Flashings

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ASTM to develop vegetative roof standard

ASTM International has announced it is developing ASTM WK29304, "Guide for Selection of Roofing/Waterproofing Membranes for Vegetative Roof Systems," a proposed standard that will address how to determine the proper roof and waterproofing membrane for a vegetative roof system.

ASTM International Subcommittee D08.24 on Sustainability, part of ASTM Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing, is developing the proposed new standard. Subcommittee D08.24 is working closely with ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability regarding topics of mutual interest for roof systems.

"The growing move toward preserving our environment and reducing the effects of the urban heat island have encouraged many building owners and communities to select vegetative roofs," says Michael Sexton, senior systems engineer for Firestone Building Products Co. LLC, Indianapolis, and leader of the task group developing the proposed standard. "As such, each and every component plays an important role in the success, not only of the roofing, but to maintain and enhance the building envelope performance. The proper selection of a waterproofing barrier for the roof is critical to the success on both fronts."

Eliminate waste to increase efficiency

One way to improve organization and increase efficiency is to eliminate waste. Watch for these main sources of waste:

• Transport. Are you transporting supplies and people more often than you need to? Take a look at your company's needs, and consolidate locations for maximum efficiency.
• Inventory. Keep an eye on how much inventory your company stocks. Maintaining too much inventory can be costly.
• Time. Investigate how long your customers wait for service and how much time is wasted when employees don't have the proper tools or training. Treat time like a resource, and try to use it efficiently.
• Process. Take a look at how your company gets things done. Work with your employees to identify procedures that don't add value to the results you're trying to achieve. Then, eliminate or redesign those procedures.

Source: Adapted from The Manager's Intelligence Report, August issue.

Small businesses suffer job losses

According to The Wall Street Journal, most of the job losses at the end of 2009 took place at the smallest firms.

Businesses with fewer than 50 employees accounted for 61.8 percent of all lost private-sector jobs during the fourth quarter of 2009, and they created 54.1 percent of new jobs. Small companies employ about 29 percent of all workers.

The numbers represent a reversal of the situation at the end of 2008; at that time, small businesses made up a larger share of jobs gained than of jobs lost. Small companies made up half of all jobs lost during the fourth quarter of 2008 but accounted for 53.9 percent of jobs gained during the same period.

During the fourth quarter of 2009, companies with 50 to 249 employees made 17.8 percent of all job cuts and about the same percentage of job gains. Companies with 250 to 999 employees added 9.9 percent of new jobs and accounted for 10 percent of job losses. Companies with 1,000 or more employees hired more workers than they lost. These companies employ about 38 percent of workers and accounted for 18.3 percent of all jobs gained and 17.7 percent of job losses.

Create a culture of collaboration

Employees work better when they work together. Follow these steps to inspire collaboration among employees:

• Create common goals. Your goals may be different from your employees' goals. Find ways that your goals intersect to get everyone to work together.
• Encourage open communication. Articulate your goals; share project updates; and listen to employee suggestions. Sharing company news in a timely fashion helps employees understand they can depend on you for information.
• Emphasize shared values. Values are an important foundation for any organization. Clearly communicate your company's values to your employees—that way, you'll attract and retain employees who share those values and can work together successfully.
• Treat everyone fairly. How you treat your employees displays your level of respect for them. Be consistent with how you reward employees and handle employee problems.

Source: Adapted from The Motivational Manager, July issue.

Details

Carl Clark

What is your position within your company?
I am president of Clark's Quality Roofing, Salt Lake City.

What is the most unusual roofing project you've performed?
The Olympic Speed Skating Oval—the entire roof was supported by suspension cables like a bridge.

Why did you become a roofing contractor?
I started the company one summer while I was in college because I didn't want to return to my family's farm to milk cows and haul hay.

What was your first roofing experience?
When I was 12, my brothers and I helped my dad put a 22-gauge corrugated metal roof on the milk barn. We attached it with roofing nails, and I think I smashed every one of my fingers at least once.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
When I was a child, I wanted to be a veterinarian or forest ranger. Now that I'm an adult, I would choose to be an independently wealthy professional golfer. (I would have to be independently wealthy because I wouldn't have enough winnings to live on!)

What is your favorite television show?
"Castle"

List three words that best describe you.
Driven, spontaneous and curious

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
I would go on an extended European tour and thoroughly explore every European country. (This would work well during the months I wasn't playing on the professional tour.)

What three condiments are always in your fridge?
Mustard, mayo and salsa

What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who don't understand the fundamentals of economics

What quality do you most like in a person?
Genuineness with a good sense of humor

If you could invite any three people (dead or alive) to dinner, whom would you invite and why?
I would want them to come to separate dinners, but I would invite my father, who died suddenly 28 years ago. I also would enjoy dining with Christ. And finally, I would invite President Obama because I have a few things I would like to discuss with him.

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?
Knowing when to stop working and focus on my family and church commitments

What is your roofing industry involvement?
I am an NRCA board member.

People would be surprised to know …
I served as a missionary in Italy for two years, and during that time, I was arrested when the local police thought I was an undercover CIA agent.

Workplace fatalities decrease in 2009

According to www.msnbc.com, the number of workers who died on the job decreased 17 percent in 2009, which represents the lowest level of workplace fatalities since 1992. The decrease followed a 10 percent drop in workplace fatalities in 2008.

There were 4,340 workplace fatalities recorded in 2009. The decline is attributed in part to workers working fewer hours during the recession; on average, workers worked 6 percent fewer hours in 2009 compared with 2008. The unemployment rate for the construction industry, which is considered one of the more dangerous industries, was 17.3 percent; construction employees worked 17 percent fewer hours in 2009 compared with 2008.

"As the economy regains strength and more people re-enter the work force, the Department of Labor will remain vigilant to ensure America's workers are kept safe while they earn a paycheck," says Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.

Commercial fishing was the deadliest occupation in the U.S. for the second consecutive year with a fatality rate about 60 times higher than average. Additionally, the fatality rate rose 6 percent in the building and grounds maintenance sector, which was one of the few sectors to see an increase.

Workplace suicides decreased 10 percent to 237, and workplace homicides decreased 1 percent to 521.