Masonry Magazine August 1995 Page. 31
Training
It has been the practice of many construction employers to hold weekly toolbox safety meetings as a method of complying with certain requirements to "instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions" (and, hopefully unsafe practices).
For some contractors that equates to a recitation of a prepared safety subject, often unrelated to the work at hand, and a quick sign-off by those in attendance. This practice insults the dignity of worker safety.
For those who recognize a safety meeting as an important component of any effective safety program, it's an opportunity to orient workers to your company's work rules, to discuss upcoming hazardous operations and to involve workers in the planning of hazard controls and safe work practices. Additional sets of eyes and ears contribute years of individual experiences on what has worked and what hasn't.
When workers complain that the meetings have dissolved into gripe sessions, it's time to require each participant to become a presenter. They'll develop a personal stake in the process of making a safer worksite.
To the extent that lessons learned play a role in accident prevention, workers should be encouraged to discuss accidents, however slight, and near-misses with an eye toward saving their co-workers from potential injury. There should be no shame in re-counting the particulars of accidents or near-misses when taken in the context of valued human life.
Since many jobs involve a variety of employers and trades, information about hazards posed by other contractors may be necessary.
If the foreman is to assure the effects of his/her inspections are carried out, involving workers in the process is critical. The construction industry is probably the last of American businesses to enlist its workforce in the process of quality assurance, let alone safety. This is born out of a culture that for decades expected workers to come forth from some imaginary training program or hiring hall, fully equipped with every skill necessary to perform the work.
It is also a culture that has traditionally held risk takers in esteem and safety instruction and training to be a matter of simply telling workers to "be careful" and considering safety in general to be "just common sense."
In fact, on today's construction projects, safety is a great deal more than just common sense. It is sophisticated equipment and machinery, complicated erection procedures and demanding attention to specifications that dictates careful planning.
Field supervisors should not expect workers to recognize all hazards purely on the basis of their pay or experience. People often hold themselves out as more knowledgeable than they are; workers in as transient an industry as construction, no matter how experienced, need information about hazards before they go to work, not surprises which could result in costly backtracking or serious injury afterward.
Supervisors should orient new workers and reorient workers who may have been away and observe both more closely to establish that level of assurance. In turn, the fresh ideas "new" workers bring to a project often speed up the work. This doesn't mean hours spent in committees and meetings. It does mean deliberate actions that demonstrate you're following up and taking suggestions seriously.
Enforcement
Accidents on construction sites are most frequently caused by unsafe acts and unsafe conditions. Unsafe conditions are largely the result of a failure to inspect and take corrective action, unsafe acts the result of poor training, poor enforcement or a combination of both. Assuming adequate inspections and training requirements are met, enforcement would be better considered "reinforcement."
Probably the most avoided, yet most critical component to the success of the program is enforcement. On its face, it signals to workers that a foreman is serious about safety in general. Many needlessly consider it adversarial.
Progressive disciplinary action systems take many forms. Some are very formal, incorporating multi-part forms, copies of which go to everyone, including the worker's spouse. Others are somewhat more human, yet just as effective. If you tell workers that you simply want them to go home to their families in one piece, they offer little resistance. This of course again pre-supposes that the foreman is truly a "competent person," trained and empowered to take the time and given the resources to do the job of safety.
Whatever form your disciplinary
DUR-O-WAL® FLASHING SYSTEMS
Whether you need economical composite flashing or premium stainless steel, DUR-O-WAL's got you covered.
DUR-O-WAL DCF
A unique composite flashing that provides all the benefits of copper without the negatives. Unaffected by extreme temperatures or deterioration due to acid or alkali reactions, it can be used virtually anywhere through-wall flashing is needed. Flexible, easy-to-use and less expense than most copper composites, DCF offers two economical choices:
DCF-1500S-A base material of metal foil encapsulated in a polyester film and bonded to a fiberglass scrim.
DCF-1501B-A base material of vinyl ethylene film bonded to a fiberglass reinforcement.
DUR-O-WAL STAINLESS STEEL NEW
DUR-O-WAL stainless type 302/304 flashing for maximum corrosion resistance and longevity can be used for the most demanding through-wall flashing applications. Available in 16 ga, 22 ga. and 26 ga. sheets. Drip-edge flashing (D/A-1526) and other preformed shapes available on request.
For more information contact your factory authorized distributor or call toll-free:
1-800-323-0090
DUR-O-WAL, INC.
3115 N. Wilke Road, Suite A
Arlington Heights, IL 60004
(708) 577-6400 Fax (708) 577-6418
MASONRY-JULY/AUGUST, 1995 31