Masonry Magazine February 2014 Page. 24
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Spotlight on
Safety
SAFETY IS AN ISSUE THAT MATTERS, not only because of the obvious threat of loss of life, but also because of the financial wake of any serious accident on the jobsite. Masonry want�ed to get the real scoop on this issue from an expert with firsthand knowledge. We talked to Zach Everett, corporate safety director of Brazos Masonry in Waco, Texas, which employs about 200 employees on average. Brazos typically takes on any size job, but they go after the bigger ones: highrises, stadiums, schools and hospitals. Following is what Everett had to say about the state and importance of safety on the masonry jobsite.
Masonry: Explain why safety compliance is so important on the jobsite.
Zacll Everett: Lives are on the line. Thousa.nds of people are killed every year on job.sites in the United States, alone, and who knows how many workers die in other countries -especially in underdeveloped countries. Llfe is precious. When a person dies, it affects families in the worst kind of,vay. Yes, financially, but so, so much more. Losing a spouse, a Mommy or Daddy, or a child who has just reached adulthood is among the worst things a person can experience in life. The emotional damage and consequent changes can very often ruin one's life.
Istillam talking about safety being in1portant on ajobsite. These men and women are not nWTibers in asystem or some expendable commodities. They are our family, friends and neighbors with a heart and soul Once, we built buildings and bridges knowingthat so many people \vould die during the construction. It was a cost of doing business. God forbid that anyone still thinks that ,vay, but how many even still have that mindset about injuries?
''Accidents just happen ...oh, well, hope he gets better one day."
Shame on us, if that is the case. A back injury can affect a person the rest of his life, including how he will earn a living and quality of life at home.
Masonry:What are the insurance considerations for mason contractors?
Everett: l11Surance companies are not charitable organiwtions. They are in business to make money, and, if they are not making money by carrying a mason contractor, they only have r..vo choic�es. They can raise their premiums or drop the insured. Neither is where a contractor wants to be. The more injuries a contractor has, the more the insurance company must pay out in medical, lost-time benefits and legal costs. AJJ those chickens come home to roost in one way or another -and, actually, in several ,vays�not just indirect costs.These clain1s also drive a company's �MR, which customers look at in the bidding process and can cause a mason not to get a job.
A mason with a good safety program can turn all this on its head. Because insurance companies are in business to make money, if you can save that company money, it will compete for your business. The companies will drop premiums and/or give dividend payments back to the company, like ours does, and the contractor's EMR drops to make you look like "the man with the plan" on bid day.
Masonry:Touch on OSHA and how to survive ran� dom (or planned) visits from OSHA.
Everett: Surviving an OSHA inspection starts about IO years before the inspection. lfyou don't have a good safety program, OSHA can find lots and lots to cite; it just depends how hard they decide look. A good safety program, such as promoted by the MCAA, includes a detailed, written plan that includes all the essential particulars surrow1ding the hazards employees face or may face doing their jobs. A good plan also includes training according to the hazards faced, disciplinary policy and more.
Nonnally what happens is that an OSHA inspector drives by and sees an employee in a hazard. They stop on the side of the road, take pictures, and then go to the jobsite office to do an inspection. Sometimes an inspection is the result of a complaint called in to the OSHA office, or they see something on the news that looks inspection worthy. It also could be a self-reporting of three or more employees injured in an incident or a fatality (which must be reported within eight hours ofoccurrence).
To survive, do the hard work. Have the plan, train your peo�ple and if/when they don't follow it, re-train them. If that does�n't work, then they probably aren't cut out for a company that cares about safety. If the OSHA man never sees a hazard, it's likely you'll never be cited.
Masonry: Explain the importance of using the proper clothing, equipment and fall protection. Everett: Masons are exposed to more fall hazards than most other trades. We put the skin on the building and if that skin goes
22 MASONRY � February 2014 � www.masoncontractors.org The Voice of the Masonry Industry