Having worked in the high-rise construction industry for 20 years, Stub-EASE™ inventor Jeff Krause realized the need for an engineered solution after his first CCIP (Contractor Controlled Insurance Program) project suffered the financial loss from incidents related to “Conduit Stub-Ups,” one of which settled at $1.3 million dollars, but also saw the effect it had on the lives of those involved over the course of his career.
ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN
“In 2004, a plumber colleague of mine tripped over a stub-up at our shared jobsite. After multiple, unsuccessful surgeries, he is still in pain today and can no longer work to support his family. This wasn’t the first time I witnessed a life-altering injury from a stub-up, and I knew it wouldn’t be the last. There had to be a solution,” says Krause of the need for Stub-EASE.
NEXT BIG THING
Conduit Stub-Ups have been cause for lawsuits as well as injury, but have always been considered a “necessary evil.” Stub-EASE is a revolutionary new construction product that effectively eliminates conduit stub-ups, without any damage to the conduit or raceway. When Emergent Safety Supply, a safety distributor based out of Batavia, Illinois, got wind of this product, the company knew it was the next big thing in construction safety.
“Never in my 25 years of construction have I seen a safety product that benefits every single worker on the construction site,” says David Hood, vice president of national accounts at Emergent Safety. “Stub-EASE should be used on every job.”
STUB-EASE SOLUTION
Stub-EASE simplistically eliminates electrical conduit stub-ups from concrete construction by embedding a coupling accessible via a pocket created by a plastic sleeve penetrating the concrete slab. Stub-EASE eliminates slips, trips, and falls due to hazardous conduit stub-ups and also eliminates damage to the conduit. Made of high-density polyethylene, the sleeve is attached to the conduit via embedded threaded coupling. After the concrete pour, the stub-ease is cut down to the concrete slab and extracted using a standard-size paddle bit, leaving a perfect opening to install your next piece of vertical conduit.
The Stub-EASE sleeve is attached to the conduit via embedded threaded coupling. After the concrete pour, the Stub-EASE is cut down to the concrete slab and extracted using a standard-size paddle bit, leaving a perfect opening to install your next piece of vertical conduit.
BENEFITS BEYOND SAFETY
In addition to better safety controls, Stub-EASE also saves job costs. Krause explains, “It is estimated that nearly 30 percent of Conduit Stub-Ups are damaged throughout the life of the job. Either from getting run over by lift or a laborer hitting it with a hammer to work around it. Ultimately, this is cause for the electrician, or an even a mason, to repair the damaged Stub-Ups. At approximately 2 hours of repair per damaged Stub-Ups, the costs add up quick … and at whose cost? Consistently, deadlines are not met because companies are arguing over who will spend the time and money for repairs.”
Titan Electric implemented Stub-EASE to replace over 8,000 traditional Conduit Stub-Ups on a recent Chicago Loop project, Block 37. Michael Jobe, project manager, estimated a cost savings of $51,450 on this project and safely eliminated 8,000 trip hazards in doing so.
“Our motto is ‘Whose life are we going to help save today?’ As a safety-solution provider, Emergent is always looking for new and improved products for its customers. Stub-EASE is a great solution to a growing problem within the construction industry,” says Mary Porter, CEO of Emergent Safety. ■
For More Information:
To learn more about Jeff Krause, Emergent Safety Supply, and Stub-EASE, call 800.877.1390, or visit www.stub-ease.com.
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Modern Contractor Solutions, October 2017
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