Spring is here with all the pollen and particles that tickle noses and leave many people sneezing and sniffling. Spring allergies become an issue as pollen counts start to rise for the trees and the flowers. Some people have allergies that spike during the late summer and fall, while others have more issues during the spring blooming season. It’s important to have a plan in place for you to manage your allergy symptoms or eliminate them altogether. Here are 10 eco-friendly ways to survive spring allergies this year.

New Air Filters Help Your Health and Reduces Energy Consumption

Air filters in your home should be changed once every three months. Some people stretch this out because they forget. To keep your home more allergen-free, it’s critical to change out those air filters on your furnace and air conditioning unit to ensure they aren’t coming into your home. Additionally, a new air filter will cause your air conditioning units to work more efficiently, helping reduce your energy consumption. 

Find Out Which Allergens Affect You

It can be hard to make a plan if you don’t know what you’re up against. Allergy testing is easier than ever before. You can get tests at your doctor’s office, through an allergist, or using a mail-in test kit. You’ll discover the different indoor and outdoor allergens that are impacting you so you know what to avoid or watch out for.

Buy Local Raw Honey to Reduce Fuel Consumption

Raw local honey that bees have collected in your area can be used to improve your immunity against those allergens. Find raw local honey from an apiary near you and enjoy a spoonful a day to get the best results. By using raw honey, you’ll contribute to a healthy bee population that is necessary for local foods. And buying locally means that less carbon gas was emitted to get the honey to you. 

Get on the Right Medication

Different allergy medicines work for unique allergies. If you’re struggling with outdoor allergies, you’d want a different medicine than if you have indoor allergies. Some doctors can give you allergy shots if your reactions are especially bad. Work with your medical providers to find the right solution. Don’t wait until the allergies get too bad, instead, get on medication early in the season for the best results.

Stay Inside More Often

While you may love going for walks in the forest, tree pollen can be especially hard on your immune system if you have allergies. It’s best to stay indoors where you can breathe more freely. Find fun things to do such as creating art, indoor golf, and even indoor sports such as soccer if you enjoy being more active.

Wash Your Hands

You touch your car door, you touch clothes that have been outside, you touch everything. When you have spring allergies you don’t want to be getting those pollen particles on your face. It’s best to wash your hands when you come in from the outside, even if you weren’t doing anything that would get you dirty.

Boost Your Immune System

Vitamin c, elderberry, and even zinc are all excellent immune boosters. By taking them regularly, you can improve your immune system so that your allergic responses are far less during springtime. Additionally, you can reduce your sugar intake, and increase how many servings of fruits and vegetables you eat. All these things work together to help you build a strong and healthy immune system.

Take Your Shoes Off at the Door

Your shoes track in countless germs, dirt, and grime. And in the spring, they also track in pollen. Pollen falls everywhere, including the ground you walk on. By taking your shoes off at the door, you’ll reduce how much of that pollen ends up in your home. This will give you less pollen to contend with when you spend time indoors.

Gargle Salt Water

When you get that scratchiness in your throat, the best thing to do is to gargle some salt water. While this simple remedy has been touted by parents and grandparents alike for sore throats related to other things, it’s also effective for allergies. The salt water is soothing to the throat and also helps you remove any pollen particles from your throat.

Use Nasal Rinse

If you have allergies, you need to get comfortable with a nasal rinse such as a Neti Pot. Rinsing your sinuses during allergy season helps to reduce inflammation and rinse out any pollen that may be trapped in your sinuses. While uncomfortable at first, the relief you can get from a sinus rinse is worth the awkward feeling.

The post Eco-Friendly Ways to Survive Spring Allergies appeared first on Green Building Insider.

1. Secure insurance

Before starting your renovation project, you need to take out the necessary construction insurance. As explained by Tradesman Saver: “Construction insurance isn’t actually one single policy, but the shorthand name for a series of covers under one umbrella”, and typically includes things like public liability cover, employer’s liability insurance, and tools cover.

When inadvertent damage or injury occurs on the job, you need to be certain that any legal fees or compensation you have to pay won’t impact your immediate finances. Possessing insurance protects your business assets as you won’t be responsible for paying any of the resulting expenses, which is potentially a lifesaver for small businesses or self-employed traders.

For example, you may have to pay hefty compensation fees if you cause property damage on the job, such as to carpets, walls or windows. There’s also the risk of danger to your staff, which could be a disaster if you’re not covered by a comprehensive insurance policy. Indeed, a personal injury policy also ensures that your business will receive financial help if you or someone else is unable to work because of an injury.

2. Assess asbestos risk before any work begins

Any buildings built or refurbished before 2000 may contain asbestos, which can lead to disease including cancers of the lungs and chest lining if breathed in. This is a serious issue, with exposure to asbestos causing around 39,000 deaths annually in the US alone. There is a long delay between first exposure and the initial onset of disease, though, which varies between 15 to 60 years.

It is now illegal to use asbestos in the construction or refurbishment of any premises, but ‘millions of tonnes of asbestos still remain in buildings due to its use in the 20th century’. Workers who carry out maintenance on older buildings are at risk, so you need to do a full check before initiating work. This involves investigating areas where asbestos is commonly found in old buildings, including installation on boilers and steam pipes, as well as cement roofing, shingles and siding.. As well as asbestos, you should inspect the building for things like malfunctioning electrical wiring and old piping too, which are also hazardous to workers and can disrupt the construction process.

3. Protect workers with fall protection and safety gear

Edge fall protection is essential to protecting workers, as it prevents them falling from height. It tends to consist of guardrails and handrails that are applied to locations such as rooftops and high platforms. Heavy-duty safety netting is also non-negotiable, especially for projects on older buildings, as this offers further protection to those working from height. One bonus many do not consider is that it catches any supplies that fall too. Before inserting, ensure that the net is at its full strength, and that it isn’t fraying or otherwise damaged.

Meanwhile, suitable clothing protects your workers from skin irritation, common scrapes, and sunburn if the work is outside. Experienced team members can be counted on to know what to wear, but it’s worth making sure everyone is aware. Appropriate clothing is a genuine safety precaution, so creating guidelines for this is worthwhile. There’s the obvious necessities like work boots, gloves and hard-hats, but some may not think to wear fabrics that stand up to a job, like denim, duck and canvas. It’s also essential to wear safety gloves when handling dangerous material, such as metal pipes, wiring, and earplugs around ear-busting machinery. Become familiar with standards to prevent construction-related injuries and accidents. Consider enrolling your employees in an OSHA 10 online course to mitigate risks at the workplace.

The post 3 Construction Safety Tips for Creating Eco-Friendly Buildings appeared first on Green Building Insider.

However, finding eco-friendly building materials isn’t enough. You also need to make sure that the materials are transported in the eco-friendliest manner possible.

This involves using the right packaging to ship the materials. Some packaging materials are a lot eco-friendlier than others. You will need to keep this in mind when coming up with sustainable building materials.

Importance of Choosing the Right Eco-Friendly Packaging Materials for Your Business

We previously talked about upgrading packaging to make buildings more environmentally friendly. This is also a good idea if you want to make your construction business more sustainable as well. You can use eco-friendly packaging materials to transport building materials with a lower carbon footprint.

With tons of waste filling landfills each year, society becomes environmentally conscious, from reusing grocery bags to eating more sustainably. Every single person in the world is becoming responsible for the waste which they produce and what type of effect it might have on the environment.

This is why most businesses look for compostable packaging so as to ship their products and safely reach clients. As a result, the demand for eco-friendly options is growing popular. Some of these packaging options include:

1. Cornstarch

This organic material has made its way into the eco-friendly packaging sector. Derived from maize plant or corn, it has a plastic-like property, which you may use instead of plastics. From loose-fill and molded forms to bottles packaging, cornstarch adds more uses to this American crop.

Although cornstarch is a more sustainable alternative to petroleum-based packaging, it has some problems. It competes with the animal and human food supply, increasing the cost of dietary staples.

2. Cardboard

Recycled packaging is a perfect way to prolong the life of previously used material. When you decide on containers or boxes, be sure to consider packaging, which consists of recycled materials.

Cardboard is a popular and good example of recycled packaging. The best thing about the packaging is lightweight, and you can cut and form other materials, making it a very convenient option for shipping boxes.

3. Fillers

This biodegradable packaging is an alternative to Styrofoam peanuts or EPS. They usually work better when compared to regular packaging and are easy on the environment. However, there are some drawbacks to certain biodegradable packaging options.

At the same time, bubble wrap is dangerous for the environment because it doesn’t break down. However, you may go for an eco-friendly option. Among the options, which is a wrap to serve the reason as the bubble wrap.

4. Mushroom

Big brands like Ikea are adopting mushroom packaging for their products. As an eco-friendly and natural option, mushroom packaging is becoming helpful for the environment. This packaging decomposes in one or three months, and when organisms ingest it, the option becomes less harmful.

In addition, mushroom packaging is great for supporting small things, and you may mold it into all the shapes you desire for maximum protection. What is more, you may decompose the packaging at home, allowing it to break down into a non-toxic matter.

5. Reusable Envelopes

Papers are common packaging materials, which you can reuse over and over. Though some supplies usually create boxes, which are very large for the products inside, wasting space and material. Apart from wasting the packaging material, this also increases the costs for the businesses.

Rather than that, you should create smaller and thinner packaging, such as envelopes, which fits your products more closely to reduce the wasted cardboard and shipping costs.

6. Air Pillows

If your business needs a lightweight packaging material to reduce shipping costs, you may need to consider air pillows consisting of recycled materials.

Similar to packaging peanuts, you may use air pillows to fill up space inside packages and boxes while providing extra cushioning for your fragile products. Many air pillows feel and look like regular plastics, but most are made from biodegradable or recyclable materials.

Sustainable Packaging Materials Are Important for Eco-Friendly Contractors

The strongest trend in the eco-friendly building sector revolves around the circular economy. You need to focus on improving the sustainability of every element of your business model, including the packaging used to transport building materials. As an entrepreneur, you need to ensure your products are shipped on time and safely. The best way to achieve this is to use quality packaging while improving your reputation by proving that you care a lot about the environment.

By considering eco-friendly packaging, you will be able to show your customers a sense of social responsibility. This needs to include offering eco-friendly alternatives, like air pillows, mushrooms, cardboard, and fillers packaging, just to name a few.

The post 6 Eco-Friendly Packaging Alternatives for Shipping Building Materials appeared first on Green Building Insider.

If you are concerned about preserving the planet and keeping everyone that inhabits your home safe, then you need to avoid them when building a new property. You should avoid using them in the construction of the home and keep them out after it has been finished.

The Importance of Avoiding the Use of Hazardous Chemicals When Building an Eco-Friendly Home

For most people keeping their homes safe from safety hazards is a priority. However, sometimes it’s hard to tell which of these everyday household chemicals threaten your family’s health.

The average family spends roughly $600 on cleaning products each year. While it’s normal to keep your house sparkling clean, some of these cleaning products are chemical hazards and dangerous to the environment. Some of them are carcinogenic, while others have been linked to reproductive health issues.

Today, we’ll look at some of the most environmentally harmful chemicals found in your home.

Bleach

Apart from being very corrosive, bleach can also pose other risks to your health. First, it can irritate your respiratory system if you inhale it. Bleach kills microbes, and when you inhale bleach regularly, it kills off parts of your respiratory tract. It also kills microorganisms if it is released into the environment, which can be terrible for plant and water life around your home.

However, inhaling bleach fumes is only dangerous if you do it every day. Inhaling the fumes once a week won’t do much to your lungs. Just keep your small children away from the fumes because their respiratory system is much more sensitive.

Bleach also irritates the skin and eyes when they come in contact with it. Wash away any bleach that touches your skin or eyes. Inhaling or ingesting too much bleach can lead to pulmonary edema and even a coma.

That’s why it’s important to keep bleach out of reach from small children who love to eat or drink anything they can get their hands on. Use latex gloves and a mask if you use bleach every day.

Ammonia

Ammonia is an ingredient in fertilizers, a water supply purifier, and a refrigerant gas. It occurs as an odorless gas with a sharp, almost suffocating odor. 

Many household cleaning products, like window and toilet cleaners, contain ammonia.

Ammonia fumes can irritate the lungs, throats, nose, and lungs. They are especially dangerous for people with heart and lung problems or asthma. They are also very dangerous to all forms of wildlife, so people that care about the environment should avoid them.

Never mix ammonia with chlorine-based products found in your home. Doing so doesn’t make the cleaning agent stronger, but only more dangerous. Mixing the two chemicals produces a highly toxic and potentially fatal gas.

Air Fresheners

You probably didn’t realize that air fresheners were so dangerous to you and the surrounding environment. Although they smell good, air fresheners are a source of indoor pollution. They contain substances like formaldehyde and toluene, which scientists attribute to numerous health effects, including neurotoxicity and cancer.

Most air fresheners contain formaldehyde which can irritate your skin and eyes. Research suggests that continued exposure to formaldehyde can lead to certain types of cancer. They can also cause pulmonary edema and disrupt the nervous systems of sensitive individuals. Furthermore, they can be deadly to small animals, such as frogs and mice.

Furthermore, air fresheners can stick to walls, surfaces and get absorbed by furniture, which means the harmful effects of the chemicals linger even when you stop using them. Consider switching to natural alternatives like sandalwood, orange rose, and tea tree eucalyptus to minimize the harmful effects of air fresheners.

Antifreeze

Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol, methanol, and propylene glycol, all of which are very toxic when ingested. Antifreeze is great for cooling your engines but is terrible to the body, even in small amounts. Antifreeze damages the heart, brain, kidney, and other internal organs.

The side effects of ingesting antifreeze appear after several hours. For the first few hours after consuming it, the body works hard to break the ethylene glycol into other substances. These substances then harm your heart, brain, kidney, and nervous system.

After a couple of hours, you’ll start feeling a bit dizzy and experience mild stomach illness. After a few more hours, you may enter an unresponsive state or get into a coma. If you survive, you’ll likely have permanent brain or kidney damage.

Kids are more susceptible to antifreeze poisoning because they drink anything in a plastic bottle. Even worse, antifreeze tastes sweet; children can ingest large amounts of the chemical.  

Drain Cleaners

Drain cleaners are great for addressing minor clogs in your plumbing system but aren’t so great for your respiratory and nervous system. Drain cleaners can burn your skin and eyes. If you inhale drain cleaner fumes, they irritate the respiratory system, and chemicals in the fumes enter your bloodstream, leading to seizures and sometimes a coma.

Symptoms of drain cleaner poisoning include severe abdominal pain, vomiting blood, chest pains, collapsing, and diarrhea, to name a few. If you swallow drain cleaner, take lots of water and milk.

If drain cleaner comes into contact with your skin, wash it away with clean water for at least fifteen minutes. For large drain cleaner spills, contact chemical spill clean up companies to contain and remediate the spill site.

Carpet Cleaner

Carpet and upholstery cleaners are dangerous to your health because they contain naphthalene. Exposure to naphthalene has been attributed to the formation of cataracts and liver damage with prolonged exposure. 

Furthermore, the cleaning agents contain perchloroethylene, a known carcinogen. It may lead to dizziness, headaches, and kidney problems even after short-term exposure.

Be Safe: Know the Household Chemical Hazards

These seemingly harmless household products are chemical hazards that threaten the safety of your family. As such, you need to be extra careful when using these substances and keep them out of your children’s reach. In the event you have large chemical spills, contact emergency response ASAP.

Avoid Chemicals that Pose a Danger to the Environment

There are a lot of chemicals that are harmful to the environment. You should avoid them if you are an environmentally conscious homeowner or building a property that is meant to be eco-friendly.

Do you want to read more home-related articles? We have many more on our site. Keep exploring.

The post Most Hazardous Chemicals Green Building Professionals Must Avoid appeared first on Green Building Insider.

1. Inspect the Building’s Condition

Some green building projects don’t start from scratch. When adding onto or renovating a property, always inspect the building’s current condition. Malfunctioning electrical writing or old piping could hurt or flood the team when they arrive to work.

A quick inspection will also reveal any potential sustainable additions the site needs. Getting ahead of problems before they occur is always better for everyone involved. Companies gain employee respect and enjoy better standing in the community because management cares about their team members and their projects’ quality.

2. Use Edge Fall Protection

While constructing a multi-story building or working on a home’s second story, edge fall protection saves lives. It only takes moments to install and makes it easier for workers to install requested energy-efficient windows and reduce the property’s energy usage. Ensure that the netting isn’t fraying or otherwise damaged before installing.

Replacing older materials and recycling them is a worthy investment in site safety and employee protection.

3. Double Check Scaffolding

Scaffolding provides the necessary support for in-progress projects, but it typically uses traditional materials. Switch to eco-friendly alternatives without compromising site safety by opting for bamboo scaffolding.

Bamboo is one of the most eco-friendly materials because it matures in three to five years, compared to trees that take decades to do the same. Site managers can also use reclaimed wood for some scaffolding and platforms if they want more options.

4. Install Safety Netting

Heavy-duty safety netting is nonnegotiable for any construction project. They’re an extra form of protection against falls that happen while installing sustainable roofing materials or setting up solar panels. If any supplies fall, the net can catch those too.

5. Compare Eco-Friendly Materials

There are a few ways construction project managers can compare eco-friendly materials for upcoming sites. Research options like bamboo, reclaimed wood and precast concrete slabs. The information could transform a project and make it greener than previously planned.

Eco-friendly materials might exist naturally or use green production methods to cut down on resource waste. It’s essential to review every option and potentially re-use existing foundational parts, especially if a project requires LEED certification.

6. Remember Face Protection

Construction workers spend most of their time out in the sun, handling tools that could easily cause injuries with a single mistake or distracted moment. New green buildings or renovations require new procedures that could also be new to some team members, increasing the risk of injuries.

A recent study found a 36% increase in injuries from lacerations on properties intended for LEED certification, a popular method to guarantee energy efficiency. Providing face protection for every team member with masks and safety glasses is necessary for sustainable construction projects.

Mitigating these odds is part of determining vulnerabilities and managing risks before beginning a new site so everyone remains safe.

7. Define Proper Clothing

Dress codes may seem limited to grade schools and offices, but every construction team should have one as well. The right clothing shields workers from dangers like sunburns and skin irritation from dust. Some team members might have experience and know what to wear, but management shouldn’t assume that everyone’s on the same page.

One of the best safety tips for green building workers is defining proper clothing. Outline required protective apparel such as:

• Jeans
• Long sleeve shirts
• Work boots

It’s also crucial for people to wear safety gloves and earplugs around dangerous materials and loud machinery. Requiring these clothes and enforcing them when someone breaks the dress code reduces the chance of injuries and ensures a timely site completion.

8. Establish Shoe Guidance

Shoes can also protect or harm team members. They provide proper arch support for workers who spend all day on their feet. Employees will have more job satisfaction and retain their health if they don’t deal with daily back and neck pain related to improper shoes.

Establish team-wide shoe guidance so everyone knows what to wear. Slip-resistance and puncture-proof soles are essential on any site. Boots with safety-toes like metal caps will also prevent machinery or supplies from crushing toes.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines construction foot protection with the same specifications, so including them in the company dress code ensures safety and OSHA compliance.

9. Provide Proper Headgear

Anyone on a green construction site should wear proper headgear. Management should provide hard hats to anyone entering a site, even if it’s the client requesting a quick tour. They shelter people from falling debris and hitting their head on materials while working.

Even if a site uses solar energy or underground heating systems, electric shock injuries are still a potential risk during different construction phases. Hard hats draw electricity away from the people wearing them, reducing the risk of electric shock while working around frayed wiring and other electrical systems.

The right headgear will also provide extra light during late work hours in the winter or overnight shifts. Anyone working near or past sunset should have access to hats with headlamps and face shields for extra protection during riskier hours.

10. Keep Recycling Close

Traditional construction sites set up massive dumpsters for waste, which end up in local landfills. Green building projects can use the same containers for recycling and make employees safer by keeping that bin on-site. It minimizes how far team members have to go to get rid of waste properly.

Without repeatedly going on and off-site, teams deal with less foot traffic and maintain their safety better. No one will accidentally walk through an area with falling debris or disrupt a multi-person effort that requires focus. It makes recycling more manageable and improves the sustainability of any construction site.

Use Safety Tips for Green Building

Everyone can use these safety tips for green building projects. They’re both personal and company responsibilities that require supporting each other so every site is safer for everyone involved and kinder on the environment.

The post 10 Safety Tips for Green Building appeared first on Green Building Insider.

This focus on creating green buildings is admirable and necessary. However, construction professionals can’t afford to prioritize the planet over the safety of occupants. Safety and sustainability can go together, but only if builders pay attention to both of these elements at the design stage.

Sustainability and Fire Safety

Fire safety is a top concern for today’s builders. Most countries have fire safety inspectors who ensure that all buildings meet the minimum requirements for fire safety. But even when a building’s materials don’t violate any laws, they can still pose a risk to firefighters.

Researchers from Worchester Polytechnic Institute received a $1 million grant to continue earlier research that showed the potential hazards of some green materials.

For example, lightweight engineered lumber uses fewer materials than conventional lumber, and many professionals view it as an eco-friendly option. However, the material is also more likely to collapse during a fire if it’s part of the flooring. Researchers also brought up the potential for electrocution by solar panels.

Solar panels make things difficult for firefighters because they often have independent power sources. That may mean that cutting off the main power for a burning home doesn’t eliminate the risk of active electricity associated with solar panels. Moreover, the location of solar panels may prevent fire crews from cutting holes in a roof to help smoke escape.

Some eco-friendly buildings also have a minimalist design to reduce waste. It may look chic and inspire occupants to do more with less, but the simplified design might not have as many barriers in place to contain fires.

For example, many apartments, hotels and hostels in the United Kingdom have fire doors in communal areas such as corridors. The goal of a fire door is to keep flames in a smaller area rather than letting them spread to places where they endanger more occupants. People who aren’t familiar with these designs might think it’s wasteful to have so many doors, but they don’t realize that they ultimately promote fire safety.

Ensuring a Safe Water Supply

Construction professionals need to ensure their structure meets fire safety standards, but that isn’t their only responsibility. They also need to equip their building with basic conveniences like running water. To that end, it’s crucial to keep health concerns in mind, such as preventing Legionella pneumophila outbreaks. Legionella is a type of water-borne bacteria that can live in things like decorative fountains or showerheads.

According to research, up to 70% of buildings in the U.S. that are taller than three stories may have Legionella issues. Also, scientists at Purdue University found that low-flow plumbing systems could promote the multiplication of dangerous pathogens, including Legionella pneumophila.

Part of the problem is that the flow rates have gone down while the diameter of plumbing pipes have stayed the same. That means that water can age in the pipes, making it potentially contaminated by the time it reaches a consumer. This information will aid builders and other decision-makers in using low-flow systems to reduce the risks.

If building designers want to address an occupant’s need for clean, fresh water while also being eco-friendly, they might consider adding something to a public area of a building, such as the lobby. Dasani is testing a water dispenser that gives still or seltzer water to people who bring bottles to fill. It’s one of many strategies the brand is using to address the issue of plastic waste.

Uncertain Effects of New Materials

Designing a fire-safe building involves many aspects that people can see, such as the number of exits. But protecting a building from a future fire also requires retardant materials. For example, there are special bricks containing fire-retardant materials, and some of the fabrics or fillings used to make couch cushions also have those same characteristics.

Research has shown that some flame-retardant materials have an adverse effect on the environment. So engineers came up with “better” alternatives. However, a recent study from the American Chemical Society suggests that the newer option also has a negative impact.

More specifically, a supposedly superior option called “polymeric flame retardant” is less likely to enter biological cells or the food chain. Unfortunately, researchers found that it can break down into harmful compounds after exposure to excessive heat or ultraviolet light. The team clarified that this could present issues if using the material to insulate a hot attic or when discarding the material at a landfill.

This finding illuminates a larger challenge as well: It’s often impossible to know the long-term effects of newer products.

For example, scientists have made substantial headway in creating eco-friendly plastics, a positive development considering how dependent modern society is on the material. But is it possible that these new plastics could introduce hazards as they age? Absolutely. The trouble is that people can usually only speculate until the newest options reach the point of mainstream, long-term use.

Worker Safety and Green Buildings

Construction work can be dangerous, even if laborers have the necessary training and follow appropriate procedures. That said, research has shown that green construction can be especially hazardous. A study from 2012 focused on several case studies associated with LEED-certified buildings. It found that people on those projects worked near electrical currents, at heights and near unstable soil more often than people working on non-LEED jobs.

Then, a 2018 study collected data from 30 construction companies in Singapore. It found a higher accident rate for green building projects versus conventional ones. There are undoubtedly many variables at play that may cause a rise in safety risks. Since some green building materials and techniques are relatively new, people don’t have adequate experience working with them.

Another possible issue could be the limited time frames in which construction workers have to complete green building projects. Tight schedule requirements stem from both the increased interest in green building projects and the frequent instances of governments setting net-zero emissions targets by particular deadlines.

If construction company owners and project managers are too focused on profit, or they feel pressure from deadlines, some of them may sacrifice safety. Even if sustainable buildings reach completion under budget and on schedule, worker safety could still be at risk.

Making adequate training mandatory and setting manageable timelines for sustainable projects could both keep a project safer while still meeting the demand for eco-friendly buildings. Companies should also try to specifically hire people who have ample experience with green building practices.

Safety Is Just as Important as Sustainability

A growing number of people recognize the need for green buildings. It’s important, of course, but it’s equally essential to keep builders and occupants safe and secure.

The post The Intersection (And Challenges) of Green Buildings and Safety appeared first on Green Building Insider.

However, it’s not always easy to be green. Over the last century, the safety of work zones have improved drastically, but now there are new issues associated with building green.

Green Sites Are High-Risk for Workers

The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a green building rating system for construction projects. It is globally recognized as the standard for sustainable construction. A study that came out in the Journal of Construction Engineering and Management concluded that there are increased risks to workers on LEED-certified projects compared to workers on traditional construction sites. The study highlighted that workers at LEED-certified construction zones complete high-risk tasks that are not found in traditional work zones.

The study found a 36% increase in injury from construction material, a 24% increase in falls, and a 14% increase in exposure to hazardous substances. You can imagine that installing solar panels on a roof has a much greater risk of injury than laying bricks.

While this study highlights some marginal risks, I don’t think this should be a deterrent to green construction. The collective reward of building green immensely outweighs a low number of workplace injuries. However, it is important to encourage green work zones to maintain safety when possible.

Everyone expects to complete their workday safely, even if they work in a hazardous environment. As a workers’ comp lawyer, I have seen countless examples of construction accidents.

The fact is that accidents happen across the board, no matter what kind the project is being worked on. There might be more risk involved with green building, but keep in mind that green building is a relatively new effort. I assume that all new techniques of construction have been met with some form of opposition over the years.

Green Construction Will Get Better

I would argue that LEED-certified construction projects will actually become far safer in the coming years. The precision of architectural companies who build green will continue to improve and accidents will decrease. New ideas create new challenges, and sustainable building is no acceptation.

“Going green” has been the trend of many industries in recent decades. The prospect of green homes, green cities, and green roads makes the future of America sound like the Emerald City of Oz — but there is a long way to go.

As politicians continue to squabble about climate change, it’s nice to see real advancement in how our communities are built. Sustainable construction is on the rise, and designers are aiming to make buildings that produce as much energy as they consume.

The way of the future is polished with self-driving cars, energy effect buildings and sleek modern home design. Imagine the colossal benefit if this country was built on self-sustaining energy.

Injury and accidents on a job site will always be a concern, whether someone is building a skyscraper or a doghouse. The study referenced above concluded that it is more dangerous to build green rather than typical construction practices; however, this should not be taken pessimistically. We should recognize the opportunity to support and advance the work done by sustainable construction operations.

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