Don't Look Down!

During this weeks company huddle Kam Petersen discussed safety while working with scaffolding during the building of our homes.  Scaffolding is any temporary platform, either supported from below or suspended from above, on which workers sit or stand when performing tasks at heights above the ground.  Unfortunately, injuries happen on job sites and 9.9% of those fatal injuries are related to falls.   Due to the increased danger of injury scaffolding must be inspected every single day, especially after heavy rains or if the scaffolding has been struck.

Scaffolding requires a base plate or mud sill to protect the scaffolding from sinking into the ground.  Other safety elements that are required when using scaffolding are a toe board which prevents items from falling down to the ground and hurting someone below, an overhang of 6 – 12 inches, fully planked, squared, guard rails and even mid rails are all needed to protect the safety of the workers.  As you can see, working from such heights can be extremely dangerous, which is why Destination Homes reviews the safety regulations for working at such heights with everyone in the company. 

It's Electric!

When was the last time you influenced a moment of choice?  Whether it is reminding someone to buckle their seat belt, put on a bike helmet, or to use safety gear at high heights, when was the last time you spoke up?  What did you learn?  What would you do differently next time?

Safety is something that we, at Destination Homes, believe is of the utmost importance.  Kam Peterson is our Director of Construction; during our last company huddle he reviewed with us the importance of safety, particularly electrical safety.  We promise to spare you the graphic pictures of people who were being unsafe during such electrical situations. 

Kam explained to all of us that a GFCI (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter) is not a substitute for grounding and will still trip at 5 mA (milliamperes).  The little double squares on your tools and construction cords mean that it is double insulated, which is approved by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), making that your safest choice.  Other safety concerns that Kam brought to our attention were:

• Keeping your walkways clear: this will keep your cords from becoming accidently unplugged and avoid any unnecessary wear and tear to a minimum.
• Protect your cords by avoiding sharp metal corners and edges.
• The bottom prong on a 3-prong plug is meant to ground you and keep you safe.  In other words don’t cut it off.
•  Circuit breakers must be properly identified.
•  Stay clear of any exposed wires
•  Always use a professional   

The result of being unsafe and in electrical situations can cause serious damage such as, shock, burns, hearing damage and even fatal if the electrical path passes through your heart. 

Thank you Kam for sharing with us how to be safe and aware of any electrical hazards that we might run into.  Be safe out there!        

Summertime Fun!

The sun came out, flowers have bloomed and the grass has turned from brown to a rich green, spring is finally here and summer is nipping at its heels.  We have been cooped up for so long, due to winter, that when we finally stepped out into the sunshine all we want to do is run and play in its warmth.  It’s common to run through the sprinklers, go for bike rides and play tag, but what are some other things that we can do this summer to make it a little more special?  There are several fun ideas out there available on Pinterest and here are some of our favorite summertime fun activities!



Although running through the sprinklers is a time honored tradition but what about rolling around on your own outdoor waterbed?  This waterbed will offer fun for all throughout the day; the water inside the bed will slowly start to leak, making it a delightful cool activity on a hot summer day and the best part, it won’t cost an arm and a leg.  All that is needed is duct tape and a large plastic drop cloth, both of which you can purchase for under $10.  To learn more about this fun activity and get the full directions go to Utah County Mom 




If you are looking for something to do on those lazy warm summer nights, remove the labels on empty water or soda pop bottles, fill them up with water and add a little food coloring to each bottle for a variety of color.  The last step, break some glow sticks and place inside of each bottle for glow in the dark bowling that everyone can take part in. If you are looking for something to do on those lazy warm summer nights, remove the labels on empty water or soda pop bottles, fill them up with water and add a little food coloring to each bottle for a variety of color.  The last step, break some glow sticks and place inside of each bottle for glow in the dark bowling that everyone can take part in. 

When you are sitting on the back porch gazing up at the stars after the day has settled down.  You can still enjoy your beautiful summer plants and flowers by painting with this easy nighttime lighting trick, just paint the outside of your flower pots in glow-in-the-dark paint.  This is a simple and quick way to add a little extra to your summer nights.

Happier Trails...

We all love walking paths and trails that twist and turn with our neighborhood.  We ask for them, we will even move to certain communities to find them.  A walking path is meant to connect communities and residents in a safe environment, but what happens when that path doesn’t appear to be a safe place to go?  Have you ever thought about where that path is placed?  Is it next to a home, is it in front or back?  Hidden under a large canopy of trees or behind a tall fence, like the picture above? 

If the walking path is placed in any of these areas: hidden under trees, behind fences and homes, does it encourage the safety that we are all hoping for?  How safe would you feel, to be isolated, walking along a dark path, behind large fences and homes?  Instead, most of us would choose to walk along the sidewalk, which is next to the street, but visible from the front of our neighbors’ homes to feel safe and secure.

Wouldn’t you prefer to walk from neighborhood to neighborhood using a path that is out in the open, visible, and safe?  A trail that is not next to the street with vehicles passing by?  Or walk along a path that loops around creating miles of walking trails?  A path where you can stroll outside with your family, friends, and pets, ride your bike and met your neighbors along the way?  Rather than creating a system of paths and trails as an afterthought, these walk ways will add to the connectivity, safety and overall community feel of our new Master Planned Community “Hill Farms”, which will be making its debut this Fall 2013.

Where the Sidewalk Ends...

It’s that time of year; the sun has made a debut, grass has peeked out through the melted snow and we have shed our heavy winter coats for a jacket or sweater.  Yes, spring has finally arrived bringing with it signs of life, pulling us outside to climb on our bikes, run, play tag, and take long walks with friends and loved ones.  Whether our journey outside begins on a path made of gravel, cement, dirt or a yellow brick road, a sidewalk has been created to take you places, from point A to point B.  It is made to ensure you arrive safely and promptly, without disruption from any on-coming vehicles. 

However, how many times have you embarked on a path, only to discover that it abruptly ends?  No explanation or direction is communicated to as to which way would offer another safe route.  It simply ends, just like the picture above.  Forcing you to walk out into the street, making it essential to compete for space with any oncoming vehicles.  This does not provide a safe route for your children to ride their bikes, scooters, and walk to a neighbor’s house.  An unfinished sidewalk puts your children at risk to be harmed by speeding commuters.

A sidewalk that loops and connects through the community is the ideal way to get around safely.  Would you be more comfortable sending your children to a friend’s house, if there was a sidewalk to take them from your door to their friend’s door, away from oncoming traffic?  Imagine a community with a path that connects everyone, would you feel safer out on a walk?  Would you be more inclined to venture outside and enjoy the sunshine?  We are working to build this level of safety in our Master Planned Community “Hill Farms” (coming this fall) by creating paths and sidewalks that unite the neighborhoods, rather than divides.     

    

Barriers...

A community is defined by a group of people that are living together in a particular place or area. Utah has a rich history of strong communities. Somehow we’ve accomplished this in spite of how our communities are designed. Take the ‘Fail’ example pictured above; we have some nice green space surrounded by a 6’ privacy fence. Visually, the set up here indicates that each resident isn’t interested in getting to the green space easily, and they certainly don’t want anyone from the green space getting close to them.  Homes are positioned facing away from this park area making it easy to ignore.  Homes face wide streets with quick moving cars, and have unused front lawns with a broad driveway to accommodate vehicles.  Everything is clearly stating “this is mine and that is yours” in these neighborhoods.   

These unintentional barriers: a 6’ foot fences, wide streets, empty front lawns and oversized driveways are just a few reasons that allow people to come and go without ever having to take a step outside their front door.  This minimizes drastically the relationships that can be developed with others within the neighborhood, leaving everyone feeling rather isolated. 

Image the community result if the barriers described here were removed. Could we enjoy the green space more? Would we enjoy our neighbors more? Would it feel safer to have our children playing in wide-open green space easily viewable to yourself and all neighbors as opposed to playing in that same space behind a privacy fence?  Would you feel more connected to the person next door to you?  As we work towards our fall 2013 Grand Opening of our Master-planned community “Hill Farms”, our intention is to break down these barriers that keep us from enjoying what we value most in life.