In
February, 2006, I traveled to Denver to attend
the "Site Sense" safety training class conducted
by our insurance carrier Travelers/St. Paul.
This was a four hour course that focused on the
chain of events that typically lead up to a
serious accident.We looked at the indicators
of a poorly run job and the fact that by
changing or eliminating some of these "Leading
Factors" we can change the safety culture of the
project and tactually prevent incidents.
One of the things that was mentioned hit me
hard! If the project office, tool trailer, or
change shacks are a mess, people's attitudes
toward safety is also going to suffer. If we
stay after people to keep things neat and
orderly, we promote a more professional attitude
and a better safety culture.
This seems so simple. I had to ask myself why
we didn't do better with this. I know my
tendency is to focus on the task at hand and
ignore all the clutter around me. That may not
cause an accident if we are talking about the
clutter on my desk, but on the job that clutter
represents trip and fall hazards.
This was a very worthwhile course. Next time
it is offered we will send more of our people.
Burnie Zercher, President
ICM
