Updates & Trends

Mental Health Awareness in Construction May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and it’s time to shine a light on mental health in construction. Construction workers have a higher suicide rate than almost any other industry, and the rate is more than three times that of the general population. Did you know that more construction workers die by suicide than all other injuries on-site? It is for this reason that it is often referred to as the “silent killer” in construction.…

National Construction Safety Week provides General Contractors and Construction Managers with a great opportunity to reflect on their practices, search for ways to improve, and to celebrate their accomplishments in maintaining a safe and productive job site. Here at Donlar Construction, safety has always been a top priority and we take advantage of this week to cover a variety of topics with our staff in the field. Each day this week, across all our active jobsites, our superintendents hosted a…

Despite the challenges brought forth by the coronavirus, Donlar Construction has chosen to move forward with our Internship program! Donlar Construction has had an internship program each summer for 4 years now, and every year it has proven a great way to share our industry knowledge while providing hands on learning for our future project managers! This summer we have two new interns working out of our Shoreview office. We would like to welcome Ben Meyer and Nick Siler to…

Congratulations to Metro Transit, whose new police facility in Minneapolis was recognized as a Finance and Commerce Top Project of 2019. Donlar Construction is honored to have served as general contractor on the construction project, working alongside Snow Kreilich Architects, Metro Transit, and a wide variety of subcontractors. The award was announced May 5th, after a panel of judges assessed the difficulty of the project, the design creativity, innovative construction techniques, contractor and management relations, and sustainability efforts. The Metro…

COVID-19’s impact goes beyond the debilitating effects on the human host; it is also having a tremendous impact on our industry and economy. Its reach has already proven far and wide, to varying degrees depending on the industry. Building and infrastructure construction, being necessary functions, continue, though that is not to say that we are operating “business as usual”. The Coronavirus has had a profound impact on the way we do business and the way we perform construction. Safety has…

This last week, Donlar Construction participated in the National Safety Stand-down, coordinated by the Associated General Contractors of America. Employees gathered in small groups (while staying a safe distance apart) to discuss the virus, particularly the related health and safety guidelines. This was a great opportunity to educate on the prevention of the virus, and we are proud to have been a part of the COVID-19 Safety Stand Down. We thought we’d share some of the content we covered here…

Did you know that overexertion injuries are the largest contributor to workers' compensation costs? People rarely worry that they are working TOO hard; However, overexertion on the job site is no joke. Remember these helpful tips next time you are on the job site: Take breaks when doing repetitive motions Limit the amount of time spent in any one position Lift with your legs, not your back Stay hydrated When applicable, rotate workers between hotter and cooler working conditions to…

As we are now in the coldest month of the year here in Minnesota, the need for cold weather safety precautions has never been greater. Pay attention for these warning signs for Frostbite and Hypothermia: Signs of Frostbite: Reddened skin with white patches, along with tingling, aching, or a loss of feeling.  Frostbite most commonly occurs on the body’s extremities. (Fingers, toes, ears, nose.) If you find yourself or another with frostbite, first find a warm, dry environment and cover…