Flashings

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• Photo courtesy of Mark Farina of the Chicago Department of Environment.

Graham tries roofing for a day

Those involved with the roofing industry know roofing work is challenging, strenuous labor. Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla.) recently learned this firsthand by helping to install a roof system on Lincoln High School, Tallahassee, Fla., as part of his workdays program.

During workdays, a program Graham began in 1974 to reflect his personal style of governing, Graham labors side-by-side with Florida workers. Having completed almost 400 workdays, Graham has worked as an airport police officer, school principal and teacher, longshoreman, firefighter, farm hand and even a Christmas party elf.

Graham's roofing workday—his 391st workday—gained extensive media coverage because during lunch with reporters he announced he would not seek re-election for a fourth term in the Senate.

Who might contribute to the federal asbestos fund?

Asbestos isn't a new issue for the roofing industry or the U.S. government. But asbestos has become an even more controversial topic lately because of a proposed federal trust fund. Congress is trying to approve a Senate Judiciary Committee bill (S 1125) introduced in summer 2003 establishing a "privately funded, publicly administered fund to provide resources for an asbestos injury claims resolution program."

The bill was placed on the Senate's legislative calendar July 30, 2003, but disputes over the trust fund's funding formula kept the bill from reaching the Senate floor. It will be taken up this year.

On Oct. 15, 2003, defendant companies and insurers reached an agreement for a $114 billion funding level. Insurers would pay $46 billion; defendant companies would contribute $57 billion; and manufacturers' private trusts and the federal trusts' investment income would make up the remaining balance.

Manufacturers began establishing private trusts in the early 1980s as asbestos-related lawsuits became prevalent.

Despite the government exposing its workers to asbestos, especially U.S. Navy shipyard workers, it won't contribute anything to the federal trust fund. In addition, the government profits from manufacturers' trusts that pay taxes on investment income and capital gains. And federal workers who win asbestos lawsuits have to return their federal workers' compensation.

According to The Wall Street Journal, there currently are 300,000 pending asbestos settlements and future claims are estimated at 1.5 million to 2.7 million. Because of these large figures, asbestos lawyers and labor officials say $114 billion will not compensate all the victims. S 1125 originally provided for a $153 billion fund. AFL-CIO says it will "oppose any efforts to pass S 1125 as reported."

Chicago sets an example

Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has made it a point during his 14 years in office to beautify the city. Part of the beautification process includes environmental projects, such as installing a green roof system on Chicago City Hall in 2001. Since then, the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum; various stores, including Target and Apple Computers; houses; and other buildings in Chicago have donned green roof systems.

Daley's green roof system model has been used in cities across the United States. And New York is the latest city with plans to go green. Within a few years, Pace University will install a green roof system on part of its downtown New York campus. Raising money to install the roof system reportedly is delaying the project; the cost is estimated at $500,000 to $750,000.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), New York City's Department of Environmental Protection and environmental groups hope the Pace University project will pique green roof system interest among New York City building owners and developers.

"This is a great place to showcase green roofs because it's visible to so many high-rises," says EPA Regional Administrator Jane Kenny. "We wanted to find a building to set an example for other building owners to follow."

NSC throws in the ergonomics towel

The National Safety Council (NSC) was in charge of developing ergonomics guidelines for the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) for 13 years. On Oct. 29, 2003, NSC surrendered its position as secretariat to the Accredited Standard Committee Z36 on Management of Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders.

Issues apparently hit a boiling point when a June 2003 committee reaccreditation was appealed by the National Coalition on Ergonomics of which NRCA is a member, National Association of Manufacturers, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and industry groups and businesses. NSC was under attack for reportedly creating an ergonomics committee with pro-regulation members who failed to act on industry and business groups' objectives. On Oct. 7, 2003, ANSI's Executive Standards Council appeals panel ruled NSC must provide the resources to continue as secretariat. During this ruling, the panel gave NSC 60 days to complete the ergonomics project. In addition, the institute said it would investigate complaints about NSC.

In a resignation letter to ANSI's Executive Standards Council, NSC President Alan McMillan wrote: "The decision of the ANSI appeals panel requires that for the committee to maintain its accreditation with NSC as the secretariat, NSC must undertake a number of additional administrative burdens that have significant financial and administrative consequences. ... Given these new obligations, NSC, after considerable deliberations, believes it has no other viable option and, by this letter, formally surrenders its role as secretariat to the committee."

Opponents believe the institute-certified guidelines would have added fury to the overturned Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) ergonomics standards, allowing OSHA to fine companies that didn't follow the institute's guidelines.