Rapid Response Protocol Addresses Bias and Exclusion in Sheet Metal

By / Jessica Kirby

When the most difficult circumstances arise on the jobsite, in the shop or office, or at the training center, SMACNA, SMART, and the ITI are better prepared to handle them thanks to a new guideline developed by the BE4ALL committee.

The Rapid Response Protocol (RRP), developed to address intense incidences of racism or exclusion, sets all members of the sheet metal industry up for success with easy-tofollow prevention and mitigation measures. It contains best practices and recommendations for preventing incidences of discrimination, bullying, or harassment on the jobsite or within organizations. It is applicable throughout the entire sheet metal industry, with slightly different versions tailored for each organization’s members.

BE4ALL, the jointly-funded diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative, developed the resource after the sheet metal sector was touched by several incidents in the construction industry surrounding exclusion and blatant racism.

“These events occurred on large jobsites and involved offensive and racist acts among the trades,” says Joye Blanchett, member of the SMACNA BE4ALL committee. “There was racist graffiti and there were nooses—one of which was directed at a member of the sheet metal trade.”

The media reached out for comment, and SMACNA and SMART realized the importance of having guidelines and protocol in place to assist contractors and the workforce in handling these events.

“When we started BE4ALL, we started asking the committees for direction,” Blanchett says. “The ground impetus was that we needed protocol for guidance on our reaction. We wanted to be able to give folks a path to follow in these instances.”

RRP is key to an overarching push within the sheet metal industry to increase diversity and belonging, both as an essential cultural shift and as a viable recruitment tool.

“The sheet metal workers who build our industry deserve to show up each morning to a jobsite that is safe and inclusive,” says Luke Rebecchi, house counsel for SMART. “Developing that sort of jobsite requires advance preparation. Policies and practices that mitigate the likelihood of incidents of bias or discrimination need to be adopted, and steps for responding to incidents that staff is trained on need to be implemented.”

The Protocol is divided into two sections. The first section, Prevention, describes measures organizations can take to reduce the likelihood of incidents of bias involving employees, and, if an incident does occur, it provides some liability protection, so long as the recommended policies are adopted and enforced.

“Prevention requires a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up,” Rebecchi says. “Every person we recruit and do not retain is money lost and results in a less reliable workforce for contractors.”

This section includes rationale for written policy, templates for Prohibited Harassment, Belonging Conduct, Anti Bullying, Lactation, and Notification of Incident Violation policies, rationale for training, basic training resources, and other procedures to consider adopting to foster an inclusive environment.

Sample policies specific to the United States and Canada are provided, though due to the changing legal environment, users are urged to work with their legal counsel to ensure compliance with state, provincial, and local laws.

The second section, Rapid Response Protocol Guidelines, recommends steps and actions to consider and take if an incident of bias occurs that involves an organization member. It covers each party’s responsibilities, the process for establishing a Rapid Response Committee, and steps to a comprehensive investigation, including interview techniques, information analyses, implementation action, and follow-up. This section concludes with a brief overview of crisis communications.

“It is extremely important to have this kind of protocol in place because it is an opportunity and mechanism for resolving issues clearly and internally,” Rebecchi says. “Employees feel heard and empowered to resolve things with anti-harassment and anti-discrimination policy.”

The document’s first rendition is focused on contractors and SMACNA chapters and their rights, responsibilities, and options when dealing with these types of incidents.

“We acknowledge and underscore that creating respectful workplaces is a responsibility shared by everyone in our industry,” Blanchett says. “However, it is contractors who face the greatest liability exposure when this does not occur.”

Determining whether the RRP or a lesser involved course of action is warranted comes down to evaluating the nature of the event. “Minor events that involve two or fewer people and appear to be settled quickly are likely subject to an internal investigation and general international procedures for conflict resolution,” Blanchett says. “The protocol is intended for escalated situations or incidents where notifying or responding to the press is necessary.”

Both prevention and mitigation depend on establishing an inclusive, safe environment for every worker, and that begins with leadership demonstrating in clear terms what is acceptable.

“We need to set the tone on what they want those environments to be like,” Blanchett says. “If they really want to have the family culture they talk about, they have to make sure everyone is included in that and aren’t excluded because of hazing and bullying.”

Rebecchi agrees. “By being pro-active on addressing bias and discrimination, the industry stands to gain from better worker retention, improved worker morale, an improved public image and fewer work disruptions,” he says. “And as a lawyer, I would be remiss were I not to add that the law favors having a plan in place. With that in mind, SMART, SMACNA, and the ITI have developed this protocol to provide contractors, unions and JATCs with the tools they need to be prepared.” ▪

The 2024 Partners in Progress Conference held a session on the RRP hosted by Dan Kelly Felhaber Larson, outside council for SMACNA, and Luke Rebecchi, SMART house counsel. The session’s focus was outlining the protocol and helping members reduce liability and help protect the workforce. The Rapid Response Protocol is web-based and linked to other policies and procedures. Visit smacna.org or smart-union.org for your copy.

Jessica Kirby is editor-publisher for Point One Media, a small but sturdy family-owned trade magazine creator representing some of North America’s most successful construction associations. She can usually be found among piles of paper in her home office or exploring British Columbia’s incredible wilderness.