Be safe out there

Words: Jennifer Morrell/Public/News/20120110060000-1.jpg" width="600" height="338" border="0" alt="Be safe out there." />
Be safe out there.
Yesterday, I bought a red helium balloon. When I got home, I ceremoniously released the balloon into the sky, accompanied by a prayer. The date was Dec. 19, the 22nd birthday of a young man who, only a few months before, was electrocuted accidentally, while working on the construction site of a hospital. Sean’s mother is a friend of mine from high school, so I – like so many – have felt her pain as she copes with the tremendous loss.

To the first responders, another worker was killed on another job. To the coroner, another young person passed before his prime. To his coworkers, a great guy was taken away too soon. But Sean’s death reaches far beyond the week-long coverage of a local television broadcast or hometown newspaper. Sean was someone’s son, grandson, brother, cousin and friend – all of whom are beyond distraught.

Think about your masons who work to build not only the next beautiful brick, block or stone building, but also your company and its future. Are you protecting your workers by following the appropriate PPE and safety requirements? And, are you protecting yourself?

A careless act on the part of anyone involved with a construction project could lead to a split-second accident. And I am here to tell you, that accident can leave more than an empty position to fill within your crew. These preventable jobsite accidents leave broken families – mothers who will never sleep through the night again, children who will try to remember their fathers’ voices, and wives who will wonder how to move forward.

Be safe out there. Your lives are worth the extra precaution.
 0
The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Shayne Sanders
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Conner Birdsong
Read More
Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More