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A Safety Culture Boosts Productivity & Profits

June was National Safety Month, recently reminding us that all workers should have the expectation of safely leaving their job after a day’s work. On the job, everyone needs to feel the confidence of performing tasks without fear of injury. Excluding military, police, fire and other emergency workers, no employee should expect openly hazardous or deadly situations at work. Even military and first responders take robust safety measures to protect themselves against the known risks they face due to the nature of their work. (Gratitude for their sacrifices and brave service comes to mind here.)

Workplace safety is a very big deal!

According to OSHA, American businesses spend $170 billion a year on costs associated with occupational injuries and illnesses. The value of a single human life cannot be measured, so the first imperative in designing a workplace or preparing a job site is eliminating or minimizing potential hazards. Installing the right safety equipment and materials along with proper training should be the first order of business when sending crews to any jobsite. It’s every company’s duty to make certain that all employees feel safe and secure while serving the company, its customers, or the public.

On the surface, it may seem burdensome for businesses to put a major emphasis on costly safety measures or fully comply with strict safety regulations. After all, “Back in the old days they didn’t have all these modern safety requirements and things got done anyway!” …says the guy who ignores the morbid statistics of accidents and illnesses during the Industrial Revolution and other periods leading up to the 21st Century.

Today the extra burden is on companies that forego safety regulations for the sake of profit or expediency. Such businesses expose not only their employees to greater risk but put their future in jeopardy of heavy fines and lawsuits as well as public relations nightmares. Workplace safety might be a significant cost of doing business but just think about the cost of NOT doing business!

The Smart Money is on Safety

A safety culture in your workplaces and jobsites provides many positive returns in addition to reductions in injury and saved lives. Put simply, safety and wellness add value to your business. Implementing a strong safety culture in your company will:

Save money by lowering injury downtime and qualifying for insurance discounts.
Help prevent injury and death.
Lower exposure to lawsuits
Improve productivity through higher employee morale.
Demonstrate care for employees’ well-being.
Set good safety examples in the community.

As manufacturers of safety products ourselves we can wholeheartedly agree with a quote from a manufacturing representative found on the OSHA website: “We can’t make a quality product with an unsafe process.” Well-protected workers focus better on their tasks which includes all aspects of quality control throughout each step of the manufacturing process, whether it be fabricating a part or constructing an entire building. The National Safety Council offers a comprehensive array of safety compliance and training materials for organizations of all types and sizes. A visit to their workplace safety page will lead you to some helpful resources.

“Catch me when I’m falling…”

Safety netting can often be the first line of defense against the two most common causes of death on construction sites – falls and being hit by objects. Last February, we reported how OSHA expanded its allowable fall protection options to include netting for all “walking-working surfaces.” The standards set for industrial settings came mostly from the construction sector. Our construction netting solutions can dramatically improve the safety of your construction site and adhere to all OSHA rules and regulations.

Additionally, Pucuda Leading Edge is proud to support and work with ASTM. This internationally acclaimed and credited organization works tirelessly through its 30,000 members to improve the lives of millions every day and have developed countless standards for a safer world.

By keeping much of our focus on safety, Pucuda Leading Edge will continue to encourage a strong safety culture, not only at our company but at the jobsites we serve. We’ll always be intensely interested in how to improve safety on the job with our netting products. If you have a safety issue that could be solved using nets, feel free to contact us to speak with a netting specialist.

Building a Barrier? Why Not Nets?

Netting can be the perfect solution for temporary and lightweight barriers.

Sometimes the solution to a costly, nagging problem comes as the Eureka moment when creative thinking is applied. For example, think of situations where people (or animals) need to be kept from veering into certain areas. This could be for safety, security or other reasons like protecting delicate and valuable items from being handled and disrupted. How can you best accomplish this without building walls or rigid enclosures?

Planners and engineers will devise various kinds of light construction methods to build temporary or lightly constructed barriers to protect what’s behind them. They might even toil over the problem by trying to figure out exactly what type of structural and barrier materials to use while minimizing the cost.

The best solution might become clear by gazing at a spider’s masterfully woven web. It stops every juicy bug that daringly or unwittingly tries to pass though. The spider’s brilliantly engineered barrier not only blocks the bugs from getting by but it also catches dinner as a bonus!

Look but don’t touch!

People are curious creatures and some of us like to wander around and explore our surroundings. That might include going into places and touching things that owners wish to keep relatively secure and unhandled.

During building renovations, foot traffic often needs to be routed with physical structures. This is of course to keep people moving in the directions they need to go as well as keep them away from areas they shouldn’t be in or near. This need is also very common within the venues of various public & private events – both indoors and out.

Don’t go there!

Wherever the risks of theft and damage are relatively low, netting will often be a fast, relatively inexpensive and highly effective way to form a protective barrier around sensitive areas. In many cases, the visual presence alone of a net as a barrier effectively discourages unwanted foot traffic and curiosity seeking.

Barrier nets are widely deployed to keep four-legged and winged creatures from going where they shouldn’t. Animal and bird deterrent nets are used widely and effectively in agriculture. Why not apply the same deterrence benefits of netting to industrial areas, construction sites and entertainment venues to deter humans from going where we shouldn’t? Netting makes perfect sense in so many situations when you think about it.

Safety concerns and barriers to entry can sometimes go hand in hand. OSHA now recognizes that nets offer an appropriate safety solution in many construction and industrial settings. Nets can be fitted to existing structures where needed for added measures of safety and deterrence. For example, netting can readily be mated with guardrails to prevent people from falling or moving through spaces between midrails and balusters.

There’s a net for that!

Nets and netting systems are extremely versatile products that can be engineered for so many situational requirements. What’s your specific application? Have you struggled with a cost effective solution to build a light barrier as a means to direct traffic and ban or discourage entry from certain areas? Whether there’s already a net for it, or there could be a net designed for it, Pucuda Leading Edge can find or create the solution for you.

Designing and manufacturing customized netting for special applications is something that we look forward to every day. It’s important for our clients to have confidence in our complete understanding of netting solutions and technology. Our engineers and netting specialists can work with you to customize a barrier net that will do the job and possibly save you a lot of money. We can determine exactly what kind of net you’ll need in terms of strength, thickness, fineness, tautness and aesthetics.

Need a netting solution that physically keeps people (and pets) away from an area and also looks good? Please feel free to contact us and speak with a netting specialist today.

Construction Drives Technology Innovations

Have you noticed how fast some new construction projects get completed these days? Within months or even weeks, a plot of empty or defunct real estate can be completely transformed into a vibrant shopping village, office building or residential complex. Advancing technologies make it all possible. We can thank the construction industry for developing many technological innovations that improve life and work as we know it today.

The Mother of Invention

Engineering breakthroughs often come as a result of experiencing difficulties in tough physical conditions, and construction sites consistently create these situations. Companies that provide workers with superior tools and better working conditions have a competitive advantage on the job site, and in business.

Working with outmoded tools, equipment and materials is not an option in the highly competitive and safety conscious construction business. Companies that support the industry are always looking at ways to improve, and they consistently turn to new technologies for solutions. Construction projects naturally drive innovations that tame physics, improve safety and help manage complex communication needs.

Managing Complex Collaborations

Some of the most effective project management methodologies and software have been designed to serve the collaboration needs of Engineering and General Contractor firms. Numerous contractors and subcontractors, including multiple team members within each separate entity, must remain coordinated and kept “on the same page” throughout months and sometimes years while working together on a common project.

Construction is a massive business sector touching everyone’s life. This fact greatly incentivizes companies that support the industry to continually improve services and products. Construction technology innovations have been quite impressive in recent years in both the physical and computer science worlds.

JBknowledge, Inc. and Procore are two leading software development firms that are continually working to improve every aspect of construction management from business development through project management and completion. These companies and others have developed processes and programs that have applications extending into other complex business environments including healthcare, insurance, financial and legal services.

As project management programs prove to be successful in managing large construction projects, they are often modified and applied to other industries. For example, JBknowledge, developed a highly efficient certificate tracking and compliance management program for the insurance industry called SmartCompliance, which stemmed from their foundational work in developing other programs to manage construction tasks.

Engineering News-Record (ENR) recognizes the construction industry’s contributions to advanced technologies at their annual Future Tech conference. ENR reports exclusively on news, data, statistics, analysis and commentary to help guide construction industry decision-makers. At Future Tech, “business and IT leaders in architecture, engineering and construction examine the business and design issues driving technology.”

Safety Innovations

Many of the best workplace safety practices have come out of the construction industry and are now applied throughout industrial, manufacturing and even entertainment & amusement settings. For example, much of the safety netting technology used in the amusement park industry was originally developed for use on construction sites for fall protection and debris containment. Safety netting systems that were devised for use in construction have been improved and modified specifically to meet the rigorous ASTM standards for amusement park safety netting.

As a company that supports safety innovation, Pucuda Leading Edge is always looking to improve netting technology as we become more involved on construction projects around the world. Our 300 Series Nylon Personal Safety Nets have been developed from a high tenacity nylon material formulated for maximum strength and durability.

Inspired from years of experience on construction projects, we’ve engineered an exclusive net design that utilizes double strand construction for optimum fall protection and safety performance. This unique design offers a light-weight safety netting solution that’s as easy to install as it is strong. Furthering the utility of this innovation, our 300 Series nets can be combined with a debris liner to provide both personnel and debris protection in one system.

There are so many other technological innovations stemming from the need to make construction sites cleaner, safer and more productive. We’ll be writing more about this and citing other examples in future posts, so please stay tuned to our blog.

When it comes to netting systems, we invite readers to share their challenges with us to see if together we can come up with yet another innovative solution. Please feel free to call us at 800-241-7330 to speak with a netting specialist or contact us online to inquire online.

The Q1 Nonresidential Construction Index Says Prepare for Growth!

The first quarter of 2017 rumbles with growing consumer confidence and a number of other key economic indicators that signify more significant growth than we’ve seen in the last few years. The construction sector, as always, will help to directly drive growth in other areas like energy, manufacturing and business services. Not enough can be said about the impact of a healthy construction market on a prosperous country. At the risk of sounding too bullish, we’re very excited about the possibilities for a construction boom in just about every region of the country over the next few years.

The FMI Nonresidential Construction Index reports that almost every component of the construction industry has moved in a positive direction through the first quarter of 2017. This trend was counter to some analyst’s expectations but it appears to be strengthening. Some of our optimism is buoyed by what we’ve been reading in the FMI First Quarter Report.

Pictured below is a graphic from the report clearly showing how every market indicator for nonresidential construction is up.

(Image from Page 2 of FMI NRCI)

It’s All about People!

Chief among the concerns in the construction industry, made more challenging with increased activity, is finding enough skilled labor to meet demand. This was already a big issue, even with slow but steady growth leading up to 2017. Growing pains most often include staffing, but as you may often hear, it can be “a good problem to have.” Most would agree that the need to invest in recruitment is a far better problem than the need to let go of good people.

There are other issues for Architects, Engineers and Contractors to address in the realities of 2017. According to FMI, increasing productivity, keeping up with lean construction technologies, and finding the most profitable work are weighty concerns while staffing continues to be the top priority.

What Construction Industry Leaders Say about 2017…

The FMI Nonresidential Construction Index summarizes the biggest challenges for 2017. Available labor, changes in technology, the cost of healthcare and keeping a quality project backlog tend to weigh on the minds of construction executives even as business looks to be strong on the horizon. Some of the expert panelists’ comments informing the report provide interesting peer-to-peer insights. We’ll paraphrase some of the more notable comments here:

There is less available labor. The competition is hiring away some of our key employees…
It’s still hard to find a quality backlog and manage the succession…
We need to find talented engineers and give quality people an attractive career path…
Providing health insurance and benefits for our employees is more expensive, driving up our project fees…
Managing growth will be vital in order to avoid overextension and excessive risk…
Inflation in wages and materials could slow the pace of growth…
How will the new administration’s policies play out? How much is talk?

While these comments represent a mixed set of experiences, most of them point to the challenges of an expanding rather than flat or contracting market. They’re mostly about finding and keeping good people through the various cycles of project succession in a growing economy.

The Dodge Momentum Index clearly backs up the positive trends we’re seeing in nonresidential building projects. The index measures projects in planning, which have been shown to lead construction spending for nonresidential buildings by a full year. “On a year-over-year basis the Momentum Index is 22% higher, with commercial planning up 28% and institutional planning moving 15% ahead of last year. This suggests that construction activity will continue to see further growth as the year progresses.”

Why is our focus on non-residential construction? Because its impact is usually larger scale, requiring numerous fall protection and public safety considerations. We provide Perimeter Safety Netting systems which are often mandated by local code in the commercial building segment. We offer ready-made netting systems as well as custom-engineered fall protection and debris safety netting solutions.

Keeping good people means keeping them safe!

Here we get back to the crux of what challenges so many firms in a growing economy – people. One of the most important aspects of a job is how safe the employee feels while at work. Workplace safety must be a high priority, not just to comply with OSHA regulations, but because human life and health are priceless assets that require more than adequate safety measures. Protective rails, netting and harnesses provide a welcomed safety culture for workers in potentially dangerous situations, adding to their comfort level and productivity. The investment in safety equipment pays off in fewer injuries and sometimes saved lives. It also lets your people know that you have their back when it comes to workplace hazards.

As our most recent blog article points out, OSHA has expanded the options for safety requirements on all industrial walking working surfaces and the methods have come largely from the construction sector. It’s crucial to understand what types of safety netting your job site requires to keep people safe from falls as well as falling debris. If you have questions about this, feel free to call us at 800-241-7330. We’re here to help keep your job sites safe while you continue to manage the growth of your business in what promises to be a fast-growing market in 2017 and hopefully beyond.

OSHA Expands Fall Protection Options for Walking-Working Surfaces

There is now more flexibility in safety rules for industrial walking-working surfaces thanks to OSHA’s recently released standards for General Industry Personal Fall Protection and Walking-Working Surfaces. The term “general industry” applies to just about everything outside of construction, agriculture and maritime industries. Warehousing & distribution, manufacturing, service centers and many other commercial enterprises fall under the new standardized rule.

Some of the safety standards have been informed by effective fall protection measures used at construction sites. One of the benefits of this new ruling is more consistency between construction standards and general industry standards, making compliance easier for companies that conduct business in both of these sectors. Such consistency in rules clearly affects most organizations with industrial facilities or physical plants.

Interpreting the Details

Prior to the new standards, generally acceptable options for personal fall protection systems were limited and in some cases unclear. This fact wasn’t lost on federal regulators. They’ve done a good job of addressing that issue in OSHA’s new rule which describes specific walking-working surface situations and the kinds of fall protection systems and devices that are permitted in each.

As summarized by the law firm Robinson + Cole, the new OSHA standards provide employers with “greater flexibility in fall protection by permitting selection from a variety of fall protection measures based on the circumstances.” This includes safety nets in many situations, which can save on the cost of constructing permanent restraining guards and barriers.

We believe that it would be helpful to share a list of the options employers may choose from as nicely summarized by Megan Baroni of Robinson + Cole:

“Guardrail system: a barrier, such as a railing, placed along the edge of a walking-working surface, intended to prevent workers from falling.
Safety net system: a netting system placed beneath the work area, intended to catch falling workers before they hit the ground or another lower level structure.
Personal fall arrest system: a combination of equipment used on one’s person to arrest or stop a fall, such as a body harness, anchorage, and connector. Body belts may not be used as part of a personal fall arrest system.
Positioning system: a supportive system of equipment used with a body belt or harness that allows one to work on an elevated vertical surface, such as a window, with both hands free.
Travel restraint system: a combination of equipment used on one’s person, intended to prevent a worker from going over an unprotected edge of a walking-working surface.
Ladder safety system: a system attached to a fixed ladder, intended to prevent workers from falling, typically comprised of a carrier, safety sleeve, lanyard, connectors, and body harness.”

The greater flexibility in personal fall protection measures allows owners and employers the ability to apply a safety solution that can best and most safely fit each situation.

Protective netting is now permitted, and in some cases preferred, over guardrails, toeboards and certain kinds of safety harnesses in many types of elevated work areas. These areas could include low slope roofs, catwalks and, more generally, any unprotected sides of walking-working surfaces that are elevated 4 feet or more above a lower level. Wall openings are included except where the space is used for hoisting or where there is dangerous equipment below. OHSHA maintains that nets may not provide enough stopping distance in certain cases from dangerous equipment or moving apparatus under the work surface.

“Priceless” Safety Rule Improvements

The new OHSA rule on Walking-Working Surfaces Fall Protection became effective on January 17, 2017. Far from being arbitrary regulations for compliance, implementation of these new safety standards is estimated save 29 lives and prevent 5,842 workplace injuries every year! How can you measure the value of life, health and property saved, especially when adhering to the new rule adds no significant cost and may even offer less expensive, more effective safety solutions?

Our opinion on the new rule includes a kudos for getting it right and clarifying the standards. We also appreciate Robinson + Cole for publishing a succinct and informative article on their Manufacturing Law Blog.

If would like to speak with a netting specialist to find out what kinds of netting solutions might be suitable for your general industrial needs, click here or call 800-241-7330.

Keep Sidewalks Open and Safe with Façade Netting

It’s a huge problem in New York City! Dark, unsightly, restrictive and even dangerous steel and wood debris scaffolding, aka “sidewalk sheds,” are plaguing entire city blocks throughout Manhattan. These steel tube structures with wood-plank roofing are constructed to protect pedestrians from falling objects and debris around building exteriors amiss of building codes or under renovation. In many cases, especially in New York, they can linger for years and present a host of serious problems for local businesses, residents, tourists and passersby. Unintended consequences can even include providing darkness and cover for crime, which is well known to occur.

These dark monstrosities were never intended to be semi-permanent Band-Aids to construction code issues but rather temporary sidewalk & street protection while renovations brought building façades and exteriors up to stringent NYC Construction Codes.

The priority on public safety, which is the right one, has its roots in a 1979 tragedy when a 17 year old college student was fatally killed by falling masonry right on Broadway. Within about a year, NYC lawmakers enacted laws requiring façade inspection on buildings higher than six stories by building owners every 5 years. Sidewalk sheds (or some other safe façade containment structure) are required to be built to catch potential falling debris and remain in place until safety officials approve of required repairs. All this has given rise to an estimated $1 billion per year façade safety scaffolding industry in New York City alone! Some of these structures have lingered and scarred the street level cityscape for over 25 years! There is an estimated 190 miles of them in NY alone.

There has to be a better way!

An anonymous crainsnewyork.com subscriber responded succinctly to a December 6, 2016 article about the issue. “I believe the sheds have caused more problems than they have prevented by lowering neighboring property values, driving small retail businesses out, facilitating muggings and 2nd floor break-ins…” One can clearly understand all the outcry by tenants in these affected neighborhoods.

Enter New York City Council Member, Ben Kallos. This man is asking the right question: How can the city ensure that sidewalk sheds are not in place any longer than necessary? He has put forth legislation that could go a long way toward battling the sidewalk shed blight. According to Kallos’ December 6, 2016 press release, his legislation would “set the following timeline for sidewalk sheds in place for dangerous conditions:

90 days for building owners to fix a dangerous condition,
90 additional for building owners days to fix the dangerous condition upon extension,
After 180 days, the city would do the work to correct the dangerous condition and bill the owner for all costs.
Work could not be interrupted for more than 7 days without a mandate to take down the sidewalk shed or face heavy penalties.”

One simple and immediately feasible solution to the problem Councilman Kallos has finally addressed is to replace sidewalk sheds with Façade Containment Nets wherever possible. These are highly durable and minimally intrusive containment nets engineered to safely and securely wrap building exteriors deemed at issue because of potential falling debris.

The Need for Netting

Switching from scaffolding to containment netting systems can be a fast, cost-effective replacement solution that keeps sidewalks and business entrances open and clear for tourists, tenants and customers.

Aesthetically, façade netting is sleek and binds snugly to the building, keeping visually intact the lines and contours of the architecture. One landmark building successfully using containment netting is the New York Public Library. As you can see from the photograph above, there is no obstruction of any kind surrounding the entrance and beautiful first story architecture.

Many cities in addition to New York have stringent inspection regulations, including Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Detroit. There is an informative ASTM publication called Standard Practice for Periodic Inspection of Building Facades for Unsafe Conditions (ASTM E2270-14), which gives a good overview of the issues and inspection process. Another ASTM publication, “Building Façade Maintenance, Repair, and Inspection” (ASTM STP1444) contains expert information about identifying the many issues involved with aging and historic structures. Check your local building codes and regulations for current information.

Pucuda Leading Edge has been designing and manufacturing Façade Containment Netting for over 25 years and we’re always happy to answer your questions about construction safety and containment netting systems. To learn more, please visit our Façade Containment page or call 800-241-7330. You can also contact us online to speak to a netting specialist.

Construction underway for the Rams’ future home in Inglewood

An immense stadium is currently being constructed in Inglewood, which will eventually house the Rams’. The stadium has already been in construction for over a year, but much of the construction is still yet to be completed. Within the next two or three months, more thorough and complex construction is slated to begin. It’s believed that the stadium will be entirely completed in 2019, which means that the project is likely a little more than a quarter completed.

A Large Pile of Dirt

The Rams’ stadium is not currently an impressive site. Instead, it’s a large pile of dirt covering the space of the three million square foot project. But this dirt is more important than it might seem. Because stadiums are so heavy, the ground has to be appropriately prepared and the foundation has to be safely laid. Otherwise the stadium itself will warp and bend over time, potentially breaking apart and creating a safety hazard.

Not Just a Stadium

A stadium always attracts other businesses. In the case of the Rams’ stadium, the stadium project area will be comprised not only of the stadium itself but a large amount of retail and housing spaces. Because of this, the development is also more complex. There should be over 3,000 housing units once the development has been completed, and the retail spaces are likely to be occupied by dozens of businesses. The entirety of the space will include three hundred acres. Though the stadium will be completed by 2019, it’s possible that further development will continue later in the surrounding areas.

The Most Expensive Development

The new stadium is expected to be the most expensive stadium in NFL history. When completed, the project will have completed a total of $2.66 billion. But this project will also be able to establish value in the surrounding area and will be an economic boon to the nearby communities. Stadiums tend to bring in an extraordinary amount of business, not only during the sports seasons but also through community events. By creating a commercial area, the development will also be able to grow economically. Through the development of housing communities, they also ensure that there is a nearby consumer demographic.

Stadiums take quite a lot of work, from an infrastructure standpoint. In addition to the foundations that have to be poured, developed, and graded, the actual structure is large and complex. Through the duration of the development of the stadium, safety equipment and passive safety systems will need to be used. Pucuda Leading Edge has provided many commercial nets and passive safety systems for similar projects, including other stadiums. Contact Pucuda Leading Edge today if you want to inquire about their commercial net products.

Largest Indoor Theme Park Coming to Meadowlands

The largest indoor theme park in America will soon be opening in Meadowlands. With a size of 3 million square feet, the American Dream will contain a variety of attractions by Nickelodeon in addition to retail spaces. Spongebob Squarepants, Blaze and the Monster Machines, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will share spaces with Lord & Taylor and Saks Fifth Avenue, creating an all-in-one venue for those of all ages and all interests.

American Dream Meadowland Coming to New Jersey

American Dream will be developed in Rutherford, N.J., and will include a total of five divisions. Each division will have its own separate theme, such as Legoland, DreamWorks, and Nickelodeon. Just like any other theme park, it will include some immense constructions such as a 300-foot observation wheel. Each of these areas will be targeted towards a specific audience; Legoland will be targeted to children of ages 3 to 5. When completed, American Dream Meadowland will be an ideal family activity. Pricing will also be very flexible, with the ability to purchase season or annual passes or purchase rides one at a time.

400 Retail Stores and 15 Restaurants

Far from “just” an indoor theme park, the Meadowland complex will also house 400 retail stores and 15 restaurants. A few of the retail stores will include MAC, Microsoft, GAP, and Zara, including a Cinemax movie theater. Many theme parks today have begun blending retail spaces with their attractions, both to boost attendance and make the theme park as a whole more visitor-friendly. By adding retail spaces to theme parks, developers can add broad spectrum appeal. Meanwhile, retailers can also benefit from the increased traffic in and around the theme park.

Triple Five Currently Aims for 2017

The new Meadowlands installation is expected to cost over $4 billion in financing, $2.7 billion of which is currently trying to be secured by developer Triple Five. Including an indoor ski slope, aquarium, Legoland discovery center, and Ferris wheel, the entire project will be quite extensive. The project has been in works since 2002, but has experienced some delays regarding financing and practical initiatives. As the economy continues to recover, large attractions become more feasible for investors. In the past, multiple developers and the state of New Jersey have invested money into the project, which will hopefully yield results when it is completed in 2017.

Apart from having an incredibly diverse set of attractions and entertainment venues, Meadowland will be unique for having an entirely indoor installation. Even the ski slopes will be constructed indoors. This can create more challenges when it comes to safety, as the actual building of the structure will become more complex. Companies such as Pucuda Leading Edge offer products that are specifically designed not only to protect employees during construction but also to protect attraction visitors during operation. Contact Pucuda Leading Edge today to learn more about their industrial netting and amusement park netting products.

Alternative Museums – Interaction is the art here

Not every museum has to serve as a complete repository of art, history, and culture. In fact, in the last few decades, many interactive museums have been developed for both kids and adults. Quirky, alternative, and interactive museums can be a great way to round out a trip, or even a destination all of their own.

Exploratorium

California’s Exploratorium is a fantastic place to take an active journey. For both children and adults, it’s an ongoing exploration and interactive experiences that will feed your curiosity. When you visit, try the Tactile Dome, an interactive exploration through total darkness. Explorers can crawl, slide, and bump their way through the pitch-dark Dome using your sense of touch as your only guide.

Kidspace Museum

Get ready, get set, climb! The Kidspace Children’s Museum in California offers kids the chance to test their agility with fun rope structures. They give kids the chance to test their balance on the Rope Bridge that takes them into the Hawk’s Nest as they make their way across this fun and unique climbing structure.

Boston Science Museum

The Boston Science Museum offers a great Rock Garden for climbing and interaction. Visitors can climb to the top of Mount Blanc or a billion-year-old boulder from the bottom of the Grand Canyon. Kids can get up close and personal with lava from Death Valley, or observe the narrow, black crystals of sillimanite embedded on the surface of gneiss from Mount Washington.

Cincinnati Museum

The Woods, an adventure-based attraction at the Cincinnati Museum, encourages children to challenge their physical prowess and explore their imaginations. The three-story structure has hollow climbing logs, rope bridges and a horizontal climbing wall, as well as areas for fossil discovery and animals sightings. Adults are welcome to join in the adventure with their children.

If you’re looking for a unique experience to tell your friends and family about, any of the above options will be far more exciting than a run-of-the-mill trip to your history museum.

Pucuda Leading Edge provides safety netting for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from the Boston Garden to the Kennedy Space Center. Contact them today to learn more about their construction and netting products.

Amusement Parks Begin to Appear in Persian Gulf Countries

Though these countries have been traditionally resilient to distractions such as amusement parks, amusement parks are nevertheless beginning to appear throughout the Persian Gulf countries. There are two major driving forces here: the Westernization of many countries, which have made parks more socially acceptable, and the need to bolster tourism. Of particular note is a new $1 billion Spider-Man and Hulk themed park.

IMG Worlds of Adventure Comes to the Persian Gulf

The IMG Worlds of Adventure is designed by Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari, two brothers who have been enamored with theme parks since they were children. In addition to superheroes, the park will also have some pop culture staples: haunted hotels, dinosaurs, and other themes that you would expect to see in similar parks such as Disneyland. And, of course, there will be rides and attractions such as roller coasters built. But this isn’t the only theme park that is being designed in the area. In fact, many developers are now racing to build throughout the Persian Gulf states.

Dubai was the first country within the area to make tourism a priority, especially as they began to project their oil resources potentially dwindling. The country has a goal of bringing in 20 million tourists on an annual basis by the year 2020, and because of that they have created numerous attractions — including indoor skiing slopes and underwater hotels. It’s only natural that the Dubai area is also becoming very attractive to amusement park builders.

Interesting Challenges When Building throughout the Persian Gulf

The Persian Gulf is not without its own unique challenges. In particular, the heat of the Gulf makes it difficult to create the types of theme parks that an American visitor would traditionally imagine. The Gulf can be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the summer months, requiring large, sprawling indoor facilities. This increases the amount that a theme park costs to build in these areas, in addition to creating some maintenance and repair challenges. In the case of the new superhero-themed theme park, the buildings that are being designed will need to encompass nearly 1.5 million square feet.

In the construction industry, theme park building can be dangerous. But this is of a particular concern within the UAE, where worker safety and construction safety have tended to lag behind peers in other similarly developed countries. Because of this, more safety measures and safety equipment may be needed throughout large developments such as the IMG Worlds of Adventure project. Pucuda Leading Edge offers construction netting and supplies that can be used in any environment, and are comparatively extremely affordable to other forms of equipment. Contact Pucuda Leading Edge today to learn more about their amusement netting products.