It’s the busy season right now. Jobs are piling up, your crews are stretched thin and you have no time to slow down. Does that mean safety should be sacrificed? I sure hope not.
However, it seems like that is what happens often. Let’s take a look at some news headlines from earlier this year:
- Two men killed in trench collapse near New Plymouth, Idaho (April 25)
- Two construction workers killed in a trench collapse in Windsor, Colorado (April 10)
- Worker killed after being trapped in 16-foot-deep trench in DeKalb County, Georgia (April 26)
- OSHA investigating trench collapse that killed worker in Marysville, Ohio (April 8)
OK, you get the point, but that’s just from one month. Why does this keep happening? Because so many want to get the job done as fast as possible and are willing to sacrifice safety to do it.
MAKE IT A PRIORITY
It’s time to stop treating safety like it doesn’t matter. You matter, your team matters and so do the family members of those workers you employ.
Employers, supervisors and workers themselves need to take a look at job sites and all of the risks associated: potential cave-ins, traffic, electrical hazards and heavy equipment moving around.
Take the extra 15 minutes at the start of each workday and talk about what safety concerns there are for the day ahead and how to minimize that risk — either through the use of personal protective equipment and shoring boxes or changing the site setup.
Planning for risks encountered on jobs is the focus of the Safety First feature in this issue. Writer Jared Raney talked to a contractor about how they set up a job hazard analysis for their company and how they handle JHAs on a daily basis. Check it out: It might give you ideas of what to do for safety at your own company.
BEST PRACTICES
Sticking with the safety theme, the Tech Talk feature in this issue discusses best practices when it comes to vacuum excavation. You’ll find tips on nozzle selection and use, as well as many other tips for when it comes time to dig.
California contractor Bradley Tanks Inc., featured this month, has been vacuum excavating since 2017 and keeps safety as the focus on every job they go out to. It’s one of the big reasons they went with the air excavation route in the first place.
TAKING ON SAFETY
How is your company taking on the safety of employees? I’d like to hear from companies that have a safety-first attitude and are willing to share what they’ve learned. I can be reached at 715-350-8436 or editor@digdifferent.com.
Enjoy this issue!
