3 minute read
President’s Message
Safety Always the Priority
As the 2022 construction season approaches, UCANE members should rightfully be excited about the potential work being created by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). UCANE will continue to work closely with Federal, State, and local officials to make sure that the allocated funds are used, and that these critical infrastructure projects are put out to bid and completed. But in the midst of the excitement generated by the additional funds, I want to remind our readers that our member’s number one concern has been, and always will be, the health and safety of their employees. Our goal is to make sure that at the end of each workday, every employee returns home safely to their family.
There are inherent safety risks associated with construction, and even more so in the underground utility industry, with excavation and trench work part of our work every day. With the constant changes in technology, regulations, and reporting requirements, we need to continue comprehensive safety training programs for new employees and ongoing education for veteran employees.
Although utility construction mostly continued as an “essential service” during the pandemic, there was a tremendous amount of uncertainty and apprehension about regulations and how jobsites could continue to operate safely. UCANE produced a model COVID-19 Safety Plan for our members to use to keep their employees safe and their jobsites open. UCANE kept our entire membership informed via email alerts of all the latest COVID related CDC, State, and municipal regulatory changes to business operations within hours of them being announced. I am very proud to say that these efforts have paid off, as members, through their diligence, have adapted to the “new normal” and continued to safely operate jobsites even as the pandemic carried on for more than two years.
UCANE members are always emphasizing trench safety, so one of our largest training events we take part in is National Trench Safety Stand Down Week. This is an OSHA endorsed effort in which companies emphasize trench safety by planning a toolbox talk or other safety activity to take a break and emphasize the importance of trench safety. In 2021, 20 UCANE member firms representing over 2000 employees participated, one of the largest participations by any Association in the country.
I would encourage members to join our Safety Subcommittee and participate in the variety of safety seminars UCANE offers every year. Our Safety Committee regularly hosts Peter Barletta, from the Region 1 OSHA office, to update members on the latest OSHA activity, and in particular OSHA’s new Trench Emphasis Program. Other topics included updates on the ongoing COVID regulations, DPU citations, revisions to Dig Safe Regulations, cell phone policies, and the latest information on drug and alcohol testing policies. As we return to regular in-person programming in 2022, be on the lookout for emails from UCANE for a variety of different safety seminars and topics.
In conclusion, our members’ prioritization of the health and safety of employees and jobsites is the right thing to do. The end result will be a well-trained, safe, and efficient workforce that will take pride in the important work that they need to do in
2022 and the years ahead. n
