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Spray Foam Mafia: Toolbox Talks on Safety
Weekly Grab and Go Toolbox Talks on Safety in the Spray Foam Industry
Get ready to uncover the critical safety secrets of the spray foam industry with our host, Jeremiah Schoenberg, a seasoned expert with nearly 25 years of experience. Discover how Jeremiah's career took a surprising turn from a gun range in Montana to becoming an industry stalwart and learn about the rewarding yet intense work that shaped his passion of the industry. Alongside, co-host Dan Benedict shares his journey from the cattle industry to owning Spray Foam Arizona showcasing the rich diversity and dedication within our industry.
This podcast delves into the heart of safety, discussing the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) and fostering an open communication culture around safety concerns. We emphasize the need for engaging and practical safety training and reflect on how individual safety practices impact the broader business ecosystem. We also highlight the importance of certifications and training to boost workplace safety and efficiency. Join us to set the stage for future enlightening conversations on equipment, mental health, and industry best practices.
Spray Foam Mafia: Toolbox Talks on Safety
Podcast #9: Construction Site Safety: Gas Engines, Fire Prevention, and Protective Gear Essentials with Real-Life Insights with Miguel Mora and Rusty Schrader
Send us your Questions for Jeremiah and Dan
What if safety oversights on construction sites could lead to catastrophic consequences? In this eye-opening episode, we dissect real-life incidents involving small gas engines and construction equipment, including a chilling account of a colleague's severe burns from a generator mishap. Through personal stories and anecdotes, we emphasize the paramount importance of proper safety measures and the indispensable role of accessible fire extinguishers. We don't just stop at recounting incidents; we explore how multiple types of fire extinguishers can offer comprehensive protection against various fire scenarios.
Experience the lighter side of construction safety with cautionary tales that highlight the unpredictable nature of equipment management. We share amusing, yet vital lessons on the hazards of leaving foam to combust and the perils of improper handling of gas compressors. Our discussion is not only about avoiding fires; it's about meticulous planning and the necessity of dedicated storage for flammable materials. Amidst the laughter, we touch on balancing work with family commitments, offering relatable insights for professionals striving to maintain safety while juggling multiple responsibilities.
Safety extends beyond fire prevention, as we tackle the often-overlooked importance of protective gear in spray work. With firsthand accounts of the long-term health impacts of exposure to spray chemicals, we stress the critical need for respirators and the proper maintenance of safety equipment. Communication and teamwork emerge as key themes, with a focus on proactive measures and collaboration to prevent accidents. As we wrap up, we challenge the misconception that slowing down equates to doing less, advocating for smarter work practices that enhance productivity without compromising safety. Join us for an engaging conversation that promises to transform your approach to safety and efficiency on the construction site.
For comments, suggestions, safety shares and questions email us at sprayfoammafia@gmail.com
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So when I was working for the other company as a sprayer and also up again manager, there we had a guy that, uh, he had third degree burns from the generator shutting off and then he went up there and he opened the gas tank so all the gas blew out and, uh, touched, you know, the exhaust, so he lit up in fire.
Dan:Another spray foam mafia podcast topic for safety. Right, there is, we're going to get small gas engine safety. Good point, miguel.
Rusty Schrader:Thank you for the stroke of genius. I got a good one on that situation right there too, back when I was roofing.
Dan:Rusty's Wreck of the Week.
Rusty Schrader:Hold it. This was a good one. We were in a really high class neighborhood in Bakersfield, in the Rosedale area.
Dan:Wait, wait wait, high class in Bakersfield in the same sense. Okay, all right.
Rusty Schrader:Okay, it's not like oil, sorry to everybody else. In Bakersfield it was by on the golf course actually is where we were at and we had an E20 rig. Okay, had a gas air compressor, gas coating machine, gas generator. Okay, and I don't even want to admit this, but yeah, this is how it went. The coatings machine gas tank was no good, so we had to unhook the gas line from the generator and hook it to the coatings machine, and the key switch didn't work in the generator, so we had to use jumper cables from the generator battery to the coating machine battery and then arc the starter Right.
Dan:Get the old screwdriver across the starter. Yeah, don't know anything about that.
Rusty Schrader:Never seen it of it, never done. Okay, fast, yeah. Now I look over and I'm thinking, why hasn't my helper got the coating machine started? And I look over the edge and it's blazing in the trailer and he's got that one of those straw hats and he's trying to put that fire out. Dude, because we're back right up to this garage that's got a beautiful corvette sitting inside. Oh no, yeah, yeah. And so here I come down the ladder. Dude, almost kill myself getting down the ladder.
Dan:We get the fire put out, but that's, that's just super simple piece right, and by saying get the fire put out means you had a working and inspected fire extinguisher. You could just get right a hold of it and put it out correct, sure.
Miguel Mora:Okay, good, as long as we clarify.
Jeremiah:That's why we were beating it with straw hats. As long as we clarify, the fire extinguisher is dead.
Dan:Some people panic, but again, yes, a working, yes, yes, inspected fire extinguisher that you know is charged and operable was right.
Rusty Schrader:You should have in every rig exactly front door, that's the point at the back door and the truck. And let's get serious about this too. You're going to have multiple different fire extinguishers. You're going to have chemical fire extinguishers. You're going to have electrical fire extinguishers. You're going to have one that just puts out a wood fire. You know, they're all different.
Dan:Another talk we're at two expansion topics already today. Rusty's going to have to come on more often and Miguel.
Rusty Schrader:I mean we had a great laugh, you know, after it was all said and done. And then we, luckily, then we hooked the gas line from the generator to the coating machine Right and let the fumes go away before we arc the starter and we finish the job. At least you thought ahead that time.
Jeremiah:The whole part of arcing the starter just destroys that entire company.
Dan:And the heavy equipment guys are like hold my beer yeah.
Miguel Mora:Have you guys ever had a rig caught on fire just because you left the mixed foam in the trailer and then all of a sudden it combusted close to an open cell?
Dan:Oh, like your test bun was too thick or something.
Jeremiah:Yeah, just the garbage bag.
Miguel Mora:The garbage bag? Yeah, I have a dumpster.
Rusty Schrader:Not me personally, but one of the other guys that was spraying at the company I worked for before I started mine. They threw away a bunch of foam that was too thick and came to work the next morning and the dumpster was on fire.
Miguel Mora:But yeah, we had my brother or I don't know some guy went to spray a little shop or I don't know some guy went straight a little shop. He came back. You know, six hours later we get a call from the other crew that just got back from their job and they're like hey, the trailer's on fire, you know, and it was just from a bun that it was like four, maybe six inches by twelve, from that little little donut.
Jeremiah:Yeah, the whole trailer, that's the whole trailer.
Miguel Mora:Yeah, the whole trailer.
Rusty Schrader:So what I usually do if I'm spraying into a bag is I don't really do that anymore because of the switchover procedures that I've learned since I went to work at UPC but when I would spray into a bag and I knew that I was way past where it should be, I'd throw it out on the ground and I stomp the foam and I just let it off gas, off gas, immediately, you know, um, and then I leave it outside my trailer till the job's done. You know, yeah, but I don't ever leave it in a full bun anymore. Yeah, you know, is it dangerous? It's probably a little dangerous, but it will ignite then outside your trailer, right, and not after you're done. Let's bring him into another topic. Let's go with this one Number three this is never-ending.
Rusty Schrader:We're about 10 episodes long, Rusty week 42 run a uh, a gas generator with mine, which is a roll air roofing compressor. Okay, it doesn't run inside my rig ever. It runs outside my rig until I'm done. I shut it off and then I let it cool while we're cleaning up. Okay, I learned the hard way about that. Okay, not a real hard way, but the hard way. Yeah, because it got shoved in the trailer one time while it was warm and bags and every trash you know ended up on the exhaust. Luckily, before we closed the back door we seen that it was fixing. It was real close to catching the rig on fire. Okay, so that's a big deal. I don't have a problem with gas compressors as long as they're not mounted in a rig, if you can take them out and let them run and let them cool off before you put them back in.
Rusty Schrader:I have zero issues with that. And let them cool off before you put them back in. I have zero issues with that. If you've got a gas compressor that's mounted in that rig, I highly recommend you get something else.
Jeremiah:On the list of things that will make Jeremiah lose his shit. Gas powered. This is not in the rig, not in the rig.
Dan:So we're at microwaves. Masks on the hose rack, gas powered generators in a rig.
Jeremiah:Okay, We'll just have to keep going.
Dan:Maybe we can get like can we get like a specific webpage? Jeremiah loses his shitcom. We can make YouTube videos or dot org or whatever we need to get here for this week.
Rusty Schrader:I understand that the poor boy that's building the rig I built my rig. I built in my driveway. You know, um, the poor boy that's building the rig I built my rig. I built in my driveway. You know, um, I built it with a gas compressor and a gas generator that were able to go outside the rig. Right, I mean, it didn't take me but about two jobs to get rid of the gas compressor and go buy me a tow behind a generator, diesel generator. But I'm still running the same compressor that I started my business with five years ago, you know, and it's expensive for, for the small guy, you know, they're 24, $2,500 for a cheap compressor, you know. But that's just one little thing that that people just don't, they overlook, you know, at the end of the day you're hot, you're tired, oh it's fold up, let's get out of here.
Dan:Let's fold up, let's go. Somebody's calling Dinner's ready. Kid's got Little League, whatever.
Rusty Schrader:I got to drive six hours home after I finish this job. So the last thing you're thinking about in your head is what's going to happen besides getting in your truck and driving home to your family. You know, um, you're not going to think well, I'm only going to make it maybe an hour down the road because my trailer's burning up behind you. Because, you know, um, and then again you have your gas cans in your trailer. You know, and you're, you're, you're traveling with a bomb behind you. Pretty much at that point, you know.
Rusty Schrader:So it's the little things I've. I have put a separate cabinet in my trailer that my gas cans go in and are locked before my trailer moves. You know, um, I've made a spot in my trailer where my my compressor goes. Every time I'm done, it goes right here. You know, um, because, um, my trailer is also a trash truck. When I'm done with the job, yeah, you know, it's that simple 99% of us have to take your trash with us when we leave. Okay, um, so a guy that's doing a 2,500 square foot house and it's got five walls that are all window, you know, you have so much and you've had to shave all the walls. You know, yeah, you have literally a trailer full top to bottom, back to front, of trash that's piled on top of your stuff. You know it's. It takes an hour for that generator to cool down or for that compressor to cool down before you pile stuff on top of it.
Dan:That you're safe and when you're talking about that, it's not just mufflers, no, the dang compressor heads.
Rusty Schrader:The compressor heads are just hot, absolutely the little copper lines on the compressors. They'll brand you that will burn you to the meat of your skin through the skin make it stick and make it. When you walk away, you start your compressor the next day you smell meat burning because it's on that, yeah yeah, I learned the hard way.
Miguel Mora:One day I was just uh trying to fix uh one of the copper lines that broke and I never let it cool off or anything. I grafted with my oh, no and yeah, I couldn't move my hand really. Well, for, for the three, four, days.
Dan:Yeah, proper medical treatment might have been a good idea there, miguel.
Rusty Schrader:That brings us to another thing. We did a bunch of rig inspections and I didn't see a first aid kit in any of them. You know, it's really easy. Oh sure, I cut this finger right here. I cut this finger right here, off or not off, but almost off where it was just hanging with the skill saw. Yeah, you know.
Miguel Mora:I usually just just put you know um, you know electrical tape, yeah, electrical tape you know what I mean.
Rusty Schrader:And then I went to the hospital and got 12 stitches in my finger, but um, but then I went right back to work from the hospital and sprayed with my left hand, you know, because I had to get the job done that's and that's what most of this industry is up against.
Dan:There, you know, there is the employed guys, but then there's so many independent people out there that, yeah, that they go to the hospital and the first thing on their head is I got to get back to work, because now I've got a doctor bill to pay on top of this. Yeah, and you probably should go home.
Rusty Schrader:Yeah, you probably should. You probably should go home. Yeah, you probably should. The doctor actually argued with me for an hour wanting me to take two weeks off. I said look, I'm not telling you how to do your job, I'm not. So don't tell me how to do mine, because as soon as I'm done here and you put this bandage on, I'm going back to work. Yeah, you know so, and obviously I go in, and I was a roofer then and I just had foam all over my hands Cause I didn't know PPE when I started here in this industry. I just I hate to admit how many times I took baths and resin and ISO and to anybody that uses break parts cleaner, including myself, okay, as soon as you clean your hands with that, break parts cleaner.
Rusty Schrader:You know where that stuff's going. Is it soaks in skin? It's going to your kidneys, it's going to your liver. Yeah, a pair of rubber gloves is. You know, a box of rubber gloves is maybe 15 nowadays. Guess what? That 15 is well worth your life, yeah, just because it doesn't kill you right. Then in 10 or 15 years, all that stuff that's absorbed into your skins and went into your kidneys and livers and all your organs Is going to cause you problems in the future.
Miguel Mora:Yeah, yeah, learn to change your gloves Every time they're a guy rip.
Jeremiah:How many times have you seen that guys On social media With the rings of hands I've been working with cleaners Is this alright? No, how many times have you seen that guys on social media with the rings of hands I've been working with cleaners Is?
Rusty Schrader:this all right. No, no, no, it's not man. It's not okay to go in and spray with exposed skin. Yeah, you know, I've seen a few ISO sensitization posts here lately. You know what I mean, and that's true, that's real.
Dan:That's career ending.
Rusty Schrader:That's what that is for most, all of us. That's a real career ending for any of us. Yeah, where you can't even walk in, where there's an ISO at Right, you know much less, go spray again.
Miguel Mora:Right, yeah, I see so many people. They always go into their underwear, put a suit, but the suit is not thick enough so you still get exposed to all the chemicals. So it's important to have you know T-shirts or jeans the spray foam bracelets.
Dan:I always and I'm terrible about it the stupid spray foam bracelets, because you go like that with your suit Suit girls. Yeah, there's things for that. Good thing you're hairy like me. So you just kind of pull it off real quick Used to be.
Rusty Schrader:I'm going to show you guys something. You can't see it. Who's listening? But I'm going to show these guys sitting here my legs, from half the calf down, are completely hairless. You know why? That is Because I sprayed on a roof in shorts for 10 years. Okay, okay, and that's from overspray getting on my skin and just peeling it off, okay, throughout the days.
Dan:And there there is zero hair there, on both my legs and those of our listeners that are trying to be stylish. There's laser treatments that will do this much safer than the way Rusty's discussing.
Rusty Schrader:You know, I see it like Miguel saying the cotton suits that everybody I see everybody uses those cotton suits. They're not saving you, are they a little cooler? Excuse me? Yeah, they are. But guess what? You're getting skin contact, right? Am I telling you to go run out and buy, you know. But guess what? You're getting skin contact, right? Am I telling you to go run out and buy, you know, those thick suits? That's why everybody says why are you spraying those thick suits? Because I'm safe in those thick suits. Yeah, you know, I'm safe. It's long term. I'm 53 now. I think about that stuff, yeah, way more than I did when I was 25. Right, you know. So.
Miguel Mora:Yeah, whenever I started, it was without a mask. They're like hey, I'm going to be spraying up here and you can just go in and shape the walls without a mask. Okay, yeah, I'll do that, you know, for for a couple of months. And then it's like yeah, I cannot breathe at night, like I cannot laid in my bag and breathe. So this is not healthy.
Dan:You know I have had a helper that he would walk in. The first thing you do is pull his t-shirt up over his nose like that and I'm like Jacob, there's fricking half masked full face mask. There's like three or four in the ring. You know right where they are. Just go put one on If it's bothering you that much that you think you need to pull your t-shirt over your nose, get a stupid mask on, okay, so now we're on to the respirators.
Rusty Schrader:No, we're not okay. So this is that was.
Dan:That's another that's number four this is a safety thing here, and jacob is not referencing anyone that actually worked for dan or anyone in the company right, it's just a random name. Jacob was coming out of your check Jacob.
Rusty Schrader:Eight hours. If you're using a cartridge respirator, eight hours You're done, so you're good for an eight-hour day. That means if you're going 10, you should have a fresh set of cartridges on that mask after eight hours. I mean, that's hard to do because they're thirty dollars a pair. Yeah, guess what? Thirty bucks is way cheaper than not being able. You're gonna have copd or something like that in the future. You know where you can't breathe, like miguel was just talking about. You know where. You go home and you're so congested and coughing up phlegm. Guess what? You didn't have that phlegm the day before.
Jeremiah:So it's not because you caught a cold, right, you know, and no tech in this earth believes anyone. You know. See a quarter half inch overspray on their cartridges. They just changed it that morning.
Dan:It was a bad day. We didn't have the settings right.
Jeremiah:That's all it was now yeah, now we don't believe it none of us believe it's yellow from the phone you get him with uv for three days. Yeah, no, no, it's rusty's right, it's eight hours, like, and it's it's your, it's your breathing, it's your life and by osha standard you're supposed to write the date and time you put.
Dan:That that's correct.
Rusty Schrader:Filter on on that mask, and when that mask comes off it should go in a plastic bag, not just thrown in a toolbox hung on a hose rack Jeremiah's favorite.
Jeremiah:There's on the list of things that will make you move my shit. See a mask with cartridges hanging on the hose rack in your rig while you're chewing the changeover.
Dan:Yep, I will probably mention something as we're doing this, there will be commentary and a note but yeah, I've been pushing, you know people to start getting some fresh air respirators.
Miguel Mora:I mean, it's always the best thing overall. Yeah, you're gonna be dragging another house, sure, but it does help your lungs stay a little cooler. You know, because you and a maybe a hundred hundred, you know they, you know weather, whatever, you know the air that is pulling is going to be cooler than the attic space that you're spraying in it depends on what kind of respirator you have fresh air.
Rusty Schrader:If you have a leg growing and sitting by a port-a-party, it's probably not gonna be pulling too much?
Miguel Mora:oh, yeah, of course. Yeah, you don't want to? Yeah, yeah, I don't know if we talked about that.
Jeremiah:like the, I have a story about the legro ones, like everyone's like, these are great, they're cheap, I can take it everywhere until, like you said, it's next up port-a-potty. I was on a job site, like almost a couple weeks after I first started, where the guy had put it outside next to the house in a neighborhood and we're in the house he's spraying. I got my respirator on, so it's not me. All of a sudden, I know the guy starts spitting and swearing and his helper comes in laughing his ass off because the dog had pissed.
Miguel Mora:Oh, because it was right next to the garage it was like in the garage.
Jeremiah:The dog had walked up and pissed on the compressor for the fresh air and he just just a mouthful. Oh yeah, so like, yeah, he was, it was. I was laughing, he was not. But it is important to pay attention, like where you put it. Don't put it in the sun because your air is going to be hot. Don't put it in your rig because your pumps and everything is actuating in the rig.
Dan:Don't put it by the door of the house you're working on, where all the off-gassing is going but you have a fan blowing that air out for your respirator to grab it and pull it in.
Jeremiah:You lost count how many times. You see that they've got the fans blowing out of the house and they're fresh. Everything's sitting there and you can smell as you're walking up to the house and it's just sitting there. I don't know what it is I have a, you know, a sore throat at the end of every day I was like, I'm pretty sure I understand what's going on.
Dan:Very early in my career I was spraying a marijuana grow house a legal one, not a backdoor shady one. This is actually a legal one and the guys took their smoke breaks outside. I was a metal building, I had my blower out and around the corner happened to be where the guys want to come out and do their smoke breaks at the marijuana grow house. So they sparked it up. I got a mask full like oh great, now I get to try to work all day at this.
Dan:Perfect, Perfect. Thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate your support. My helper's. Like man, that was the greatest day ever. You were so calm all day. I don't know, dan, but today, like man, usually you're wound up, but today it was like just relax.
Jeremiah:Well, I think that's a lot of guys. They just think you know. They don't realize, like, where it's pulling from, they don't think about it. You know, you get to the job site, you get this autumn, you know, automatic, moment you set it down, you get ready. They forget momentarily, like what's going on, especially if they don't have you know, the systems like boulders, stuff that's in the rig, that pulls from the compressors and filters and everything else.
Dan:Right, you're, you're like yeah, you have the little fan and your hose and you take it out and set it and run your extension cord.
Rusty Schrader:You know, and the thing is this okay, coming from a small business owner operator, that I do all the sales, I do all the spraying. You know we lose track right of this. So again this we have to learn to accept the fact that sometimes the helper is telling you something that you should listen to. You know what I mean, because we're there, we're just thinking this is going to cost me this much money. I have to get it done, exactly.
Dan:This is hitting my bank account.
Rusty Schrader:I have to get going, I to get going, and I can't stop for this, you know, and we overlook the stuff, not because we don't care about it, but because we're just one track minded Get there Tunnel vision Get it done, get your check Go home.
Rusty Schrader:You know what I mean. Make your money. Yeah, we don't have the luxury of of being able to take a couple days. You know and, and, and, do all this stuff and all this safety stuff that should be done. You know, we do have the luxury, but we pass it up to save the money in the long run.
Dan:And Jeremiah and I talked several times about this through other episodes of the podcast is one of the things we're always hoping for is that everybody on a crew and everybody on the job site is confident enough to say something to whoever up hot, because, yes, I'm the same same boat as you, it's? You know, it seems like everything falls on my shoulders and I always bear that weight and the responsibility of I have more employees, I have more rigs Now, I have more work. I have to get like I'm, like I feel obligated to those people. So what's the first thing I want to do is go fast, go fast, get it done. And, yes, and, and. At the end of the day, I really hope you know we make fun of Jacob or some of those guys that they'll come up to me and tap me on the shoulder and go hold on. Remember when you were yelling at me about this three weeks ago? You're about to do it and let's stop.
Rusty Schrader:And rethink it and, as the owner, operator and and the boss, you know, um, we have to and this is super hard for me as a person that wants to be in control, because of just personality, the way I'm wired, you know what I mean um, we have to accept the fact that we have to listen to them People. Yeah, we can't just blow it off. We have to give them the recognition and the, the thanks for maybe saving our life Exactly, you know what I mean. So, and I'm sure it's you're you're the same as me, dan, you know what I mean. You got you know multiple rigs. Now you know multiple rigs. Now. You know, and you're growing and and you're still spraying. You know, and you're still answering calls and you're still doing all this stuff.
Dan:We, as, as the small business owner, overload ourselves to the point of safety comes second or third or down the line or is mistaken completely, and, and you know, issues happen every day, right and and uh, it happened to us today.
Jeremiah:I mean and, and I'm still in trouble for it right, well, I mean dan, honestly, if you're running someone over, I mean it's like there is no tire marks.
Dan:I mean like I don't over, I mean it's like there is no tire marks. I mean like I don't know what the big deal is. No cameras, there's no tire marks.
Jeremiah:It was not recorded to be the option that it might have, I will not.
Dan:That is exactly right. No, and I should not be laughing at it because it's going to dig the hole a little deeper.
Jeremiah:But I also have the uncomfortable nervousness of laughing when I shouldn't. My kids love it Right.
Rusty Schrader:I'm horrible about that. I will actually laugh when things are super serious.
Dan:Yeah, you know, because that's just Well, and our approach to all this, and the reason we're trying to talk about the way we are, is not the old beat up, follow the line, hit this checklist point. It's realize that, ok, we are all people, we're all human, we're going to make mistakes. Let's hope those mistakes are limited to non bodily injury or non mental injury, or your wife beating you with a stick at the end of the night, which you know I'm not going to say that happens, but it happens. It might not happen to you.
Dan:It might not happen it may or may not.
Rusty Schrader:One thing all of us in this industry need to realize and that goes for everybody sitting in this room and everybody that listens to this podcast or anybody in any of the industries, not just our industry is it's not just one of us that's making this happen, it's a team that's making it happen, and for it to be a team, we all have to listen to each other as a team. You know, does that mean, oh, your shoes untied so you got to take a 20 minute break? No, you know, um, but that means if, if somebody on the job site sees something that we've overlooked or we've pointed it out, and then we're going to go ahead and bypass it anyways, because we think we can do it without getting hurt. You know what I mean.
Dan:We need to listen to our team members, you know and we need to communicate with each other, like I don't want people with me to just say, okay, I found this problem, I told dan about it, but then there's three other people on our crew or other crews that might be around. You know, there's a piece of rebar sticking up out of the ground, or you know nails else. Do something proactive about it so that we don't escalate it any further, right, I mean, it's simple market, anything.
Rusty Schrader:you know, so it doesn't get forgotten about. You know, and and bring it up. You know, because, again, when we're on a scaffolding and we're moving, we've done forgot that that drain is there or that that air conditioning duct is there. You know that you're going to your. We've done forgot that that drain is there or that that air conditioning duct is there. You know that you're going to your wheels going to fall through on that scaffolding. You know, or that there's a cause when you're plasticking the floor, you're not going to cut that spot out that they've opened up the trench in. Right, you know what I mean. You're throwing it over and going over it, so you don't get overspray on this concrete, you know. And then the whole thing is pointed out stay on top of it, you know, and don't let the guy that's completely forgot about it run into it.
Dan:You know, so you know every one of these episodes, guys, we try to present a call to action. So, as we've gone through everything from walking the job site to respiratory protection, to scaffolding, to where to park the truck, to proper selfies and informing everybody and getting media consent before you take a selfie of them, it's personal. It's personal, that's right. Okay, so, miguel, we'll start with you. Uh, give me a call to action that you want to put out there to the entire world construction industry, everything on safety. What would you say is one big thing that you're like. This is where Miguel's taking a stand to try to make things better.
Miguel Mora:Honestly, if you see something, say something. You know that's important. I've seen a lot of cases where you know, even with equipment like the hose, you know the sleeve is completely off and they just tell somebody. But you know they don't themselves take action, they just wish the boss, you know, fixes it for them whenever they're the ones dealing with the equipment. Or or just, you know, um, yeah, same thing with safety. You know, um, if you see something, you just have to tell somebody. You know, have to make sure that everybody's aware. You know of the potential danger.
Miguel Mora:You know, like I've been in addicts where you know the framers. You know, like I've been in attics where you know the framers. You know they put, uh, you know a bearing, um the stud. But that stud is loose. They didn't. You know the nail didn't go through. So you know I'm gonna tell like whoever's gonna be spraying up there, hey, watch out for that. You know the stud, if you grab it, be careful because it's gonna move and you can potentially fall, you know. So, yeah, if you see something, just say something.
Rusty Schrader:You know basically rusty same thing to you, okay, so I'm gonna come at you, dan, and myself, and and all, all the other small business owners, because this is a big deal to me, um, personal, um. We have to work as a team, with our team. We can't be the one that just spearheads everything and then and pushes everybody off to the side. We have to listen to our team also. Um so, um, the big deal for me was I was a huge asshole, you know, it was my way, my way, my way, my way, and that's not the way to be safe. Okay, a safe environment is an environment that everybody communicates, everybody listens to, you know, and everybody goes home safely at the end of the day.
Jeremiah:Jeremiah you got anything to add? Slow down. Like I know we're all rushing all the time we're trying to get the job done, we're trying to pay a set by lunch or five sets on a roof. Like, slow down. Like stop and think about what you're doing, because every time we make mistakes or rushing like I promise you, every time someone forgets to put on their safety glasses, sprays herself in the face or forgets Nobody at the table raised hands right now. Yeah, I mean, slow down and think about what you're doing.
Jeremiah:Like there's, yes, we've got to get the job done, but when you get rushed, you skip steps. When we're tired, when we're fatigued, you forget to do what's safe. So, especially when you're tired, especially at the end of the day, stop, think about it. Make sure you're taking the steps you have to. Don't oh shoot, I got to do this, I got to get to the hardware store and get more stuff for tomorrow. Like, stop and slow down a little bit, because I promise you, when you're running full steam you're gonna forget something. You don't. Stop and take a second to try and remember what you're doing and why we're doing it. You guys are not baking freaking cookies. We're not making pastries here. We're spraying chemicals through high pressure systems and heats and things that most people would walk away from, and they do, carrying sources of energy constantly.
Dan:You got electrical in that hose running. It should break over your shoulder.
Jeremiah:It's low voltage, high pressure, low pressure, heat. Like, just take a second to realize what you're doing, so you understand why we're saying all these things and say there's one wrong move, like I said, is lose an eye, you'll get a freaking a high pressure injection. That is just a brutal situation. Because you just want it. You're like oh, I don't need to do this step. I need to get you know, I need to get out of here five minutes early. No, you don't take the five minutes, be safe, just take a breath and make sure you're doing it right.
Miguel Mora:So, like, yeah, and the other thing, to listen to your body, because, uh, there's been times where I literally I'm about to pass out and I'm like I have to finish this. Well, at the end of the day, I cannot. I put my hands in a cooler full of ice and I cannot feel my arms. I'm already cramping everywhere I can, can barely jump into the truck, I cannot even drive, really, you know. So I mean, it gets dangerous out there. So always listen to your body, always make sure that take the proper breaks, because if you're not drinking water, you're not. You know taking, you know, sodium, potassium pills. You know you're going to, you're going to suffer.
Rusty Schrader:Water's not going to do it for you. Water's not the cure all fix all when you're gonna, you're gonna suffer. Water's not gonna do it for you. Water's not the cure-all, fix-all when you're sweating. Yeah, three gallons of sweat a day, okay, you need the potassium, you need the sodium, you need the salt. Yeah, you need all of that stuff, you know, and uh, that's, that's a big thing. Hydrate, and hydrate properly.
Miguel Mora:Yeah, for a little while every day I will go home with headaches and feel like I'm burning up for the whole night and the next day doing the same. You know, listen to your body, make sure you're doing the proper. You know, thanks to you know, taking breaks and hydrating, make sure that you are good to go. I mean this industry, you know. You basically an athlete. I mean you are doing even more physical things than, uh, some of the football players out there.
Rusty Schrader:You're not getting hit with a, with a, you know, on the field, but you're definitely putting your body through more rigorous uh uh hydration needs and uh uh hydration needs, and and and, heat exhaustion and you know all of that stuff that that normal people just would would run the other way from.
Dan:We run to it, you know so and then after that, after you've done that all day and you're tired and, like I said, you have some heat, heat exhaustion, you got some muscle fatigue. Let's fire up seven tons and haul ass down a freeway, right? Yeah?
Rusty Schrader:you know, yeah, for another four or five hours, exactly.
Dan:That's right, yeah yeah, and uh, some of us may even stop and pick up our kids on the way home when we're like that, right, yeah, uh, all right guys, uh, again, this has been a great, great topic. We'll probably end up breaking this one up into three, three I would say, but one of the favors I would ask is we talked about slowing down.
Dan:Let's get this same group together and let's have a full podcast on productivity. There's ways to slow down but get more work done. Yes, yeah, and I think a lot of people miss that. When they say slow down, they're thinking, okay, I just got to slow down. No, there's ways to be efficient and productive, and efficiency is the key. This is a group of guys that can tell me a hell of a lot about how to do that, so so again, we're going to kick the old spray foam mafia podcast doors open to you again and drag you back in for more of that.
Jeremiah:Cool, Thank you. So let me know Thanks for having me.
Dan:Awesome Again guys, it's been a great episode. Uh, we appreciate you following. Listen to us, um, like us on your favorite uh podcast uh platforms, whether it be Spotify or iTunes or whatever. Spray foam mafiacom, I think, is websites. Go and spray foam mafia on Facebook and spray foam mafia gmailcom. Thank you very much.
