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 Submissions due Friday, June 8
In conjunction with AGC’s 2018 workforce development campaign, we are currently seeking success stories and best practices in the areas of construction workforce development, industry image enhancement and industry recruiting. Our goal is to gather and share these success stories with member firms and AGC chapter staff in the hopes of increasing knowledge sharing and program collaboration, communicating lessons learned and sparking innovative workforce solutions. Submitted success stories will have the opportunity to be featured in AGC’s Workforce Development Plan and a number of other AGC publications, webinars and the AGC website.
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AGC of America, supported by Susan Harwood Federal Training Grant, developed the Fall Prevention Safety Training Program.
Construction workers make up approximately 4 percent of the country’s workforce but account for an average of 19 percent of all job-related fatalities each year. Consistently, over the past five years approximately 35-39 percent of those fatalities are from falls. Falls account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry, especially among small businesses and businesses with Hispanic workers. In addition, fall protection violations continue to be among the most-cited standards in the construction industry. AGC of America is pleased to offer this one-day training program based on OSHA standards and best practices to answer the need for quality training within the industry. Classes are offered at various locations and dates throughout the year.
June Class
June 21-22, 2018
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
AGC Georgia
Complete registration form and return to Cherri Watson.
August Class
6212 Ferris Square, San Diego, CA 92121
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Arlington, Virginia
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.
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In recognition of Safety Week, which took place May 7-11, 2018, Triax Technologies, Inc., a member of AGC of Connecticut and Colorado Contractors Association, Inc., recently shared key strategies construction firms can implement at all levels of their organizations to improve safety outcomes on the jobsite.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than one out of five private industry fatalities occur in construction, and the health and productivity of more than seven million U.S. construction workers are impacted by non-fatal injuries on the jobsite. As safety remains a top industry priority, construction organizations and industry stakeholders are increasingly turning to emerging technologies to help address this concern.
"Through our work with contractors, we have seen time and time again that their number one priority is ensuring that each worker returns home safely at the end of the day," says Chad Hollingsworth, CEO and co-founder, Triax Technologies. "We are committed to doing our part to promote a proactive, data-driven safety environment. By developing IoT tools to connect workers, site supervisors and the back office, we are enabling faster injury response, hazard reporting and near-miss investigation."
Based on insights gained from the safety initiatives of leading contractors, Triax identified the following three best practices:
1. Prioritize the industry’s most valuable resource. Recognizing that workers are experiencing risk on a daily basis, leading contractors are systematically empowering their crews to make safe choices every day. By prioritizing and investing in safety across the organization, these firms are communicating the value they place on their workforce. It’s important that everyone – from the CEO to the workers on-site – participate in ongoing training and safety improvement. For example, sites can use daily safety huddles to focus on a particular concern and educate the team on safer tools, equipment and processes.
2. Embrace the new technology ecosystem. In the last year, technology at the jobsite has moved beyond project management software to include wearables, sensors, robots and drones, which are all contributing to the overall safety culture.
IoT-enabled technologies allow everyone to communicate safety issues across the jobsite in real time, and they automatically collect safety data from workers, equipment, tools and the environment, which can be aggregated in the cloud for actionable insights.
When combined with intelligent software and advanced analytics, IoT-based data gives management the insights to make faster, more informed decisions. It also helps them identify trends that can improve risk management practices as well as predict and prevent potential incidents.
3. Avoid complacency. Employees can become complacent when they perceive risk as part of the job. Learn from past mistakes and implement changes on future projects to reduce risk and send the message that any amount of danger is unacceptable. Use data to document and recognize risky behaviors and investigate near misses.
Triax Technologies, Inc. is a Norwalk, Conn.-based technology company that develops and delivers Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for the construction industry. Triax develops intelligent, actionable solutions that address the complexities of an active jobsite and help firms streamline processes and build safer and smarter. More information can be found at: https://www.triaxtec.com/.
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Gaston Electrical Co., Inc., a leading electrical services contractor in New England and an AGC of Massachusetts member, recently took part in the 2018 National Construction Safety Week from May 7-11. The annual construction safety event, organized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), united over 80 large construction firms to promote industry-wide education and awareness while discussing the importance of making safe decisions on the jobsite.
 National Construction Safety Week invites construction companies to speak with their employees about jobsite safety through programs such as toolbox talks, policy reviews and equipment inspections. 2018 marked Gaston’s fourth year as a participant – highlighting the company’s commitment to ensuring safe work environments for employees, project partners and end users.
Throughout the busy week, Rick Coakley, corporate safety director at Gaston, visited over 20 active jobsites while leading discussions on ladder safety, proper usage, and daily inspection protocols. Rick was also joined by Mike Weber, Gaston Principal, Nina Radzim, director of human resources, and Tim West, director of marketing. Highlights of the week included visits to some of Gaston’s larger jobsites including 250 North Street at Cambridge Crossing, AMGEN in Kendall Square, the first-ever Residence Halls at UMass Boston, The Auerbach Center / Boston Celtics Practice Facility at Boston Landing and Wayfair in Copley Square.
"We take pride in our corporate safety culture, so we’re continuously working to improve conditions and practices in the field," said Coakley. "National Safety Week is a unique opportunity to pause, focus on safe practices and foster further educational discussion with our most important asset – our skilled team. We’re also able to spotlight this commitment to safety with our clients – as many of these leading general contractors and fellow subcontractors share in the common mission to create safer workplaces for all."
Gaston Electrical provides expert electrical contracting services to the commercial, institutional, life-sciences, hospitality and retail markets in New England. Headquartered in Massachusetts, Gaston collaborates with clients and partners to deliver innovative solutions for complex construction, service and technology infrastructure projects. Since the company’s inception in 1934, management and skilled field electricians have built trust through best-in-class practices, quality workmanship, safety protocols and reliability. For more information, visit www.gastonelectrical.com.
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The OSHA National Safety Stand-Down was established to raise fall hazard awareness across the country in an effort to stop fall fatalities and injuries. According to OSHA, falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of injury for construction employees. Throughout the first full week in May, McCarthy jobsites and offices from coast to coast held safety stand downs in addition to the firm’s regularly planned safety meetings. Further, OSHA selected the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility (NBAF) project, currently under construction by the team of McCarthy and Mortenson Construction in Manhattan, Kan., as a featured project visited during the week. National and regional OSHA representatives joined the project team for a safety stand down and tour.
"Safety is more than a program at McCarthy – it’s deeply embedded into our culture," explains Michael Bolen, McCarthy chairman and CEO . "Our total project approach includes working to improve safety not only for our own employees and crews, but for trade partners, other general contractors and the industry as a whole. We’re honored that OSHA has decided to join our team for a safety stand down at the NBAF project, whose mission is centered around safety at its core."
Along with participating in the OSHA National Safety Stand-Down, McCarthy also sponsored Safety Week 2018. Created to collectively raise the awareness of the construction industry’s continuing commitment to eliminating worker injury, Safety Week brings together the construction industry the first week of May and throughout the year to keep safety top of mind.
"In 2017, McCarthy reported the best safety year in our company’s 154-year history with the firm’s lowest recordable incident rate and total project recordable incident rates," continues Bolen. "But we can never lose focus. Nothing is more important than sending every team member home safely – every day on every project. Raising awareness through Safety Week events and ongoing communication across our industry is where this starts. We’re proud to join with the industry in this effort."
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc. is the oldest privately held national construction company in the country – with more than 150 years spent collaborating with partners to solve complex building challenges on behalf of its clients. With an unrelenting focus on safety and a comprehensive quality program that spans all phases of every project, McCarthy utilizes industry-leading design phase and construction techniques combined with advanced technology to maximize outcomes. With approximately 3,950 salaried employees and craft professionals, the firm has offices in St. Louis; Atlanta; Kansas City, Kan.; Omaha, Neb.; Phoenix; Las Vegas; Denver; Dallas, Houston; San Diego, Newport Beach, San Francisco, San Jose and Sacramento, Calif. McCarthy is 100 percent employee-owned. More information about the company is available online at www.mccarthy.com or by following the company on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Google+.
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Have You Registered Yet for the 2018 Summer AGC Safety & Health Conference?
2300 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 300 · Arlington, VA 22201 · 703-548-3118 (phone) · 703-548-3119 (fax) · www.agc.org