Safety as a Core Value
By Lloyd Franke and Gary Lewis

“Don’t allow time pressures to impact safety practices and procedures.”
A six thousand pound ceiling tile fell and killed a passenger in a passing car. If people outside the Boston area hadn’t heard of the “Big Dig” before, they certainly were aware of it now. An initial investigation indicated that several people in the design process had noted the potential problems with the ceiling hanger design that had failed—and that the design was not changed.

In another construction accident, when workers unbolted scaffolding from a building, it fell on a car and killed the driver. Pure accident? No. A worker did not follow the required removal procedures.

Many less publicized accidents happen daily. Construction is dangerous, and accidents are costly and devastating in many ways:

• Personal injury causes lost time, serious disability, and even death
• Lawsuits result in financial losses
• Workers’ compensation insurance costs skyrocket
• Morale falls
• Absenteeism increases
• Hiring and training costs balloon

Accidents Can Be Prevented
The good news is this—as a contractor, there are specific steps you can take to dramatically reduce, and even eliminate, job-related accidents. Not only will your workers be appreciated, this makes great business sense. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), companies that establish strong safety and health management systems can reduce injury and illness costs by 20-40%. In today’s high-pressure market of short time schedules and tight margins, this can mean the difference between profit or loss.

OSHA offers programs and assistance to help reduce injuries and fatalities. Their web site (http://www.osha.gov/) offers many free materials and posters that can be used in developing customized safety programs for companies of any size. (OSHA warns of scams from non-OSHA companies that attempt to get payment for safety materials under the threat of violation.)

I recently attended an excellent one-day seminar put on by the Error Prevention Institute, Inc. (http://www.epifortraining.com/) that is applicable to all types and sizes of businesses and is even very useful for individuals in all daily activities. The Institute utilizes the AESOP™ Model (see below) as a mind jogger for use during planning and before starting a task to ensure that important factors are not overlooked. This model provides a “quick check” to assess the assignment, hazards, obstacles, and personnel and to stop the activity if indicators are not “GO”. It is very easy to use and has been proven effective in preventing accidents.

Core Values
It’s not enough to simply provide safety materials and training for your team. For safety practices to be taken seriously, safety must be promoted company-wide, from the top down, as a core value—something that your company takes seriously and promotes without exception. Is safety one of your company’s core values?

In the construction industry, it is imperative that Safety is stressed along with profitability, quality, and customer service. Safety affects profitability and service, and must be constantly emphasized and supported with a comprehensive program.

Ensure that your company has and is following preventive procedures to reduce accidents. Some of the basics are:
- A safety manual specific to your company
- Safety orientation training for new hires
- Safety procedures for specific tasks
- Hard hats and proper equipment in good condition
- Hazard assessments for each job/task
- Regular safety meetings

Avoid the Consequences
No one wants to be involved in an accident or have a fellow worker or employee injured (for obvious reasons!) And, no manager or supervisor wants to face the family of a worker that has been severely hurt or killed on the job. Start today to develop and maintain a strong safety and health management program. And remember, safety awareness starts with top management and must be the highest core value—all others are directly impacted and secondary in a well-run company.

Lloyd Franke is an independent consultant focusing on performance improvement in owner-managed businesses. He has over 15 years experience assisting companies to increase performance through development and implementation of business and strategic plans and continuous improvement programs. Gary Lewis is co-owner, with his wife Melissa, of Management & Associated Services, Inc. (MASI) located in Wilmington, Massachusetts. He has been assisting contractors with their financial and business management needs since 1984.

Copyright © 2006 Profit Press, Inc. Reprinted with permission.