Caring for holly plants is generally easy as long as you understand the conditions in which they grow best.  These handsome and varied plants range in height from upright trees of 60 feet to creeping plants 12 inches tall suitable for rock gardens. So there is a holly for almost every garden! Tolerating acid soil, hollies are good companion plants for rhododendrons.  They’re known for their brightly colored, red fruit, but some varieties showcase orange, yellow, black or even white berries. The fruits sometimes lasts six months or longer, making hollies ideal ornamentals.

Lineworkers face the ever-present danger of electrocution as they work on or near electrical components. It is important and absolutely necessary to follow your employer's work rules, ANSI NESC requirements, OSHA regulations and the equipment manufacturer's information to reduce the chance of serious injury or death.  

Electrocution occurs when a person’s body is a path for electric current. The body becomes a path by touching, or getting too close to, two objects at different potential (voltage). The voltage difference causes the current flow. You do not have to touch an object to be a path. The electric current can jump through the air if the distance, voltage, and weather conditions qualify. 

Scott Young serves as president of Region North America for Volvo Construction Equipment, based in Shippensburg, Pa.

Young has some 23 years of construction equipment industry experience at both Ingersoll Rand and Volvo. He began his Volvo Group career in 2008. In his previous role, Young served as Head of Uptime, where he led teams to implement new technologies and business models focused on services and product support, in partnership with the Volvo CE dealer network.

In the construction industry, heavy machinery such as excavators and bulldozers is essential for getting the job done. However, loading and unloading these massive machines from trailers and moving them across city streets, sidewalks, driveways, or lawns to reach the job site presents significant challenges. Without the proper ground protection, the risk of damage to surfaces is high, and the resulting costs can be substantial.

In 2024, the construction industry in the U.S. continues to face significant challenges with workforce shortages, rising labor costs and economic uncertainty. Amid this backdrop, unions in construction are maintaining a steady presence, but the sector remains a battleground for discussions on unionization. Both unionized and non-unionized construction companies are grappling with similar issues, such as worker retention and the need for wage increases to keep up with inflation. Yet, unions provide a structured approach to addressing these challenges through collective bargaining, advocacy and training programs. 

To SENA or not to SENA…that is the question! Is it though? If you like speaking in a normal tone of voice, clearly communicating to your fellow workers, and maybe even enjoy the ease of taking or making phone calls without pulling your phone out of your pocket while high in the air, maybe, just maybe, a Bluetooth communication system like SENA would be a great addition to your tree care team. Yelling up into the air in fragmented sentences, highlighting keywords for you and the rest of the neighborhood is how we’ve always done it, but it does get exhausting and is not as professional as you could be.

For those considering a career in the construction trades, understanding where your inherent skills and preferred work environment align with the demands of the industry can be key to long-term success. The construction trades offer diverse opportunities that cater to various skill sets, physical demands and work environments.

Crane Institute Certification’s new computerised scoring tells an operator within hours whether he or she passed the OSHA-required practical exam.

When it comes to keeping your hands safe and warm in tough working conditions like harsh winters, the right gloves can make all the difference. Whether you’re facing cold weather, working with heavy tools, or handling metal, this roundup covers gloves designed to meet the demands of a variety of tough jobs.

A local arborist managed to rescue a cat in a tree in Rutland last weekend.

Shannon Hyde owns Sisu Tree Care. Typically his days are full of pruning, cutting trees and yard clean-ups in the fall. But he's also ready to jump into action to rescue animals, especially cats that get stuck in trees.

"Firemen, contrary to popular belief, they do not rescue cats out of trees," Hyde said.

This particular cat was up a tree for 48 hours when he got the call on Sunday.

The construction industry is facing a workforce shortage, and companies are increasingly recognizing the need to attract young, skilled workers to fill the gap. The next generation, Gen Z and Millennials, live and breathe social media. It’s where they connect, learn and share. By leveraging social media effectively, construction companies can not only promote their projects but also create a brand that resonates with potential new hires, building a pipeline of young, skilled workers.

In an industry that is constantly evolving, it’s easy to see that the crane and rigging sector is undergoing a significant shift in how operator training is delivered, with technology playing a central role in shaping the future.

In the fast-paced world of electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing, precision and cleanliness are paramount. As the industry races to meet growing demand, manufacturers are increasingly turning to advanced cleanroom environments to ensure the highest standards of quality and safety in their production processes. Among the myriad components that make these specialized spaces function effectively, composite cribbing stands out as an unsung hero. This guide delves into the critical role of composite cribbing in EV cleanrooms, offering insights into its benefits and best practices for implementation.

Make sure to check out your backyard for zombies this Halloween season — zombie trees, that is. 

Zombie tree is a layman’s term for a tree that is dead or declining on the inside. 

“So basically, it’s a tree that appears OK on the outside, but internally or below ground, is probably not in the best health,” said Dan Cohen, assistant district manager of Needham tree removal company Hartney Greymont. 

The tree can pose a safety risk because limbs can fall off the tree, and the entire tree can potentially tip over. 

Branches that have fallen on the ground around the tree, damage on the trunk, and a thinning canopy — i.e. the top of the tree has spots that lack leaves — are all signs of a zombie tree, Cohen said.  

According to a survey of hundreds of attendees in a session at CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2023, the labor shortage and recruiting and retaining high-quality workers are the biggest challenges facing the construction industry right now. 

We have developed a comprehensive guide to overcoming fundamental challenges in hiring and retaining employees in the construction industry. It delves into common construction/manufacturing industry issues, such as high turnover rates, difficulties in finding qualified candidates, and the impact of workplace environment on employee satisfaction, and how to solve them. 

In the realm of lifting, there are times when the crew needs to get up close to the elements that are being hoisted. While there are a variety of personnel lifting solutions, a man basket is often the answer.

Providing access via a crane and a man basket requires specialized equipment and know-how, but it is a tried and true practice that is safe and practical.

The new design is said to offer significantly improved visibility, comfort and safety features, with standard air conditioning. The company’s ‘Smart System’ including the company’s own telematics system monitors, records and uploads any misuse or overloading, location and a range of technical data. It is now available now for all crane models.

Tower cranes that can be operated from the ground are in use at a construction project in Birmingham - and have already helped an operator who is scared of heights.

The Skyline Cockpit ground command system has been trialled successfully and will continue to be used in Crown Place Birmingham.

It removes the need for an operator to climb up and down the mast to the cab by enabling them to control the crane from ground level.

Hurricane Helene and Milton tore through the Southeast, claiming lives and leaving widespread destruction in its wake. Torrential rainfall and flooding overwhelmed outdated stormwater systems and eroded landscapes, factoring into the property damage, environmental contamination and tragic loss of life. Local officials and industry experts are now urging immediate action to strengthen stormwater management and erosion control. The need for resilient infrastructure and proactive maintenance is critical with climate change’s contribution to more frequent storms.

As the sun rises over a bustling construction site, heavy equipment operators begin their day with a crucial consideration: the stability of the ground beneath their machines. For these skilled professionals, understanding soil conditions is as vital as mastering their equipment. Whether operating a mobile crane or maneuvering a concrete pump, the integrity of the ground can determine the success or failure of a job. This is where proof testing enters the picture, serving as a critical process to ensure the earth can withstand the immense loads these operators handle daily.

Ensuring the safety, reliability, and efficiency of infrastructure, such as power lines, pipelines, and transportation corridors can be a never-ending job. A big part of that job can be vegetation management. Utilities and governments are seeking cost-effective solutions to maintain vegetation.

Manufacturers are designing better solutions to these problems by launching new equipment with customer-centric and smarter features designed to improve productivity and reduce costs.

Host Taylor White welcomes Lynn Miller, the President of Miller Earthworks, to the podcast this week to explore his remarkable journey from a rather modest start to leading a successful family-owned business. Highlighting his unique approach to excavating which involves focusing on niche projects that larger companies often overlook, Lynn discusses with Taylor the importance of fostering strong relationships with customers and employees, the challenges of steady growth, and the benefits of keeping business local.

Most of us understand at this point that the construction industry has traditionally been slower to adapt technology to its operations, having a relatively large number of tasks which remain manual or semi-manual in operation. But the ever-broadening worker shortage continues to disrupt many of these operations – across all sectors of the larger industry. Enter artificial intelligence.

At just 32 years old, Matt Edwards is already a 13-year veteran of the electric utility industry. Quickly establishing an exciting and rewarding career is exactly what inspired him to become a lineman in the first place.

“Like a lot of my high school classmates, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do,” said Edwards, a lineman for Paducah Power System in Paducah, Kentucky. “I had some interest in a lot of different things, but I was never a student who liked to study or wanted to go to a four-year college. I mainly wanted something where I could find a job right away, and enjoy the work I would be doing. I just wasn’t sure what that might be.”

Alex Beltrao, Director of Compliance at The Lifting Equipment Engineers Association (LEEA), explains what lifting equipment related documentation needs to be provided by product manufacturers and suppliers to assure customers of legal compliance. 

‘Operators across the globe place their trust in lifting equipment, so need assurance that the equipment supplied meets the standards and legislation. All lifting equipment should be of adequate strength, sound material, of good construction and suitable for the duty it must perform. It should be verified in accordance with the requirements of the standard being worked to. New equipment should comply with the essential health and safety requirements stipulated in the applicable legislation, and product standard where available, and issued with the required conformity documentation.

Compact machines play an increasingly important role in utility construction, particularly as urbanization grows. According to the U.S. 2020 Census 80% of the U.S. population currently lives in urban areas, up from 64% in 1950. Utility workers in urban environments not only face limited space on jobsites, but high-traffic areas can limit accessibility to projects. Contractors may also face noise and emissions restrictions.

As attendees walk through the entrance of TCI EXPO ’24 at the Baltimore Convention Center this November 7-9, they’ll get the opportunity to meet with 260-plus exhibitors – but that’s just the beginning! They’ll also get to examine every aspect of tree care and explore real-life scenarios that mirror their everyday work.

In addition to vegetables and shrubs, trees play a role in edible gardens as well. Usually a sign of mature soil and ecology, fruit trees are able to give us fruiting bounties, provide shade and also contribute to the local ecology and microbiomes of soils.

But often, trees are overlooked in the urban setting, and tree care is relatively uncommon.

The Energy and Natural Resources Ministry has set an ambitious goal to plant 100 million trees nationwide by 2025, with one million targeted for the Federal Territories alone.

While these targets are promising, ensuring the long-term care of these trees is crucial for their success and the safety of urban spaces.

As the weather starts cooling down you might not be thinking about your lawn and landscaping. But now is the perfect time to take care of the old trees in your yard.

“Fall is the perfect time for removals just because everything is in it’s dormant status. So it gives people time to prepare so that way, in the Spring, if they’re looking to do some type of, you know, new planting or re-landscaping, that kind of stuff, it gives them the whole aspect,” Phil Nystrom, lead arborist with Weller Brothers Landscape Professionals, said.

The 730 tonne reactor cavity precast pool for the Hinkley Point C project was installed with Modulift underslung beams and Big Carl, the world’s largest crane designed and owned by Sarens.

Specialist lifting equipment manufacturer Modulift is facilitating civil engineering installation works at Hinkley Point C, a nuclear power plant under construction in Somerset, UK. The 730 tonne reactor cavity precast pool was installed using Modulift underslung beams and Big Carl, Sarens’ largest land-based crane, with a capacity of 5,000 tonnes.