Monthly Archives: September 2016

  • September 30, 2016
  • -
home maintenance tips for this fall, assured builders winnipeg

10 Home Maintenance Tips For This Fall

Category : blog

1. Inspect your roof

When fall’s rains (and winter’s snows) arrive, few things make the season more miserable than a leaky roof. Experts recommend doing a visual inspection of your roof, either from the ground with binoculars or heading up there with a ladder. Look for bent, cracked or missing shingles and replace them.  If there are a lot of those, and you know your roof is old, consider having it replaced. It may be costly, but so is water damage from leaks. While you’re up there, DIY Network recommends paying special attention to areas around skylights, chimneys or vents.

2. Check your roof gutters

When the leaves are done falling, you’ll save a lot of hassle by pulling out the ladder again and clearing out your roof gutters. Clogged or clear, the water from fall and early winter rains won’t stop coming. Clearing the gutters allows rainwater to drain properly through your downspouts, rather than spilling over the sides and potentially getting into your home’s foundation. For a less-gunky job, wait for dryer weather to clear out the dried leaves. And speaking of downspouts, check them for leaks, and make sure they direct water away from the foundation, not to mention pathways and driveways.

3. Put your barbecue to bed

At some point, you’ll have to accept that the season for grilling is over. Take the cool down as a reminder to clean the barbecue’s grills and burners, as well as disconnect the tank and store it somewhere safe. Don’t forget to guard against moisture by either covering your barbecue up or putting it out of the elements.

4. Clear your yard

You won’t be getting much use out of your backyard, so fall is a good time to remove things that won’t do well when the snows come. Move or cover backyard furniture that you know won’t react well to the cold and snow. Your lawnmower doesn’t like those conditions either, so move all outdoor tools inside.

5. Disconnect your outdoor hose

While your home’s warmth may insulate water in pipes from the cold rigors of Canada’s winter, outside faucets have no such protection. Turn water off to outdoor faucets, and disconnect and store your garden hose as well. Make sure to run the tap after to drain as much of the water out before the cold sets in.

6. Inspect your home’s exterior for cracks

Fall is the best time to do this, not just because of fall rains and winter snows, but with an eye to the spring melt as well.  Walk around and have a look for cracks or gaps. Take a good look at doors, windows, and entry points of wires or cables. Sealing these off will save you headaches later. Don’t delay too long in doing so, as caulking is best done before it gets too cold.

7. Get ready to turn up the heat

You’ve prepped the outside of your home against the rigors of the cold, now it’s time to focus on keeping the interior toasty. Change out the air filter on your furnace (and stock up on spares), and call in an inspector to give the system a once-over, as well as check for signs of carbon monoxide buildup. Next, check all your heating ducts and vents for dust build-up, and peek inside to see if anything fell into them over the past season. Every bit of extra clearance helps.

8. Guard against drafts

Having a warm home isn’t much of a boon if you’re losing heat through poor insulation. Check your window and door seals for drafts when the weather gets cool enough. Seal any cracks with caulk or weather stripping.

9. Check your humidifier

Winter air is dry, and that has its own effects on your home’s infrastructure. If your home is equipped with a humidifier, it’ll need annual maintenance as well. Clean out the filter, or replace it if it’s too encrusted. Give the equipment as a whole a good cleaning also.

10. Give a thought to home safety

While you’re giving your home its seasonal overhaul, take the time to make sure it’s safe for its inhabitants. Check your smoke detectors to see if they are in working order (you should have one on each floor), and check your fire extinguisher. If you need to replace it, now’s a good time to do so. Winter blackouts are a fact of life in Canada, so if you own an emergency generator, test it out (but be sure not to do so in an enclosed area, as fume build up can be hazardous or deadly).

 

 

 

 

Source: The Weather Network Website

  • September 29, 2016
  • -
Assured builders winnipeg work place safety

Good Health At Work – MP3 Podcast

Category : blog

  • September 2, 2016
  • -
work safety assured builders winnipeg

WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH

Category : blog

WORKPLACE SAFETY AND HEALTH

EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY

The Workplace Safety and Health Act supports every worker’s right to a safe and healthy workplace. It assigns responsibility to each person in the workplace for creating and maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, to the extent that they have the authority and ability to do so. Everyone has a personal and shared responsibility to work together co-operatively to prevent workplace injuries and illness.

General Duties under the Act

Employers:

Because they have the greatest degree of authority and control over the operations of the workplace, employers have the greatest degree of responsibility for workplace safety and health.
Employers’ legal safety and health responsibilities include:
♦Taking necessary precautions to ensure the safety, health and welfare of workers;
♦Providing and maintaining a safe workplace, equipment, tools and systems;
♦Ensuring all workers and supervisors are aware of hazards in the workplace as well as the precautions necessary for their protection;
♦Providing workers with competent supervision;
♦Providing the necessary training to protect workers’ safety and health before they begin a new job;
♦Taking necessary precautions to ensure that other persons are not exposed to safety or health risks due to the activities of the workplace;
♦Consulting and cooperating with the workplace safety and health committee or representative;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters.

Supervisors have the responsibility and authority to oversee a group of workers within a workplace.

The legal safety and health duties of supervisors’ include:
♦Taking necessary precautions to protect the safety and health of workers under their supervision;
♦Ensuring that workers comply with safety and health procedures and use safety equipment, clothing, and devices;
♦Advising workers of safety and health hazards in the work area;
♦Cooperating with the workplace safety and health committee or representative;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters. Workers are responsible for their own actions or inaction.

Workers’ legal safety and health responsibilities include:

♦Taking reasonable care to protect themselves and others who may be affected by their actions or omissions;
♦Proper use of safety equipment, clothing, and devices;
♦Cooperating with the workplace safety and health committee or representative;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters.

Contractors are described under the Act as persons who hire an employer or self-employed person on contract and direct their activities.

Contractors’ legal safety and health duties include:
♦Taking necessary precautions to ensure that activities and hazards within their control do not create a safety and health risk;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters.
Prime Contractors are required on construction projects where more than one employer or self-employed person are involved.
The legal safety and health responsibilities of prime contractors include:
♦ Coordinating, organizing and overseeing the work on the project to ensure the safety and health of workers and others who may be affected by activities on the project (this includes coordinating the safety and health programs of employers working on the project);
♦Setting up an effective system to ensure everyone working on the project fulfills their legal safety and health responsibilities;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters. Self-Employed Persons are responsible for their own actions or inaction. Their legal safety and health duties include:
♦Taking necessary precautions to ensure that their activities do not create a safety and health risk to themselves or others who may be affected by their activities;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters.

Owners of buildings or land used as a workplace have legal safety and health responsibilities which include:

♦Taking necessary precautions to ensure that property under their control does not create a risk to safety and health;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters.

Suppliers’ legal safety and health duties include:

♦Taking necessary precautions to ensure that tools, equipment and other materials supplied to a workplace are safe when used according to instructions provided;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters. Workplace Safety & Health Committees and Representatives play an important role by providing input and advice to employers on safety and health matters, however they are not responsible for managing safety and health in the workplace.
♦Employers are required to establish a safety and health committee in workplaces with 20 or more workers;
♦In workplaces with 10 to 19 workers (or on a construction project), employers are required to designate a worker as the safety and health representative;
♦Prime contractors are required to establish a project safety and health committee on construction projects expected to last more than 90 days where 20 or more workers are expected to work. The legal responsibilities of committees and representatives include:
♦Making safety and health recommendations to the employer;
♦Dealing with safety and health concerns of workers;
♦Participating in developing and promoting of safety and health precautions, as well as safety and health education and training programs;
♦Conducting regular workplace inspections;
♦Participating in safety and health investigations;
♦Cooperating with other people on workplace safety and health matters.
For specific requirements, please refer to the Workplace Safety and Health Act (W210).
Source: http://safemanitoba.com/