Stone World sits down with Egon Hinss, national sales manager of Breton USA, to discuss the process of transitioning to a fully or semi-automated fabrication shop
As labor markets continue to dwindle and the need to run a safer shop is more important than ever before, Egon Hinss, the national sales manager of Breton USA, explains how fabricators can start the automation process in their shop. Hinss has 20 years of experience in the industry and has been with Breton for the past six years.
Safety should always be at the forefront – whether in the fabrication shop or on the jobsite. Manufacturers continue to develop products that not only make handling slabs and other large stone pieces safer, but also help to increase production and installation efficiency.
After Australia’s first death from silicosis, the country, companies and employees have come together to fight the problem of this life-threatening condition
In the past two years, Australia had its first reported fatality from silicosis. In response, the Australian government has been advocating for change and protection for fabricators. Silicosis is a form of occupational, non-reversible lung disease caused by inhalation of silica dust over a long period of time. Silica is a highly common, crystal-like mineral found in sand, rock, and quartz. It can have deadly consequences for people who work with stone, tile, concrete, glass, or other forms of rock.
How important is leadership? Time and time again, I’ve seen teams that were once high performing —a generating best-in-class results — fail under new leadership. Same team, yet dramatically different results. Why?
The threat of silica exposure is not a new story. However, these reports are a strong reminder that stone companies must be diligent about reducing the risks to workers. The Natural Stone Institute recommends the following.
I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t bring up the issue of shop safety after recently hearing about another tragic accident where falling slabs took the lives of two shop workers. It was just another day for these workers until the unimaginable happened.
OSHA and NIOSH have identified exposure to silica as a health hazard to workers involved in finishing and installing natural and manufactured stone countertop products, both in fabrication shops and during in-home finishing/installation.
Whether it is a new hire or a current employee, proper training, including cross-training, is important. Employees that are properly trained and cross-trained result in maintaining a high-quality efficient fabrication shop. Below are a few tips to help develop a valuable training program.
Visits to a stone shop or slab yard should not be a life threatening experience. But the truth is, stone can be dangerous and accidents happen all the time. They happen to stone workers, contractors, truckers and to the public.
Listed in alphabetical order, this article showcases the latest stone material handling equipment from: Braxton-Brag, GranQuartz, Groves Inc., No LIft Install System Inc., Omni Cubed, Regent Stone Products, Salem Stone, Stone Boss, Weha, and Wood’s Powr-Grip.