Safety Corner

Patrick W. Saltmarsh Corporate Safety Director J. Derenzo Companies

Unacceptable Employee Behavior

“When you don’t respond to bad behavior, you get more of it.” ~ Carly Fiorina

As Safety Managers, we naturally expect safe working behavior from each member of our company, regardless of their position. We fully expect that our employees work safely and adhere to all applicable safety standards while at work. But in the real world of construction, what happens when an employee (or group) is cutting corners “just trying to get the job done?”

Unfortunately, one rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel. One unsafe, corner-cutting, employee can contaminate the entire workplace. All of the good work to build up your business can be undone by one lazyemployeewhoyouallowtokeepworkingforyou. Too dramatic? Not at all. Negative, lazy, unsafe employees are detremental to your company, whether they are working on a jobsite, at a desk in the office, orsitting in an executive’schair. Oneunsafeemployee turns into two, into four and so on. Eventually, your work crews take on an atmosphere of unsafe, corner cutting work practices that will lead your company down an unpleasant path that is ultimately bad for business.

Good, safety conscious employees do not like being around unsafe work practices, and they won’t put up with it. If you do not address it, your best people will migrate elsewhere and you risk your company becoming known as a corner-cutting company.

Jobsite Foreman/Supervisors play a critical role in the safetyperformance ofanyorganization. These front line supervisors are the interface between

J. Derenzo Co. backfilling while working around a lot of moving pieces. workers’ behavior (safe or unsafe) and getting the job done. As such, they are the single biggest influencer on good employee behavior and performance. Employers must make this known, by outlining and documenting behavioral expectations as part of an employees’ daily jobsite performance.

What to do: • Be clear on what is acceptable and what is not.

Create and distribute these expectations to your staff, and enforce them rigorously. • Have a process for complaints and suggestions.

All employees need this pipeline for their voice. continued on page 35

Protect your crew and a whole lot more.

From training your crew on safety regulations to helping you choose the right equipment for the job, our innovative Trench Safety Solutions help increase productivity and lower costs. Next time you’re underground, count on us to help keep your crew, and your project, safe.

UnitedRentals.com/Trench 800.UR.RENTS

169B Memorial Drive Shrewsbury, MA 01545 508-842-3790

The Underground Equipment Specialist ®

• Shoring • Confined Space Safety Equipment • Engineering

• OSHA Training • Pipe Plugs & Testing Equipment • Steel Road Plates

© 2013 United Rentals, Inc.

Make this the only acceptable process for criticism or complaints. • Do not ignore the complaints. Failure to act will sanction poor behavior and promote distention throughout the company. • Have a sit down in the office with the employee.

Conversations in the field are one thing, being called to speak in the office raises the importance to an entirely different level. • Have a termination process. Have a clear, reasonable progressive discipline process that includes behavioral issues and enforce it every single time.

If you clearly outline what your company deems “acceptable behavior” within your company policies, then it eliminates potential complaints of favoritism or personal biases, allowing it to be strictly a performance issue. So take your company handbook out of mothballs and make it a living, working document, so that your employees will know what is expected of

them. n

L. GUERINI GROUP, INC.

SINCE 1917 Material Placement Specialists

CONCRETE PUMPING EQUIPMENT “TELEBELT” MOBILE CONVEYORS STONE SLINGER SERVICE Pumps Up To 200 yds/hr • Booms Up To 142’ Reach Line Pumps • Grout Pumps Material Placement To 106’

34 Topalian Street PO Box 260187 Boston, MA 02126

(617) 296-0290 www.guerini.com

Serving the Bonding and Insurance needs of the N.E. construction industry for almost 50 years.

Adam DeSanctis Gregory Juwa James Axon Michael Gilbert Bryan Juwa David Boutiette Paul Patalano Dick Caruso Jonathan Duggan Jordan Tirone