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“Construction site hygiene” – this phrase might evoke the image of workers covered in cement dust whilst wearing their hard hats and washing their hands at the end of a busy day. However, there’s more to construction site hygiene than just the washing of one’s hands.

Construction site workers must adhere to enhanced hygiene practices, especially with the reality of COVID-19 now part of the new normal. Maintaining the health and safety of construction workers should be the priority of contractors or leaders during the pandemic crisis to minimize the risk of infections on worksites. By encouraging the proper practice of hygiene on-site, you benefit from fewer sick days and more productive workers.

From installing a porta potty to holding frequent health and safety seminars, construction project leaders must take the hygiene of their workers seriously.

Hygiene Practices: Important Part of Worksite Safety

At construction sites, hygiene practices are important parts of any workplace safety procedures. Workers do face the following hazards:

• Poisonous plants
• Infectious animals
• Mold/fungi
• Bacteria
• Bloodborne pathogens

Frequent hand washing and other hygiene protocols keep workers from contracting diseases through cross-contamination. According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), over 13 million workers in the US are exposed to airborne chemicals and harmful liquid substances that can easily enter the bloodstream through abrasion or cut or easily absorbed through the skin.

The Occupational Safety and Health Organization recommends employers provide washing facilities for workers who are handling harmful substances, such as herbicides, coatings, and paint. While towelettes and hand sanitizers can help clean hands, they are not enough to clean hands. Soap and water remain the most reliable option when it comes to hand washing.

There are cases when showers are required, especially when workers must remove their personal protective equipment (PPE). As per OSHA, employers must make shower facilities, towels, and soaps accessible to all workers.

Since construction workers face risks beyond physical injuries, it’s important for employers to protect their teams by implementing easy and effective hygiene solutions.

How To Maintain Sanitation At Your Construction Site

Provide Them With Enough Water

Construction work is often intensive, which is why workers are prone to dehydration. Keep your employees hydrated by providing them with adequate drinking water. The containers should be fitted with a tight cap, clearly marked, and equipped with a tap. It helps to supply clean containers for disposing of used cups and storing unused cups.

If you want to reduce your carbon footprint, consider providing your workers with environmentally friendly disposal cups. Also, make sure to label all outlets and containers so that workers will know which water can be used for drinking, washing, or cooking.

Provide Showers

Shower facilities let your workers clean themselves after dealing with harmful construction materials or before they go home.

To address their showering needs, look for companies that offer shower trailers that you can customize according to the preferences of your employees. These trailers often come with water tanks for hot and cold water and are ideal for construction sites that don’t have running water. Just provide the team with body soap, hand soap, paper towels, and hand cloths.

If there are both male and female employees working on-site, provide separate shower trailers for them.

Make sure to place the shower stalls near the worksite for the convenience and comfort of your workers.

Set Up Portable Toilets

Clean, safe, and well-placed toilets should be a priority when it comes to construction site sanitation. Standard urinals and portable toilers are cost-effective ways to meet the restroom needs of your workers. For increased efficiency and comfort, choose portable toilets with cooling and heating amenities.

The number of portable toilets needed on-site will depend on the number of workers reporting to you. According to OSHA, employers must provide at least one toilet in an area with 20 or fewer workers.

Set Up Changing Rooms

If your employees wear PPE or any protective clothing, supply changing rooms. Ask your shower stall provider if they provide changing rooms or if they can tailor the trailer with a room. You can also ask for another trailer to serve as your workers’ changing rooms.

Provide An Area for Hand Washing

Lastly, don’t forget to install handwashing stations close to the construction site. These stations ensure that your workers will always wash their hands, which is a must especially for workers who deal with hazardous waste disposal.

Sanitizing and handwashing stations are equipped with soap, water, and paper towels. These may also include alcohol, sanitizers, and antiseptic that eliminate germs 100 percent.

Construction workers face risks beyond physical injuries. By promoting hygiene in the workplace, you can help decrease contamination while keeping your workers happy and healthy.

The modern retailer needs to go all out to ensure their customers experience their organization in the best possible light. With so many avenues for companies to consider, it goes beyond a brick and mortar presence, with social media and the e-commerce experience able to influence the customer journey. Navigating the modern approach to customer service isn’t easy and can be extremely complex. This is why businesses will consult and partner with a dedicated customer experience agency, ensuring all angles are covered and a premium service can be delivered. Here is some further insight into what a CX agency can help with.

Analyzing Customer Insights

All good experiences are based on detailed customer insights, as after all, if a business doesn’t know its customers inside and out, it will struggle to deliver a world-class service. This is one of the main reasons businesses will consult with an agency in the first place, to discover what it is their customers want and how they can improve processes. They may discover that their website functionality is not user-friendly despite the UX looking great, or that getting in contact to raise a query is not as straightforward as it seems.

A customer experience agency can help with gathering data through customer feedback and analyzing the current journey. This is an invaluable process that audits current processes and picks apart the reality to discover where the highest priorities lie. They will help identify what is working well and what is not, helping put together a plan of action to help improve CX.

Developing Software to Deliver Their Vision

A vital part of the journey a customer takes is the tools and software they interact with. A company’s website needs to not only look great in line with modern website design but also be highly functional. Your customers need to be able to navigate with ease and achieve their objectives, whether it is finding out more information on a particular service or product, or making an inquiry or purchase. If the UX doesn’t deliver, customers will look simply look elsewhere.

A customer experience agency can delve into what is preventing customers from achieving their objective when visiting your business’ website and what tools can be implemented to enhance it. Whether it is incorporating a chatbot facility to answer burning questions, or streamlining menus to make navigation simpler, they can help develop the software needed to improve the CX.

Providing an Expert View on the Customer Journey

Everyone has their opinion on what makes a great website and what tools and techniques should be used. However, getting an expert point of view is essential. A customer experience agency can deliver exactly that, providing expert analysis and tried and tested approaches from highly-experienced CX developers and consultants. They will help businesses get on the right track by keeping an eye on competitors as well as user feedback.

The best thing about working alongside a CX agency is that they will partner with your business and provide regular feedback and advice, creating a strong working relationship. This will focus on enhancing the customer journey and helping your business easily create advocates, boosting traffic and positive feedback.

There are many reasons to partner with a customer experience agency, so if your business needs assistance with improving the customer journey, seek out the experts.

Although it is a widely distributed metal, only 49 countries, with about 150 deposits produce different types of iron ore. Iron is soft, malleable and ductile, and easily magnetized at ordinary temperatures. Pure iron melts at about 1535°C and boils at 2750°C.

According to recent statistics, total deposits in the world are 300,000 million metric tons. Here is the list of Iron Ore production by country.

Top 10 Iron Ore Producing Countries

1: China Iron Ore Production

Due to China’s Iron Ore consumption at a mass level; China is not self-sufficient therefore China imports iron ore; it’s Ranking first in the world.

The largest amount of deposits occur within Manchuria and Anshan deposits. While the Yangtze Valley and southwest of Beijing are important for deposits.

China possesses more than 10,000 million metric tons reserves. It mined 520 million tons. High-grade magnetite and Haematite, iron ore deposits are widely scattered in China.

2: Russian Federation Iron Ore Production

Russia possesses huge deposits and ranks second in the world. Russia has a huge quantity of iron due to its physiography and huge capital.

Deposited are although distributed throughout Russia, but mostly found in the Ural Mountains, Eastern Siberia, and Southern region of Moscow are most important.

Russia produced 105 million, metric tons and ranked fifth in iron ore production in the world.

3: Australia Iron Ore Production

Australia stands among those countries, which have large reserves and produce high amounts of iron ore. Due to small local consumption, it exports large quantities. Japan is the largest importer of Australian iron.

Western Australian region provides in bulk. While old iron +mines of Middle Back, Iron-Knob and Iron Monoarich are valuable, iron reserves in Southern Australia.

4: India Iron Ore Production

India has more than 21,000 million reserves, which are high-quality hematite and magnetite in grade. India ranks at number four in the list of iron ore production by country.

Iron ore mines in India are producing at a huge level and having relatively low prices.

It is widely distributed in the country; nearly 90% of national output is contributed by the states of Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and by mines in Rajasthan.

5: Brazil Iron Ore Production

Brazil has the largest reserves in the world. Brazil is the biggest country in South America Continent; it has a huge area and a lot of forest and rivers.

Itabira and Carajas iron ore mines having high-grade reserves. Brazil exports large amounts, U.S.A. is the largest destination of Brazilian iron ore.

Brazil production in recent years crossed 300 million metric tons. Brazil’s 75% reserves are located in the Quadrilateral Zone of Minas Gerais.

6: Ukraine Iron Ore Production

Within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), Ukraine is very important, it possesses large reserves and is the 6th largest producer.

The Kryvyi Rih is the largest producing region in Ukraine. In the CIS region, Kazakhstan is also an important producer and possesses large reserves.

Only 73 million metric iron ore production.

7: US Iron Ore Production

The United States is an important iron ore producer in the world, and ranked 7th in the world. The U.S.A. is not self-sufficient in needs, it imports iron from Brazil and Australia.

Deposits of. The U.S.A. is distributed in northeastern Pennsylvania, Southeastern Alabama, Birmingham, and Tennessee state, the western Rocky Mountain region, and the Lake Superior region.

U.S.A iron ore mining crosses 54 million tons.

8: South Africa Iron Ore Production

South Africa is one of the outstanding countries and ranks 8th in the list of countries by iron ore production in the world. The South African iron ore mining industry produced Brazil and India. The South African industry supplies the domestic market’s full demand, and the remaining volumes are benefited and exported.

In South Africa, the Transvaal ore region possesses large high-grade reserves and here more than 65% of the country is mined South Africa exports large quantities in the world market.

It possesses more than 10 billion metric tons reserves South Africa mined 40 million metric tons.

9: Canada Iron Ore Production

One of the important producers and possesses large quantities of iron ore mining in Canada as well as reserves.

In Canada, deposits are concentrated around the Lake Superior region in Ontario Province. Québec-Labrador and Newfoundland also possess high-grade reserves.

10: Sweden Iron Ore Production

Sweden is the largest iron ore producer in Western Europe. Sweden possesses the best quality deposits in the world and is an important exporting country in the world.

The Kiruna Sweden and Malmberget iron ore mines produce in bulk. It produces, with the mines in Sweden; a very high grade of magnetite ore and earns sizeable revenue through the exports.

Other Important Countries

Above mentioned list of producing countries and Mauritania are some exporting countries. While Japan; China, Korea, the U.K., Italy, Poland, France, Germany, and Pakistan are importing countries.

Polypropylene is a special type of plastic that can be made into all kinds of products. Although it’s already a big part of people’s daily lives, listed below are some of the ways businesses utilize polypropylene as well as how they reuse it at the end of its life cycle.

Construction Or Building Materials

Polypropylene is a versatile material with many applications in the construction industry. Recycled polypropylene’s low cost and durability make it ideal for commercial construction purposes. It’s used to make products such as the following:

• Plastic lumber
• Permeable pavers
• Pipe insulation

Plastic lumber is just what it sounds like: lumber that’s made of recycled plastics instead of trees. This type of plastic doesn’t rot over time, and it won’t need to be replaced nearly as often as traditional wood fencing or decks. This and its other qualities are part of what makes polypropylene recycling popular in the construction industry.

Furniture And Other Consumer Goods

Due to its strength, polypropylene is often used in manufacturing consumer goods such as trays, chairs, food containers, synthetic beehives, tables, outdoor furniture, drawers for clothing, and kitchen utensils. When combined with other materials like cotton or wool, it can also be made into mats or rugs. What’s more, it’s become more common to use it in the production of shoes because it can withstand wear and tear better than most materials.

Automotive Parts

Polypropylene is an effective material for car seats because of its toughness. It can withstand most weather conditions, is comfortable for passengers to sit on, and doesn’t absorb sweat (which means that if you spill something on the surface, it won’t leave a wet mark behind). This makes polypropylene seat covers great not only for protecting your car’s original upholstery but also for giving the interior a brand-new look that’ll last a long time.

The same kind of plastic is used to manufacture car parts such as bumpers, fenders, door panels, and instrument panels. It’s a more cost-effective choice compared to plastics with higher price tags.

Bottle Caps

Plastic bottle caps are also made of polypropylene. These are attached to plastic bottles with the screw-on, flip-top style popular for water and soda containers. These lids need to be sturdy enough for repeated opening and closing by consumers without wearing out or coming loose.

Polypropylene is also easy to recycle, which is more sustainable than using virgin plastic material every time a new bottle needs a lid. A recycling program can recapture these used bottle caps and melt them down to make new ones.

Plastic Bags

Plastic bags are one of the most well-known uses of polypropylene. When you go to the grocery store and grab a loaf of bread or a head of lettuce, there’s a good chance that it’ll come home with you in a plastic bag made from the same material. It’s more durable than a paper bag, which makes it more convenient to use. Plus, since it’s recyclable, this has led to businesses using it over plastic wrap if items need ventilation during transit.

Nets And Ropes

In the fishing industry, polypropylene is also often found in fishing supplies such as nets and rope. The plastic’s strength makes it suitable for use in high-tension situations where a weaker material would fail the durability test.

 Carpet Adhesive

Most carpets are held down with adhesive made from polypropylene because of how well polypropylene sticks to surfaces while also having some give when pressure is applied. It also tolerates high temperatures, staying strong at 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Polypropylene’s ability to stick well and resist high temperatures means that it’s the perfect material for the adhesive component of carpeting.

Medical And Scientific Equipment

You’ve probably seen this kind of plastic being used to create medical equipment that you’ll find in hospitals, doctor’s offices, laboratories, and even your home. Since it’s clear yet incredibly strong, polypropylene works well as a material for creating syringes, IV tubing and bags, surgical tools and masks, and anything else that doctors and patients need to use safely.

Chemical Containers

Chemical companies use polypropylene for their containers because there’s less chance of interaction with chemicals that are stored in those tanks. The type of plastic utilized in manufacturing bottles will determine whether they’re safe for storing hazardous chemicals. For example, high density polypropylene has a high melting point that can safely store pure ethanol but not methanol, which has a lower boiling point than ethanol.

Packaging

One of the polypropylene’s most beneficial characteristics is how resistant it is to moisture, fats, oils, and alcohol. This makes it perfect for use in packaging food items such as chips, candy, cheese, and crackers because those will stay fresh longer inside the container. Polypropylene is also used to create bottles for vinegar, beer, and other beverages.

Pipes And Fencing

One of the strongest applications for polypropylene is piping, so manufacturers use it to create plumbing systems meant for various chemicals, oil, and water, among others across a wide range of industries.

However, people have noticed that when this material is used in fencing or the construction of other outdoor buildings, it makes for a great outcome because it doesn’t rot or rust over time. This means you can count on your fencing being just as effective years after installation as it was upon completion.

Conclusion

Polypropylene is widely used in packaging because of its strength and durability. Even in its recycled state, it’s still suitable for the production of medical equipment such as syringes and surgical tools, and masks. It can be used in car seats and seat covers because of its strength and resistance to oil, sweat, and other liquids. Certain industries turn to polypropylene pipes designed to transport everything from chemicals to water as well.

It’s not only the main component in adhesives for over 47% of new carpets produced each year but also used to produce 44% of plastic bottles. Because of its many applications and recyclability, it’s no surprise so many businesses in almost every industry around the world depend on it. And with most enterprises actively looking into ways to lighten their environmental footprint, it’s rising as a material of choice in most manufacturing processes.

With all that said, it’s clear that this particular plastic should be among your top options if you’re a business owner looking for a material that’s not only cost-effective but also durable and incredibly versatile.

Now more than ever, doing our bit to reduce environmental impact is essential. With single use plastic packaging having such a detrimental effect on both our landfill sites and local wildlife, finding ways to improve our packaging can go a long way. For businesses looking to make changes for the better, we delve into 4 simple ways that you can switch to more environmentally friendly types of packaging.

Wave goodbye to plastic bags

Although the fairly recent carrier bag tax has led to great improvements in the amount of plastic bags used, there is still a long way to go. Switching to printed cotton bags or paper bags is a much less impactful approach which still provides your customers with the convenience of carrying their new purchase around. Paper bags which have been made using recycled materials and can be recycled again afterwards have a much shorter lifespan than their plastic counterparts yet have similar characteristics. Alternatively, offering fabric bags as a reusable option which can be kept in customers’ handbags or car will mean it is not necessary to need a new carrier bag each and every time, a great step that each and every one of us can make.

Make use of your production waste

Often we cannot see the potential that lies right around us. Reusing and recycling our existing waste is not only a great way to reduce the amount of packaging we need to use, but even frees up space by minimising the amount of waste that needs to be collected. An industrial shredder can tear up any cardboard or paper you have leftover which makes a superb way to keep orders safe. By filling up your orders with these shredded pieces, your customers order has an added layer of protection to prevent damage during the transit process which they can simply dispose of it into their household recycling facilities.

Source more sustainable materials

When it comes to finding the best types of packaging for your products, making more environmentally friendly decisions can go a long way. Having an understanding of the way your supplier works and where they source their materials from will help you find a trustworthy supplier that you can count on. High quality biodegradable materials are more accessible nowadays, helping businesses switch to packaging that can be easily broken down once it has served its purpose.

Train others on the best approaches

Now that you have done your part, let others know how they can do theirs. Whether that be educating employees or providing customers with information on how best to dispose of their excess packaging from their order, informing others can increase awareness of more sustainable practices. Printing information on your packaging with disposal instructions will ensure all recipients are on the same page and can get rid of their excess packaging in the most environmentally friendly way. Similarly, running training sessions with your staff members to teach them how to separate waste from recyclable goods and how to reduce emissions can take your business to the next level.