May 7-11, 2018
The 2018 National Safety Stand Down is next week. This is a voluntary event that encourages employers to have a conversation with their workers about fall hazards and prevention. The week-long event is sponsored by OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and CPWR (The Center for Construction Research and Training).

Companies are encouraged to hold a Safety Stand-Down by having a toolbox talk or another safety activity such as conducting safety equipment inspections, developing rescue plans, or discussing job specific hazards. Managers are encouraged to plan a stand-down that works best for their workplace anytime during the week. Visit OSHA's website for resource materials for employers and employees, including posters. Share your story on social media using the hashtag, #StandDown4Safety.

May 10, 2018
1 to 2:30 p.m. EST

Member Price: FREE

Non Member Price: FREE

Three of OSHA’s top ten ‘serious’ violations (#1, #3, #7) are related to falls.  Every day nearly 2,000 people are injured while using a ladder, and as many as 100 of them will suffer a long-term disability.  Today, one person will die in a ladder-related accident.  Fall-related accidents account for huge expenses to organizations, as well as long term effects for family, friends, co-workers, HR & legal departments and the C-suite. Reducing the number of ladder-related injuries is becoming top priority for the nation’s foremost companies, and Little Giant Ladders’ National Safety Director, Dave Francis, is leading the charge.

Participants of this webinar will identify key safety and legal issues facing organizations, expand their knowledge and professional skills to prevent fines and fatalities, engage a discourse concerning emerging issues of fall prevention and the profession.  As the nation’s ladder safety expert, Dave Francis’ experience, reputation, and charismatic personality will keep your audience engaged and interested.

Register now.

This unique three–day course provides construction safety and health professionals with the next–level knowledge required to successfully manage a company–wide safety program. Moving beyond the basics of Focus Four training, AGC’s Advanced Safety Management Training Program will give participants a more holistic view of safety’s role in project and company success, as well as advanced tactics and best practices for managing all aspects of a corporate safety program. Participants will also focus on the importance of "selling" safety throughout the organization and methods to generate buy–in from different audiences.

On the latest episode of ConstructorCast, we explore the issue of legalized marijuana consumption and what it means for the construction industry. We talk with Mandi Kime, Director of Safety for AGC of Washington, Jeremy Taylor, Environmental Health and Safety Director for Turner Construction, and Gregg Giles, Trust Administrator for the Washington Construction Industry Substance Abuse Program, about the safety, drug testing, and communications implications for marijuana legalization. 

Stream or download the episode here or search for "ConstructorCast" in your podcasts app. 

BY JENNY SHINER
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, GPS INSIGHT

Telematics is often thought of as a technology for gathering current vehicle and equipment locations, but the benefits go far beyond tracking asset whereabouts for construction businesses. Telematics provides essential tools to help businesses tackle their most significant challenges, like improving driver safety fleetwide.

Crashes on the job have far-reaching financial and psychological effects on employees, their coworkers and families and their employers. To help reduce risk for their mobile workforces, construction businesses are turning to telematics to enhance their safety protocols by using the information to improve driver policies, monitor driver behavior, and maintain safer vehicles.

Written safety policies are the foundation of a safety program. After all, how will drivers know what’s expected by your business if you don’t present it to them?

Before holding employees accountable with telematics data, it’s important to lay some groundwork as to how, when and why the information will be put to use. Putting regulations in place around the use of telematics so employees are aware from the beginning will increase their acceptance overall.

When introducing new driver policies that incorporate telematics, fleet managers can follow these best practices to obtain the best results:

• Transparency - Clearly present the use of telematics data to measure performance and monitor compliance. When the time comes to hold employees accountable, you could receive backlash about tracking their vehicles without their knowledge.
• Define Consequences – To ensure policies are effective, it’s important to define clear consequences if drivers do not follow policies. Penalties might range from strikes that lead to loss of driving privileges to termination. Whatever they may be, drivers should be made aware before ever operating a company vehicle.
• Embrace Safety Companywide - Creating a culture of safety is key to the broader acceptance of the policy. Every level of the organization should embrace safety policies from executives, managers and supervisors to every driver in the company.

Once safety protocols are put in place, fleet managers can start using telematics to monitor and correct unsafe driving when it happens to proactively improve driver safety.

Speeding. Harsh stops. Rapid acceleration. Cornering. You are likely familiar with these driver behaviors, but what’s the real impact of unsafe driving? The impact is that your drivers may cause a fatal accident if they speed when running late, make harsh stops when distracted, or rapidly accelerate in traffic. Along with ensuring employee safety, it is also important for your business to ensure the safety of the residents in your community.

Telematics systems are used to improve driver behavior by monitoring metrics such as drive time, unauthorized usage, idle time, hard braking, rapid acceleration and speeding. Speeding is one of the leading causes of accidents on our roadways. Telematics enables fleet managers to monitor the speed of each of the vehicles, in real-time, and to determine if any are traveling at unlawful speeds.

To correct unsafe driver behavior, it’s recommended to provide ongoing performance feedback with the data gathered from the telematics system.

Along with day-to-day driver safety, another challenge construction businesses face is preparing for the unexpected, like when a natural disaster hits. If employees are working in the field, especially in a widespread service area, when a natural disaster hits, your business has a responsibility to locate these employees and ensure they reach safety. Pinpointing all vehicle locations and notifying every employee to evacuate on a mass scale proves to be a significant challenge, but it’s a necessary one to prevent injuries and fatalities.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 43 percent of critical pre-crash events that cause vehicle accidents are attributed to tire failure.

Staying on top of preventative services, like tire rotations, is one of the easiest ways to prevent accidents with telematics. The software’s maintenance module will automatically track runtime and odometer readings, then send reminders when services like tire rotations and balancing, oil changes, emissions testing, or any other types of services are due to be completed. It is recommended to send maintenance alerts to management and drivers to ensure vehicles and equipment receive necessary services as soon as possible.

Although automated maintenance reminders are effective, a service may still slip through the cracks here and there. To proactively monitor overdue services, management should get in the habit of viewing scheduled maintenance reports. These reports should be available on-demand or can be automated by email on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Any outstanding services will be flagged in red on the report so managers can take action and get them completed right away.

At the end of the day, when considering the objectives of a telematics implementation, no reasoning is quite as important as increasing safety for employees and the general public on the roadways. Using telematics as part of a fleetwide safety initiative will drive the program miles forward while providing construction businesses with several other impactful benefits.

Brasfield & Gorrie, a member of multiple AGC chapters, recently announced that the company is joining with other construction industry stakeholders in sponsoring Safety Week 2018, an industry-wide initiative that aims to raise awareness of safety in construction.

 

During the week of May 7-11, 2018, the company will observe Safety Week with events and activities at its offices and jobsites. Centered around the theme, "Teamwork Makes Safety Work," Brasfield & Gorrie’s efforts seek to increase employee engagement in safety.

 

The company’s Safety Week initiatives include a fundraising component to benefit Kids’ Chance, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to children who have been affected by workplace injuries. To support Kids’ Chance, Brasfield & Gorrie offered special edition Safety Week t-shirts benefiting the nonprofit and will host fundraising events during Safety Week.

 

"As a national sponsor of Safety Week 2018, we’re joining construction industry stakeholders across the nation to help promote the power of safe choices and create a safer, stronger industry," said Brasfield & Gorrie Vice President and Corporate Safety Director Troy Ogden. "By including Kids’ Chance in our Safety Week efforts, we are advancing the educational dreams of those impacted by workplace injuries and spotlighting the personal nature of safety."

 

During Safety Week 2018, Brasfield & Gorrie employees will participate in a variety of activities that elevate worker safety and health. Many of Brasfield & Gorrie’s more than 200 active jobsites will hold training sessions, such as safety stand-downs, and events designed to foster safety conversations, such as team safety walks and safety lunches. The company’s regional offices will also participate in Safety Week activities, including emergency action plan drills, CPR training, and other seminars.

 

For more information on Safety Week 2018, visit www.constructionsafetyweek.com.