Flashings

Partnership will advance public safety drone research

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will explore the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for public safety missions as part of a cooperative research and development agreement with the Property Drone Consortium (PDC), Bothell, Wash. PDC represents a collaboration among insurance carriers, roofing industry leaders and supporting enterprises that are working to research and regulate the use of UAS technology within the insurance and construction industries.

S&T's First Responders Group and Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers will leverage their knowledge, capabilities and resources with those of PDC to advance an understanding of how UAS technology can best be used for public safety missions.

"We envision UAS to play a key role in public safety response in the future," says Stephen Hancock, special projects director for S&T's First Responders Group. "This research agreement between the Department of Homeland Security S&T partners and PDC not only will help enhance our understanding of the potential use of UAS, but it also will provide a framework for collaborative public and private response in post-catastrophe events."

Architect dies after falling from skyscraper

Local police and the New York City Department of Buildings are investigating the death of Bruno Travalja, owner of Crowne Architectural Systems, North Bergen, N.J., after he accidentally fell from the roof of a 48-story building in New York City.

Travalja was on the roof of a building on W. 52nd Street in Manhattan Sept. 15 when he kneeled down near the edge of the building, possibly to take a measurement. Upon standing up, he lost his balance and fell from the roof. Travalja was wearing a safety harness, but the safety harness was not secured to anything at the time of the fall. An 18-inch safety barrier failed to prevent Travalja's fall.

Falls are the leading cause of death in the construction industry. NRCA offers a tool that helps educate roofing professionals about all aspects of fall protection in the roofing industry. To view NRCA's fall-protection compliance program, Serving Up Safety: A Recipe for Avoiding Falls on the Job, visit www.nrca.net/store/detail/serving-up-safety-a-recipe-for-avoiding-falls-on-the-job/1107.

IRS warns of new email phishing scam

The IRS and its Security Summit partners are warning taxpayers and tax professionals to be on guard against a new email phishing scam. The fake emails purport to contain an IRS tax bill related to the Affordable Care Act.

The IRS has received numerous reports of scammers sending emails containing fraudulent CP2000 notices for tax year 2015. A CP2000 notice is generated when income reported from third-party sources, such as an employer, does not match the income reported on a tax return. The notice commonly is mailed to taxpayers through the U.S. Postal Service. It is never sent as part of an email to taxpayers.

The scam emails contain a fraudulent CP2000 notice as an attachment. The fraudulent CP2000 notice includes a payment request that taxpayers mail a check payable to the "I.R.S. Austin Processing Center" at a post office box address. A "payment" link also is included within the email.

The following are indicators of this scam:

• The notices are sent electronically—the IRS does not initiate contact with taxpayers by email or through social media platforms.
• The CP2000 notices appear to be issued from an Austin, Texas, address.
• The underreported issue is related to the Affordable Care Act requesting information regarding 2014 coverage.
• The payment voucher lists the letter number as 105C.

Taxpayers who receive this scam email should forward it to the IRS at phishing@irs.gov and then delete it from their email accounts.

Taxpayers and tax professionals generally can conduct a keyword search on www.irs.gov for any notice they receive. Taxpayers who receive a notice or letter can view explanations and images of common correspondence online at www.irs.gov/individuals/understanding-your-irs-notice-or-letter.

3M recalls its original Lad-Saf™ sleeve

3M has voluntarily issued a recall of its DBI-SALA Lad-Saf sleeve (the original Lad-Saf sleeve) after receiving reports of serious injuries or deaths that occurred while customers used the product.

The original Lad-Saf sleeve was introduced to the U.S. fall-protection industry more than 30 years ago, but 3M recently was prompted to review the product's field performance after receiving a limited number of reports involving injuries or deaths that occurred while the Lad-Saf sleeve was in use. 3M's investigation did not reveal product hazard or risk scenarios arising from proper use of the Lad-Saf sleeve, but the investigation revealed potential misuse scenarios that could cause serious injury or death. The potential misuse scenarios include interference with the braking mechanism (such as entanglement with clothing or lanyards) or user inversion of the product (attaching the sleeve upside down).

No safety regulator has made a finding that the design of the original Lad-Saf sleeve is defective. However, in light of the reported incidents and potential misuse scenarios, 3M has discontinued sale of the original Lad-Saf sleeve and initiated a voluntary product recall. Owners and users of the original Lad-Saf sleeve must stop using all original Lad-Saf sleeves and contact 3M customer service at (800) 328-6146 to discuss the replacement of an original Lad-Saf sleeve with a new version of the product at no cost.

Additional information and a list of affected part numbers are available at api.capitalsafety.com/api/assets/download/1/44877916.

OSHA establishes safety partnership with Turner Construction

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Turner Construction Co., New York, have established a partnership to protect employees working on the CH2 Data Center project in Northlake, Ill. Construction of the $275 million, 22.8-megawatt CH2 Data Center is expected to be completed in 2018.

The OSHA and Turner Construction partnership includes trade unions and 15 subcontractors with a combined workforce of more than 500 employees. The partnership's intention is to reduce injuries and illnesses on job sites and focus training on the top four construction industry hazards, including falls and electrocutions. All employers, contractors and subcontractors are required to implement written safety and health programs; conduct daily pre-task planning, safety huddles and job inspections; and involve workers in weekly site-safety meetings. OSHA will review the programs at least once annually to track and compare information on injury and illness rates, share best practices and review goals.

"Workplace safety is achieved when labor, management and employees work together to recognize hazards and train workers in safety protocols and procedures," says Angeline Loftus, area director for OSHA's Chicago North Office. "OSHA has found partnerships like this set a standard for all employers working on the project that safety will not be compromised."

Through its Strategic Partnership Program, OSHA works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, and labor organizations to establish specific goals, strategies and performance measures to improve worker safety and health.

ONCAP to acquire Tecta America

ONCAP, Toronto, has announced it will acquire commercial roofing contractor Tecta America Corp., Rosemont, Ill., from funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management LP for $280 million. The transaction is expected to close during the third quarter of 2016.

Tecta America provides local and national commercial roofing services in a variety of industries, including government, industrial, multifamily and retail. The company has more than 2,500 employees and 37 local operating units comprised of 52 locations nationwide. ONCAP is the midmarket private equity platform of Toronto-based private equity firm Onex Corp., which acquires and builds high-quality businesses in partnership with management teams.

"Tecta America is an industry leader with an exceptional reputation for best-in-class responsiveness and a depth of resources that is unmatched in the sector," says Evan Hershberg, managing director for ONCAP. "We are excited to partner with Tecta America's management team to support its next phase of growth."

"ONCAP has a strong investment track record, and we're delighted to work with its experienced team to further build on our solid foundation," adds Mark Santacrose, Tecta America's president and CEO.