Construction workers have the second highest suicide rate of any industry, and five times more people die of suicide in construction than other construction occupational fatalities combined. GlassBuild America's Main Stage welcomed a panel of experts in mental health to discuss the state of mental health in the industry, the complexity of risk factors affecting workers, and ways to create a culture that can aid suicide prevention.
Buildings and the activity within them account for over one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. While high performance systems will be needed to combat climate change, processes derived from "citizen science" can allow occupants to respond in real time to fenestration failures, resulting in quick replacements as well as a database of data that designers can use for future innovation.
The latest edition of the NGA Glass Conference wrapped up this past week in South Carolina and I am always amazed at how much gets done at those things. Not being close to a technical stalwart, I tend to review these events from afar, leaving the technical superstars from our industry to do their thing. This outing covered the gambit of items including codes and guidelines, but deeper dives into school security, which hopefully takes another step forward here soon. This moving into the code realm has to be done right!
The newest episode of the From the Fabricator podcast is now up! This time out we’ve got two making their return to the airwaves with great insight and info. Kicking it off for the third year in a row, a forecast session with Nick St. Denis of KMR.
As the single-family market is poised to return in 2024, glass fabricators will find themselves at the forefront of meeting the growing demand for high-quality, innovative solutions in the shower door market. From glass cutting and edge polishing to glass tempering and protective glass coatings, the significance of machine automation cannot be overstated. Labor issues continue to be felt around the industry, effects of inflation are still being seen, and faster lead times are becoming more and more imperative.
Glass Expo Southeast gave me the opportunity to catch up with so many folks across the industry. Plus, I'm looking forward to NGA Glass Conference, and then double-header BEC and GPAD!
NGA code experts Urmilla Sowell and Tom Culp gave a comprehensive rundown of developing codes and standards in North America. The session, originally presented at the 2023 GlassBuild Main Stage, gave updates and insights on Energy Star 7.0, bird-friendly glass, energy efficiency and EPD production, heat treatment and edge grinding, and much more.
As we move into 2024, I'm reflecting on 2023 and the conversations I had with customers. Roadblocks remain in the adoption of software and technology in the industry, but I try to counter this by understanding the customer's resistance.