by Jorge Vazquez on Jan 23, 2020
Let's take a quick test. How many basic senses do we have at birth? Name them. Is it one.... two.... four? I'm sure we all agree the answer is FIVE. These five senses are SIGHT, HEARING, TASTE, TOUCH and SMELL.If you were faced with sacrificing four of these five basic senses, which ones would you keep? Most people would keep their sense of SIGHT... read more
by Grace Johnson on Jan 21, 2020
The following blog post was written by Grace Johnson, Safety Advisor at MAREK's Houston location.I was recently given the opportunity by MAREK, along with one of our Field Foreman, Jaime Ramos to participate on a discussion panel hosted by the AGC Houston. The panel consisted of 6 individuals both male and female, discussing the obstacles women... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Jan 15, 2020
When we do accident investigations, a lot of times we’ll find injuries can be attributed to some type of distraction.Although it may not be possible to eliminate distractions, experts say steps can be taken to minimize them and recognize when they occur.Different types of distractionsWhen people are distracted, they are not paying attention and... read more
by Marek Brothers on Jan 14, 2020
Pop quiz: What’s the most valuable resource in construction?
If your answer is a specific building material, process, or even technology, you’d be incorrect. Construction’s most valuable resource: people.
by Jorge Vazquez on Jan 7, 2020
How long you work for us is based on how you safely perform your job and meet the production expectations of your supervisor.Every Front Line Supervisor is responsible for timely reporting of all work-related injuries, accidents and fall exposures. To properly carry out his duties, today we are reviewing with all employees, the responsibilities... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Dec 18, 2019
We have all experienced slipping, tripping, stumbling or falling. Usually the only result is that you feel silly, embarrassed, and perhaps got a scrape or bruise. But falls kill 1,200 people at work a year. They are the biggest cause of accidental death in the workplace. More than 33,000 people are disabled every year from falling down stairs,... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Dec 13, 2019
We have talked about eye protection many times in the past. There is no question how fragile our eyes are and how important it is to protect them. We all know when to wear eye protection on the job, but today we want to talk about other eye injuries that occur and how to prevent them. The majority of eye injuries do not occur because we failed to... read more
by Marek Brothers on Dec 12, 2019
TEXO recently hosted its 6th annual Construction Safety Professionals Day, which brought together TEXO members, safety professionals, and key decision makers for two days of high quality speakers, workshop sessions, and a vendor showcase. Furthermore, TEXO and its Safety Committee developed the Construction Safety Professionals Day to give... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Dec 4, 2019
Sharp edges and puncture hazards:When you are handling metal, remember the sharp rolled edges. Every employee gets relaxed around metal: when you see your co-workers do this, remind them about the sharp edges. Many hand lacerations are caused by carelessness - losing your grip and not wearing gloves (PPE) while handling metal framing, trash and... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Nov 27, 2019
As you might have heard, the new ANSI Standards regarding mobile equipment working platforms are out and this classifies the equipment into two different groups.Group A is consisted of MEWPs that move vertically but stay inside the tipping lines. Group B includes all others, such as boom-type MEWPs where the platform extends past the machine’s... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Nov 20, 2019
The Marek Family of Companies wants to take this opportunity to give thanks to the most important part of our business – YOU. We hope that you and your family have had a safe and healthy year. We hope you can spend these holidays with family and be able to give thanks for what you have.All of us at MAREK can be thankful for another year. We want... read more
by Marek Brothers on Nov 14, 2019
As attorneys prepare to make arguments about protections for young immigrants before the United States Supreme Court next week, nearly 50 business leaders from around Texas asked Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz to "take up legislation that will provide a permanent solution for undocumented youth, also known as Dreamers.""The Supreme Court is... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Nov 13, 2019
As the weather becomes “frightful” during winter months, construction workers who must brave the outdoor conditions face the occupational hazard of exposure to the cold. You need to be especially mindful of the weather, its effects on the body, and proper prevention techniques.Environmental ConditionsThe following four environmental conditions... read more
by Marek Brothers on Nov 12, 2019
The filmmakers at the Rational Middle have now also launched a podcast tackling the tough topic of immigration. Their video documentary series on the issue, which you can check out here, offers a primer on how the United States arrived at the broken immigration system it has today.
by Marek Brothers on Nov 5, 2019
Construction isn't just for the guys. In fact, one of the most pervasive myths that we hear all the time is that women are somehow not welcome in the industry.
by Jorge Vazquez on Oct 31, 2019
An injury because of a fall is a major problem in construction. More than 20,000 people are killed every year due to a fall. Only traffic accidents cause more tragedy.Falling hazards on jobsites are grouped into three general categories:Falls on the same level.Falls from an elevated area.Being struck by a falling object.Slipping, tripping or... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Oct 22, 2019
At Marek we expect everyone to report unsafe conditions and actions, as stated in PROJECT SAFE. A near miss is always considered an unsafe condition that needs immediate correction.Close calls or near misses are all too common in the workplace. Why talk about incidents that didn’t happen? The following story might make it a little easier to... read more
by Marek Brothers on Oct 18, 2019
The following article was authored by Scott Braddock and originally published on Construction Citizen.A commitment ceremony was held this past week for dozens of Houston students in a new dual credit, two-year construction certification program at Houston Community College. The whole thing is being done in partnership with MAREK, one of the... read more
by Jorge Vazquez on Oct 18, 2019
PROJECT SAFE STATES:Only those employees who have been certified under the company’s stilt policy will be allowed to use stilts.STILTS POLICY STATES:Employees shall always use a stable surface such as a scaffold or material stack when getting on or off stilts. When mounting stilts, the top leg strap first will be buckled first. When dismounting,... read more
by Marek Brothers on Oct 11, 2019
The following article was authored by Norman Adams and originally published on TXSIP.org.At a recent Texas Summit on Immigration in Houston last week, my good friend Stan Marek, co-founder of TXSIP and CEO of MAREK, explained a sensible immigration policy we call “ID and Tax.”With Texas’ unemployment at 3.4% and businesses in need of more workers... read more
