OSHA Web site features new job site safety, health information
The OSHA Web site now features information to help safety managers and others prove the value
of safety and health to management, Ohsonline.com reported. If employers invest in workplace safety
and health, they can expect less fatalities, injuries and illnesses, OSHA stated. This means saving
money in areas, such as lower workers’ compensation costs and medication expenses, avoiding
penalties from OSHA, and lower costs when training replacement employees and conducting
accident investigations. Employers often discover after improving workplace safety and health,
their organization’s productivity and financial performance improves. To access the Safety and
Health Topics Page, go to http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/products/topics/businesscase/index.html. 

Buildings constructed stronger after Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks

FacilitiesNet reported that post Sept. 11, 2001, tall building designers are creating stronger
skyscrapers, as they consider life safety and insurance issues in the plans. New safety guidelines
for tall building designs have also come into effect since the terrorist attacks.

NHTSA reveals 2007 list of vehicles to face crash, rollover tests
On Sept. 25, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) listed the 2007 vehicles set
to undergo crash and rollover testing during the agency’s annual consumer safety ratings program,
Occupational Health and Safety magazine reported. NHTSA’s crash test program will crash 38
passenger cars, 40 sport utility vehicles, three vans and five pickups, to provide consumers with frontal
crash ratings for 84 percent of 2007 models sold in the United States. Side crash ratings for 70 percent
of the 2007 models will also be available. The rollover resistance of 15 passenger cars, 24 sport utility vehicles, two vans and four pickup trucks will also be tested. On the safecar.gov Web site, NHTSA also posted the crash test results and rollover ratings of certain carry-over vehicles that have not undergone
major design changes between 2006 and 2007.

PEOPLE, PLACES, PROJECTS Construction employment climbs USA Today reported construction employment in the United States rose 3 percent since last year, from 7.31 million workers in August 2005 to 7.52 million workers in August 2006. Since 1999, the number of construction workers nationwide has increased by one million workers. These increases are due, in part, to the growing number of commercial and public works projects across the country. However, due to new-homes sales dropping 20 percent in the past year, there is concern over retaining these high levels of workers. JLG places 22 on Fortune 100 list Of the 100 fastest growing companies, according to Fortune Magazine, JLG Industries placed 22 this year.  The companies are selected and ranked by profit and sales growth for a three-year period and three-year total return. “It is gratifying to see our financial performance recognized this way,“ said Bill Lasky, JLG’s chairman and CEO.  “It reinforces our ability to transform strategy and performance into shareholder value.“  JLG also reported a 21 percent revenue growth in its fourth quarter.  For the 2006 fiscal year, JLG reported a revenue growth of 32 percent, from $1.7 billion last year to $2.3 billion this year. Terex appoints new president of aerial work platforms Tim Ford was named the new president of Terex aerial work platforms for Terex Corporation. “[Ford’s] demonstrated leadership ability and experience with implementing lean initiatives will be instrumental in further expanding the global footprint of the Terex Aerial Work Platforms segment and continuing to drive down costs,“ said Ronald DeFeo, Terex’s chairman and CEO. Prior to his new position at Terex, Ford was the executive vice president of the Toro Company.   Investigators aim to uncover the dirt on Big Dig The investigation of public corruption surrounding the $15 billion Big Dig project has reached “high priority“ status, Boston’s FBI chief told the Boston Herald.  Investigators and the Department of Transportation are joining forces to explore Big Dig financial issues and whether officials conducted critical inspections. Big Dig is the unofficial name of the Central Artery/Tunnel Project, a plan to reroute Interstate 93 into a 3.5-mile tunnel beneath Boston.         Morris Material Handling announces new president Fabio Fiorino has been named the new president of Morris Material Handling, Inc. and MMH Holdings, Inc., supplier of Morris and P&H Cranes. Since 1995, Fiorino has held several positions at Konecranes, R&M Handling, Inc. and Drivecon, Inc. His new position is effective as of Oct. 2, 2006.

TRENDLINES
By 2012 the U.S. Department of Labor expects there to be 197,000 construction management
positions available. Additionally, construction is expected to be the only goods-producing sector
where employment is expected to grow. In universities nationwide, construction management programs
have doubled to tripled in terms of enrollment growth in the last five years. 
- ConstructionTrends.com

Between January and Sept. 1, 2006, the construction industry saw a monthly payroll growth of 12,000.
This is a 15,000 decrease from the prior two years. Nationwide, the average monthly payroll growth was 176,000 in the first quarter and 112,000 in the second quarter.

-Business Week

While some companies are making plans to ensure workers get paid and business moves forward if a disaster occurs, 25 percent of firms have not tested disaster plans or informed employees about them.

-USA TODAY

The Institute for Supply Management’s manufacturing index equaled 52.9 in September, down from August’s 54.5 reading, and the lowest reading since May 2005, when it fell to 51.4. Analysts had
predicted a reading of 53.5. 

–businessweek.com

Phoenix’s real estate market is up 26 percent from 2005, with 7.4 million square feet of space expected to undergo retail development this year. A boom in population spurred lower vacancy rates
and higher rents, which incited commercial growth.

–The Wall Street Journal.

CALENDAR Jan. 8-11 Material Handling Industry of America ProMat McCormick Place Chicago, IL www.promatshow.com   Jan. 16-18 AED Annual Meeting and Condex Las Vegas Hilton Las Vegas, NV www.aednet.org   Jan. 22-26 World of Concrete Las Vegas, NV www.worldofconcrete.com   Feb. 7-10 The Rental Show Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta GA www.ararental.org   March 7-9 SC & RA’s Specialized Transportation Symposium 2007 20th Anniversary! Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort Orlando, FL http://www.scranet.org   March 28 Annual Award of Excellence Marriott Marquis Hotel Times Square, NY http://www.construction.com/event/index.asp   April 10-14 SC & RA’s Annual Conference 2007 Westin LaCantera Resort San Antonio, TX http://www.scranet.org   September 5-8, 2007 National Association of Women in Construction 52nd Annual Convention Orlando, FL Contacts: nawic@nawic.org http://www.nawicconvention.org/   September 9-12, 2007 American Public Works Association International Congress & Exposition Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center, San Antonio, TX Contacts: 816 472-6100 http://www.apwa.net        For more news, trendlines, calendar items, and features, look for the November issue of Lift Applications & Equipment to be hitting your mailbox soon, as well as the November/December issue of CraneWorks right behind. For more information on Milo Media, or any of our publications, visit http://www.milomediapub.com/. And if you, or your company, have news releases you would like to send us for consideration in our magazines, do not hesitate to contact Lindsey K. Anderson, Managing Editor, at lindsey@milomediapub.com or by calling (847) 852-4387 ext. 106.
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