Safety Corner

Patrick W. Saltmarsh Corporate Safety Director J. Derenzo Companies

SAFETY (Noun): Freedom from Harm or Danger

“If you put good people in bad systems, you get bad results.” ~ Stephen Covey

As employers, we are obligated to provide and maintain a safe working environment for our employees. Whether it is excavating in the roadway for underground utilities or reviewing timesheets in the payroll department, employees must be operating in a work zone (or office) where their physical safety is cared for. At its core, workplace safety is a requirement that employers must identify and control known hazards in the workplace, and maintain those safety controls that will afford employees a mitigated level of risk.

Perhaps the best we can do is agree that there is no whimsical state of “freedom from harm or danger,” as there is always a chance, a risk, that something will go wrong, no matter how small the incident may be. Therefore, the management of daily jobsite health and safety is a group effort and must be accomplished together. Employers cannot be held solely responsible for jobsite safety. Employees must also be mindful and safety conscious about their work environment and the conditions and manner in which they perform their work.

For example, employers are required to provide the necessary training (i.e. roadway safety training, hoisting/rigging safety, Keolis RWP training, etc.) for their employees, however the employees should be held equally responsible to put into practice the lessons learned during his/her training, to help mitigate jobsite risks to their safety and well-being.

Unfortunately, jobsite accidents are simply a reality and are a direct result of unsafe employee behavior and jobsite conditions, both of which must be con-

Hand digging was performed to locate and expose the buried utility, however there is too much reliance on the excavator to dig within the tolerance zone of the buried utility. Vacuum excavation would be the improved “control strategy” during this roadwork operation.

trolled by onsite foremen (supervisors). Foremen are responsible for the daily work plan, into which workers inter-react and perform the required tasks. Management of workers and their behaviors can prove to be difficult. Nonetheless, employees must be provided with information, and come to understand, that accidents are not an inevitable condition of the job, but are caused by unsafe employee behaviors.

Accident prevention in construction is not just a matter of posting a list of jobsite rules, or performing daily safety inspections, although both of these do have their place. What is truly beneficial, is a control strategy, which works towards removcontinued on page 55

Custom and Standard Concrete Products... Our Specialty!

United Concrete Products, Inc.

173 Church St. Yalesville, CT 06492

www.unitedconcrete.com

Offering a full range of products: Manholes, Catch Basins, Septic Tanks, Leaching Chambers, Dry Wells, Distribution Boxes, Pump Chambers, Grease Traps, PreTreatment Tanks, Utility Vaults, Meter Pits, Yard Drains, Box Culverts, End-Walls, Wing Walls, Curbs, Water Quality Structures, Prefab. Pump Stations, Storage Buildings, Dugouts, Concrete Barriers, Cable Concrete, Retaining Walls, Restroom Buildings, Telecommunication Shelters, Prestress Bridges, National Grid, Traffic Control Structures and many more.

Toll Free: (800) 234-3119 Fax: (203) 265-4941

Jason Lindsey

jlindsey@unitedconcrete.com Cell 203-464-7667 See our full line of products at: www.unitedconcrete.com

Ferguson offers a complete line of products to cover all your water, sewer and storm water management needs, and our relationships with the waterworks industry’s top vendors give our customers peace of mind through unmatched customer service, on-time delivery, and industry leading fi ll rates.

FERGUSON.COM

DI PIPE & FITTINGS | PVC PIPE & FITTINGS | VALVES & HYDRANTS HDPE PIPE & FITTINGS | GEOTEXTILES | BRASS CASTINGS | STORM WATER CHAMBERS | SAFETY & TOOLS WATER MAIN TAPS | HYDROSTATIC TESTING | HYDRANT REPAIR

Canton

(781) 828-1350

North Harwich

(508) 430-1696

©2014 Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.

Worcester (508) 754- 2027

ing the reliance on the “human factor” and tackles the risk at its source. As an example, hand-digging (with a shovel) is required within 18 inches of either side of the marked location of buried utilities when looking to expose it and verify its exact location. An Green Beam Pipe Laserimproved “control strategy” would be to remove the potential for a utility strike by utilizing vacuum exca- Compact & Powerful! vation to locate and eliminate the risk of damaging • 500 ft. (150 m) operating range underground utilities by means of conventional dig- • High visibility Green Beam excellent for use in ging equipment. dark pipe conditions • Stop by for a complete demonstration on

Taking the time, and putting forth the this NEW state-of-the-art Pipe Laser effort of preplanning with job estimators, • From the leaders in Pipe Laser technology - Spectra Precision

project managers, and field personnel, to

identify safer methods, and/or equipment Model DG613G

can make a significant difference to jobsite safety. Proper planning and improved jobsite controls, will have a direct effect on how safely the construction work is to be carried out. These types of controls,

coupled with training on safe behavior, will repay any company by saving money 5 Eastpoint Drive, Unit 1, Hooksett, NH 03106 Phone: 603-623-0188 • www.eastpointlasers.com

on injuries, lost time and possibly even

lives. n Burke Lubricants half-page ad 7-31-20.qxp_Dennis K Burke Inc 8/2/20 7:45 PM Page 1

555 Constitution Drive • Taunton, MA 02780

51 Industrial Park Road • Saco, ME 04072 Dennis K. Burke is proud to stock a full line of lubricants, DEF and supplies – everything you need to keep your fleet, facility or shop running at peak efficiency.

We offer full lines from BioBlend, Castrol, Citgo, Kendall, Phillips 66, Petro-Canada, Peak and our own Fleetline brand. Products are available in the quantities you need, when you need them, throughout the New England region. From packaged goods to bulk tank setups – no job is too big, no job is too small.

1-800-BUY-BURKE 1-800-289-2875 www.burkeoil.com