the tolerance of the individual, a dust mask and long sleeves may also be beneficial. Fall protection equipment is required when installing projects on balconies or other high areas such as water treatment tanks.
THE AFTERMATH
While it is almost never the most exciting subject, and can oftentimes be frustrating to maintain, building safety is critical to maintaining our lifestyles. Taking the extra time required to ensure that our aluminum railing meets ICC guidelines is an essential step in the railing process, and guarantees that every order truly is “Superior.”
Looking for a way to add a code-compliant aluminum railing solution to your project? Building safe railing solutions is our business, so go ahead and contact us or check out our railing quote tool to kick off your project!
