Lapping Honored for Washington Monument Reconstruction

July 28, 2000
Safety engineer Jim E. Lapping received the Construction Safety Professional of the Year Award from ASSE for his work on the Washington Monument Restoration.

Jim E. Lapping of Springfield, Ill., who was the safety engineer for the Washington Monument Restoration, received the Construction Division Safety Professional of the Year (SPY) Award from the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).

ASSE said this award recognizes Lapping''s determination and hard work in advancing safety in the construction profession.

While Lapping worked as safety engineer and consultant for the Washington Monument project for the Grunley-Walsh Joint Venture, there were no accidents or injuries.

The monument -- an obelisk that stands 555 feet, 5 1/8 inches tall -- attracts 1.2 million visitors annually and is set to reopen Monday after being closed for a year-and-a-half.

The award acknowledges members who have demonstrated superior work and dedication to the advancement of the safety profession. Chosen members are nominated by either their peer, region or chapter members.

The Washington Monument Restoration included constructing scaffolding for the entire monument, sealing 500 feet of exterior stone cracks, cleaning 59,000 square feet of interior wall surface, sealing eight observation windows and eight aircraft warning lights, repairing 1,000 square feet of chipped and patched stone, and preserving and restoring 193 interior commemorative stones.

The operating systems of the 1950s elevator and the 1970s heating and air conditioning were also replaced.

Lapping is one of six out of 32,000 ASSE members from around the United States that received the Division SPY Award this year at the association''s annual meeting in Florida.

Division awards are available for construction, health care, management, environmental, international and mining.

Lapping is the manager of EEI Safety Services and vice president of environment, safety and health of the EEI Holding Corp.

He served as the national director of safety and health for the Building and Construction Trade Departments, AFL-CIO in Washington, D.C., and also served for four years as special assistant to OSHA Administrators Joe Dear and Charles Jeffress for construction and engineering.

Lapping received his bachelor''s and master''s degrees from the University of Oregon at Eugene and is a Professional Engineer (PE) and a Certified Safety Professional (CSP).

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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