Fascinating fastener Web site: www.isanta.org 
The International Staple, Nail and Tool Association (ISANTA) recently launched its Web site, www.isanta.org, which carries extensive information on collated nails and staples and the tools which drive them.

Go there for safety standards and information or for building code information. It links to important code Websites, including ICBO, ES, NES as well as other evaluation reports. The site also has information on technical fastener standards and links to fastener associations and organizations.

How to be cool
The State Compensation Insurance Fund of California offers good tips on how to stay cool and healthy while working in hot weather.

Dress right. Wear a hat, appropriate loose-weave cotton clothing and lightweight protective gear. Wear sunscreen and sunglasses to protect against the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Stay hydrated. Drink about two glasses of water before beginning work and drink fluids as work continues to replace fluids lost through sweating. Drink one or two quarts per hour when working in temperatures above 100 F or in hot, extremely humid weather. Avoid alcohol, which can dehydrate the body and increase chances of heat-related illness.

Know the symptoms. If you feel ill, weak or faint, the heat has gotten to you. Watch for the symptoms in fellow workers and get help quickly if these symptoms surface.

Plan ahead. Use weather forecasts to help plan work, doing the most strenuous work in the cooler times of the day.

Steel erection safety guide available
The Association of Union Constructors has developed a new ground-breaking construction training resource that is so thorough that even OSHA uses it as a part of its compliance officer training.

The NEA Contractor Safety Guide to Steel Erection, available through the National Safety Council, was planned, filmed and written by construction steel erection professionals. The guide provides contractors with a blueprint of every stage of steel erection.

Each module includes a video, manual and CD-ROM. The videos portray real jobsites giving viewers the safest, most innovative steel erection techniques. The manuals expand on hazards, safe practices, proper installation techniques, perimeter protection and OSHA standards.

• The CD-ROMs have a PowerPoint presentation for specific on-site training and pre-hazard analysis.

Published in the July/August 2003 issue of Contractor Tools and Supplies magazine.

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