Safe Side The
News & Info from the Safety Steering Committee
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Integrity Services
March 2015
WHY DO WE ACCEPT THE RISK? When striving to create the safest, most productive job site, safety programs matter. But safety programs are only half the battle. At the end of the day, the responsibility for identifying and choosing to avoid the risk falls on the individual employee!
Accepting the risk is a factor in as many as 50 percent of incidents in our industry!
10 REASONS WE ACCEPT THE RISK: 1. Overestimating Capability/Experience 2. Familiarity with the Task 3. Seriousness of the Outcome 4. Voluntary Actions/Being in Control 5. Personal Experience with an Outcome 6. Cost of Non-Compliance 7. Confidence in the Equipment 8. Confidence in Protection and Rescue 9. Potential Profit/Gain from Actions 10. Role Models Accepting Risk
Safe Side The
News & Info from the Safety Steering Committee
Brought to you by
Integrity Services
March 2015
In This Issue 2 Message of the Month 3 Risk Acceptance-Factor #1 4 Emergency Response 5 Safety Topic 6 Office Safety 7 Safety Stars 8 Training Feedback 9 Gallery 10 Safety Committee
& Value Moment
INTEGRITY SERVICES MARC MAKELY
PRESIDENT marc.makely@willbros.com
BRIAN SMITH
SR. DIRECTOR Brian.Smith@willbros.com
JASON HAIR
DIRECTOR OF HSE jhair@premiersvc.com
SUGGESTIONS? Have anything you’d like to share? let us know!
TheSafeSide@willbros.com
WILLBROS.COM
A MESSAGE FROM
MARC MAKELY Hello Premier Team, It has been a while but I wanted to pass along my acknowledgement and appreciation for our continued success in our march toward achieving World Class Safety. In 2014, we saw another decrease in our TRIR; three out of the past four years! As you know, it’s not all about the numbers. While the TRIR statistic is an important one and measured by our clients, there are many other aspects to our safety culture. It’s encouraging to see the continued engagement, support and contributions from all areas within our organization. We have many changes and growth opportunities planned for 2015 and we are looking forward to another productive, safe and successful year. Thank you all for your continued contributions and commitment to our team! Respectfully,
Marc Makely President
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WHY PEOPLE ACCEPT RISK The
#1. Overestimating Capability/Experience WHAT IS IT? A belief that ones physical ability, strength, agility, reaction time and reflexes can be used to allow them to do the task without injury. An experienced worker may rely on their years of experience and their knowledge of the task as justification for doing the work a certain way... even if that way isn’t the safest!
THINK ABOUT IT! Is there a task you do a certain way, over and over again? Have you ever ask yourself, what could go wrong? Maybe you haven’t injured yourself yet, but did you ever stop to think about the risks associated with that task?
“I CAN LIFT 100 POUNDS IN THE GYM... THIS WON’T BE A PROBLEM!”
<- Ever hear statements like these before? ->
“I HAVE DRIVEN IN WORSE CONDITIONS THAN THIS AND DID JUST FINE.”
STRATEGIES TO AVOID IT! • Understand that despite your ability, the exposure is still there. • If you are mentoring – the person who is watching you may not have the same skill, experience or physical capability as you do, therefore do it the safe way so that they can learn. • Acknowledge that your physical capability and skill may be sufficient but then reinforce the way it is supposed to be done.
To learn more, click this video!
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RISK TOLERANCE/ACCEPTANCE E-mail: TheSafeSide@willbros.com
EMERGENCY RESPONSE
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In Case of Emergency (ICE) Card Do you know what to do if you receive notification of an employee involved in an emergency situation? FRONT
BACK
To pr int th is
click h
card,
ere!
Always remember to remain calm, collect the most pertinent information and immediately call the numbers listed on the card. WILLBROS.COM
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SAFETY TOPIC
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SAFETY GLASSES: ALL IN FAVOR SAY ‘EYE’
Eye injuries in the workplace are very common. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports about 2,000 U.S. workers sustain job-related eye injuries that require medical treatment each day.
Two major reasons workers experience eye injuries on the job are because they were: • Not wearing eye protection, or • Wearing the wrong kind of protection for the job.
What are the potential eye hazards at work? • • • •
Projectiles (dust, concrete, metal, wood and other particles) Chemicals (splashes and fumes) Radiation (especially visible light, ultraviolet radiation, heat or infrared radiation, and lasers) Bloodborne pathogens (hepatitis or HIV) from blood and body fluids
How can I protect my eyes from injury?
• Know the eye safety dangers at your job. • Eliminate hazards before starting work by following procedures, using guards or other engineering controls. • Use proper eye protection. • Keep your safety eyewear in good condition and have it replaced if it becomes damaged!
One way to ensure that safety glasses provide adequate protection is to be sure they fit properly. Also, eye protection devices must be properly maintained. Scratched and dirty devices reduce vision, cause glare and may contribute to incidents!
REMEMBER... According to our Incident Prevention Manual (IPM): “Approved eye protection SHALL be worn whenever out of the vehicle at the job site.”
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT EYE PROTECTION E-mail: TheSafeSide@willbros.com
OFFICE SAFETY
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ERGONOMICS: 101 Ergonomics is simply fitting the workplace to the worker; NOT the other way around. With more than HALF of an office workers’ day spent sitting, it’s important to know proper ergonomics can have a significant impact on your health! So, what can we do about it? Here are the three basic principles of office ergonomics:
PROPER POSTURE
Sitting, standing, walking; it really doesn’t matterwhat you are doing! Proper bone and joint alignment is key. So straighten up that back; keeping ears, shoulders and hips in a straight, neutral line. Maintaining that posture throughout your day, especially while at work, will reduce fatigue, eliminate strains, decrease stress on joints and ligaments and have you feeling great!
LETS RECAP!
MANAGING FORCES
If posture is good, forces are evil because they change your posture constantly. There are lift and carry forces, grip forces, push and pull forces and just plain old gravity. To avoid injury, dont lift, pull or push too much; limit your load. Let your posture guide you. If need be, get help or use a hand truck or other tool. Also, move that body! If you stand up a lot for work, SIT. If you’ve been sitting a lot, STAND UP. Every change is an opportunity to re-align and think about your posture.
Ergonomics is all about fitting your work enviorment to you. So, set up your work station to support good posture, be mindful of posture, reduce forces and take breaks to stretch and realign yourself. Do all that and you’ll be on your way to being more efficient, more productive and healthier!
REPETITIVE MOTION
Repetitive motions from jobs like swinging a hammer, typing on a keyboard, assembly line process, medical lab work, operating machinery, etc. can cause carpul tunnel syndrome, joint problems, poor circulation and more. Fortunetly, these injuries are easy to avoid. First, by arranging your work area to fit YOU and support good posture. And second, by stretching! Stretching every 30-60 minutes can make a world of a difference and prevent injury.
TO LEARN MORE, CLICK HERE!
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OFFICE ERGONOMICS E-mail: TheSafeSide@willbros.com
SAFETY STAR
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DAMAGE PREVENTION ADVISOR
MARK TULLAR
“Last month, my employee, Mark Tullar, went to a jobsite in hopes to meet with a contractor who was supposed to be digging. The contractor was not there. Instead, Mark found a serious issue at the residence.
The homeowner had been away from his home for nearly 18 months, for work. His electric had been turned off. Due to the extreme cold temperatures, the water pipes in his basement had burst. After some time, the water break had completely flooded the basement and made it to the first floor!
a firefighter, a child or anyone for that matter would have merely opened the door, the potential for an explosion was there!) It turned out that the gas had NOT been shut off!! From the ice rupturing the hot water tank and furnace, there could have easily been a gas leak in the basement. The call that Mark placed to the gas company had potentially stopped a major issue. The gas company came out and shut the gas off at the road. I was truly impressed with Mark’s hazard recognition skills and quick thinking! He successfully employed his Stop Work Authority to stop the work and immediately take the appropriate action.”
When Mark arrived to the home, he noticed the house buckling on the sides. With the cold weather, all that water eventually froze and completely destroyed the infrastructure of the house. The first thing Mark did was contact the local gas company to inquire if the gas had been shut off. Even without a spark, gas can be ignited with the proper oxygen levels. (This means if
Shared by: Pat Milks
Senior Project Manager - UNY
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR ‘SAFETY STAR’ PROGRAM E-mail: TheSafeSide@willbros.com
TRAINING FEEDBACK SMITH SYSTEM
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Timothy Banta - Damage Prevention Technician
“I believe if I didn’t use my Smith training, I’d be in the hospital... or even worse.” “In the past week and a half, my Smith System training has saved me from being injured or seriously hurt, twice! In the beginning of last week, I was driving down a road for work. As I was checking my mirrors, I noticed a vehicle quickly approaching. I did my 15 second look ahead and saw a bread truck coming my way. I checked my mirrors again and noticed the a young man driving a full size Ford Explorer passing me over the double solid lines. I was fully aware of the situation and slowed down my vehicle to avoid what could have been a three car accident!
SMITH SYSTEM
A few days later, we had a severe snow storm. As I was on my way home from work, I was stopped at red light. I did my right and left checks and noticed coming from the right was a full sized truck moving very quickly. The light changed green for me so I rechecked both ways before procedeeding. The truck came sliding through the intersection and slammed right into the guard rail! I believe that if I didn’t use my Smith System training in both of these situations, I’d be in the hospital... or even worse.”
Robert Clark - Damage Prevention Technician
“If I hadn’t been looking 15 seconds ahead, that car would have hit me head on!” “I just wanted to inform everyone and thank our Safety Department and Supervision for the Smith System training provided to us. Here is a great example of the Smith Keys at their finest... I was on my way to work one morning and was keeping my eyes forward, looking at least 15 seconds ahead. I’m so happy I did because it allowed me to notice another vehicle completely airborne, going through the median and coming right at my car!! The car spun approximately 200 feet in front of my van and struck the guard rail!
If I hadn’t been looking ahead (Key#1 - Aim High in Steering), I would have driven right into it and been hit head on. If I hadn’t been checking my mirrors every 2 seconds (Key #3 - Keep Your Eyes Moving), I could have also been hit in the rear. Again, I just wanted to say thank you to our Safety Department and my Supervisor and for constantly pushing the Smith System Keys on all of us! ”
T R A I N I N G T R A C K E R 741 751
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A3 Trained Employees Smith Trained Employees 8
GALLERY
Integrity employee, Cory Lawson, participates in a heimlich maneuver demonstration at CPR/First Aid training in the Westerville, Ohio offfice!
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Corporate Health and Safety has designed on-the-spot safety incentive apparel for employees; branding the A3 mantra, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I Control My Safety.â&#x20AC;?
Employees in Minnesota partake in safety training on their first day with Premier... talk about SAFETY FIRST! Left to Right: Chris Ridley, Tom Lien, Tom Hase, Joe Grothjan, Jacob Moore
New employees participate in Safety Orientation and A3 Training at the Westerville , Ohio office! Left to right; Andrew Michael, Tyre Hair, Cody Smith, Gerald Johnson, Tory Kelly, Jarrett Huff, Brian McCrum, Jake Stryker, Bradley Dallas and Taylor Gates
A Smith System Driving class takes a break for lunch! Left to Right: Robert Ziemak, Richard Torres, Kasheen Littles, Ken Metzler, Mike Carty Sr.
Trainees getting ready to take their Smith System In-Cab Evaluation. Left to Right: Dean House, Ian Berkes, Sean Rebstock, Travis Smith, Tom Kowalscewski, Jim Vaillancourt
WILLBROS.COM
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Safe Side The
SAFETY STEERING COMMITTEE Employee participation in the safety program is essential to reducing injuries and accidents and one of the primary ways employees can participate is through the Employee Safety Steering Committee. This committee, comprised of employee volunteers representing all areas of the company, provides a format
to address your safety concerns, share information and solve problems together. We would like to welcome the following to the Safety Steering Committee! - JOHN JONES Field Supervisor - Safety Steering Committee Chairperson
welcome to our new members! NAME
TITLE
LOCATION
CONTACT
James Warren
DP Technician
Nassau County, NY
631-601-3026
TBD
TBD
Houston - Integrity Representative
TBD
WILLBROS VALUE MOMENT
EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS Every act of communication influences the organization in some way or another. It is a thread that holds the various interdependent parts of an organization together. The popular saying, ‘knowledge is power’ should be changed to ‘applied knowledge is power.’ To apply your knowledge, it requires you to effectively communicate. Communication is the link between knowledge and information. Possession of knowledge is of no use unless it is converted into information. Hence, knowledge alone is not adequate for organizational success; what is required is knowledge plus ability to communicate accurately.
Effective Communication: The right people, getting the right information, at the right time.
- Sabrina Esposito
Manager of HSE Communications and Compliance
WILLBROS.COM
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