Page 4 - Feb_2020_SRG_33pg

In This Issue
DEPARTMENTS: Industry Spotlight
Fox Marble, by Peter Marcucci ............................................................................................................................................... Begins on 1 Africa and the Great Zimbabwe, by Sharon Koehler ................................................................................................... Begins on 8 Indiana Limestone Versus Concrete Smackdown, by Steven Schrenk ................................................................. Begins on 28 Natural Stone: Mother Nature‘s Original Green Building Material, by Megy Karydes .................................. Begins on 30
Training, Health and Education Sponsored by Braxton-Bragg
Signs You May Need a New Hard Hat ........................................................................................................................ Begins on 4 How Setting Materials Bond and Why Resin-Backed Tiles Fail, by Frederick M. Hueston ............................................. 5 Time... Is Money, by Ed Hill .............................................................................................................................................................. 6 Got Data? by Karin Kirk ................................................................................................................................................ Begins on 14
Industry Topics, Tips and Regulars
NSI Scholarship Recipients Recognized at TISE ......................................................................................................................... 7 The Stone Detective, by Frederick M. Hueston ....................................................................................................................... 10 It’s Hard to Focus on the Subject, by Sam Venable ................................................................................................................... 13 Restoration and Maintenance Corner, by Bob Murrell ........................................................................................ Begins on 24 Braxton-Bragg Announces Release of 2020 Product Catalog .............................................................................................. 26
Stone and Tile Industry News
Diamut Presetter Makes Debut at TISE 2020 ................................................................................................................................... 7 Intermac Impress with Master One and More at TISE StonExpo ..................................................................... Begins on 10 Natural Stone Institute Completes 25th Home with Gary Sinise Foundation ................................................................ 20 NTCA Sponsors CEFGA CareerExpo ...................................................................................................................... Begins on 20 ISFA Announces Partnership with Architectural Woodwork Institute (AWI) to Codify Solid Surface
Fabrication Standards ..................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Classifieds and Marketplace ........................................................................................................................ 26, 27
SLIPPERY ROCK GAZETTE® The Beacon of the Stone Industry
Visit our online edition www.slipperyrockgazette.net to place a classified ad and to view current and back issues.
Contributors & Staff
Rick Stimac ....................................................................................................................... Publisher Larry M. Hood .......................................................................................Editor and Design Director G. William Brown................................................................................................. Graphic Designer Ed Hill ......................................................................................................... Synchronous Solutions Frederick M. Hueston ............................................................................ Stone Forensics Consultant Megy Karydes ................................................................................................. usenaturalstone.com Karin Kirk .................................................................................................... Natural Stone Institute Sharon Koehler .............................................................................................. Artistic Stone Design Rufus B. Leakin ......................................................................................... Guru of Urban Folklore Peter J. Marcucci................................................................................................ Special Contributor Bob Murrell ................................................................................................. Restoration Consultant Steven Schrenk ............................................................................................................ Polycor Blog Sam Venable .................................................................................................... Department of Irony
Read our online edition at www.slipperyrockgazette.net . Use the Classifieds / department tabs to place a classified ad, and the article links to view the current issue. Send address updates to b.burgess@braxtonbragg.com, and comments c/o publisher@slipperyrockgazette.net. Subscription requests, a classified ad submission form, and archived back issues and articles, are available online at www.slipperyrockgazette.net .
Signs You May Need a New Hard Hat
We’ve trained ourselves to look at the label’s expiration date on medicines, milk, bread, and other perishable foods. But we also know that some of these dated consumables can still go bad before their time if not handled properly.
For example, that glass of cold milk can sour quickly if left in the hot sun.
Did you know hard hats have an “expiration date,” too?
And just like food items, their useful life can be shortened if not cared for properly.
Your First Line of Defense Against Falling
or Flying Objects
Hard hats — a vital part of your PPE (personal protective equip- ment) gear — provide protection for the most important part of your body: the brain. In any industry where a potentially damaging im- pact to the head is possible, hard hats must be used.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires hard hats be used in these occupations ... it’s the law.
According to 29 CFR 1910.135(1) for general industry: The employer shall ensure that each affected employee wears a protective helmet when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects.
29 CFR 1910.135(2) reads: The employer shall ensure that a pro- tective helmet designed to reduce electrical shock hazard is worn by each such affected employee when near exposed electrical conduc- tors which could contact the head.
For the construction industry —and that covers countertops as well– 29 CFR 1926.100 applies. It reads: Employees working in areas where there is a possible danger of head injury from im- pact, or from falling or flying ob- jects, or from electrical shock and burns, shall be protected by pro- tective helmets.
While OSHA doesn’t regulate how hard hats are designed and constructed, it does require their use. The construction, testing, and certification are deferred to Standards ANSI Z89.1-2014 in the United States, and CSA Z94.1- 2015 in Canada.
Both categorize and develop testing requirements for hard hats by Type (impact hazard) and Class (electrical hazard).
Simply put, Type I hard hats are tested for top impact only, while Type II must pass testing for both top and lateral impact. As for elec- trical hazard resistance:
• Class G must withstand 2,200 volts
• Class E must withstand 20,000 volts, and
• Class C hard hats are not tested for electrical insulation.
Make sure the hard hat you
choose to wear is rated for the task at hand.
Does a Hard Hat Have an Expiration Date?
Technically speaking, the an- swer is no. After all, we’re not talking about foods, medicines, or even that delicious glass of milk.
That said, most manufacturers have recommendations on helmet and suspension lifespans. MSA hard hat shells should be used no longer than 5 years, while suspen- sions should be replaced after 12 months. Both are the maximum time frame for replacement, cal- culated from date of first use.
The date of manufacture is stamped or molded onto the hard hat shell, usually on the underside of the brim. Similarly, the sus- pension will be marked with the month and year of manufacture, along with the headband size. Remember the recommended re- placement date is from the day of first use. Markers or labels can be used to identify the date the hard hat was first placed in service. This helps avoid replacing a sound hard hat too soon.
Please turn to page 5
Training & Education
“Life would be infinitely happier if we could only be born at the age of eighty and gradually approach eighteen.”
— MarkTwain
4|February 2020 Slippery rock Gazette