Leveraging Technology: Safety on the Go

By Jamie Dabbs, Vice President Safety, Health and Environmental

TD’s safety culture is recognized industrywide for its innovative use of technology and best practices to keep employee-owners safe in the field and life. These achievements are supported by our ongoing attention to training and practicing safe behaviors every day. Our safety focus ensures peace of mind for our customers, vendors and colleagues as we work on projects across Arizona, Colorado and Texas.

TD’s team of more than 20 safety professionals works diligently each day to enhance safety practices aligning with our ZERO Harm safety vision. TD leverages safety technology to ensure awareness of potential risks on each job site and educate ourselves and our customers on the latest safety protocols and guidelines.

All TD employees are required to complete training hours each year to develop new skills. Roughly 60 percent of all TD training hours are for safety training and education.

TD’s Safety App, SmartTagIt

SmartTagIt is an integrated, customizable Safety App that allows employees to share pre-task safety plans, inspection details and observations while receiving notifications and safety alerts on their smartphones — in the palm of their hands.

SmartTagIt offers robust reporting and safety metrics with the ability to record conditions through photos, video and safety process engagement. One function allows the rating of risks and behaviors in real time through safety observations.

How SmartTagIt Makes TD Safer

1. It identifies better KPIs for safety, leadership performance and safety system health and capability while connecting TD teams across business units and locations.

2. It increases visibility of safety performance in specific teams and projects, offering detailed reporting and tracking.

3. It accelerates TD’s safety engagement; in 2021 we are on pace to exceed 200,000 electronic safety processes including pretask safety plans, work permits, safety inspections and safety observations.

Samsara GPS/Camera System

TD uses Samsara vehicle GPS systems and front-facing dash cams across the fleet. The cameras record in real-time, offering drivers an analysis of their driving behaviors.

How Samsara Makes TD Safer

1. AI-based software notifies the supervisor and safety team immediately if a collision occurs and offers weekly reporting on high-risk behaviors such as following too closely and harsh braking that could lead to future incidents.

2. Immediately allows TD to identify vehicles in need of service through data alerts directly from the on-board diagnostics port to spot issues like failing batteries and engine faults.

3. Fewer incidents overall mean safer driving. Companies that are using Samsara are showing an average 50 percent reduction in harsh incidents and accidents and a 34 percent reduction in claims.

4. Cameras protect TD’s drivers in the case of an accident or incident, providing instant video evidence that can exonerate drivers not at fault, eliminating disputes and bypassing lengthy claims processes.

TD’s Mobile Medic Provided by Medcor

One of TD’s recent safety innovations includes a partnership with Medcor Onsite Health Services in Texas. Medcor, a third-party safety services provider and wellness advocate, offers full-time mobile medics to TD in north and central Texas.

Medcor Mobile Medic Benefits Include

• COVID-19 testing, on-site rapid and PCR

• First aid, advanced first aid and essential life support

• Wellness checks including blood sugar, blood pressure and vital signs

• Mental health services and recommendations

• CPR training

• Respirator fit testing

• Safety meeting updates and best-practice tips in English and Spanish

• Post-incident reviews

• Job placement, post incident and random drug screenings

• Hepatitis B, flu and tetanus vaccinations

• Epinephrine services

• Safety job walks to help identify Partners under heat duress, etc.

TD’s two mobile medics have been critical in supporting all staff. With TD’s “Zero Harm” safety vision for all, this partnership with Medcor will only continue to grow as TD looks to expand the service to additional regions.

A strong safety culture benefits not just TD employees, but also ensures excellence and a safe working environment for customers and vendors on every job site.

“We have a great partnership with TDIndustries and are proud to work closely with them on projects,” said Tim Kuykendall, Director of Safety for The Beck Group. “Not only do we rely on them to provide services in a timely manner with exceptional quality, we lean on TD to support our safety culture and ensure all workers on our project have a safe working environment. Their dedication to on-site safety, support around safety culture and investment in technology are the backbone to their world-class safety performance.”