Safety

Overview of Safety Program 

The Roadmap to VPP^TM

The following are components that make our safety program and those of our subcontractors successful:

• Pre-project safety planning to design a program to meet the needs of the project, operations, and the specific units in which work will be performed.
• Employee selection and hiring program to identify “at risk” employees and subcontract employees before they arrive on the job site including physical assessment, criminal and civil background checks, drug screen, and craft skills assessment.
• Substance abuse screening program to ensure all employees and subcontractors are allowed to work in an environment free of substance abuse related risks.
• Safety orientation and training program to ensure all supervisors, employees, and subcontractor employees know the site specific safety plan and are prepared to meet or exceed all requirements. This program will be centered on teaching the individual the methods to manage risk.
• Safety recognition program to create a positive incentive to reduce “unsafe” behavior.
• Continuous reinforcement program. Continuous training, meetings, promotions, and employee work group discussions to reinforce and maintain positive behavior.
• Record keeping and follow up program to ensure the effectiveness of the plan and identify any weaknesses to be corrected.
• Accident, injury and near miss investigations will focus on “fact finding” not “fault finding”.
• Visual support of project and corporate management through appearance and participation at site inspections and safety related events.
• Assignment of responsibility and empowerment to all levels of management, supervision, employees and subcontractor employees.

Behavior Based Safety Techniques

S & B has been a proponent of behavior based safety techniques since the ‘80s. This process is utilized because it has provided proven results for employees and subcontractors. Our subcontractors are treated the same as our direct employees and are involved in S & B’s training programs, safety meetings, promotions and recognition programs. Thus, we have had parallel positive results with subcontractors and employees.

Our quest for zero accidents, injuries, near misses and losses of any kind has led S & B to become the “best in class” in industrial construction safety. Listed below are examples of programs and techniques that reflect S & B’s safety process regarding the use of behavior based techniques to achieve positive results in safety.

• S & B mission statement/empowerment
• Change from non-traditional safety program

• Removal of barriers to safety

  • Safety communication
  • Focus on performance
  • Dispute resolution
• Employee involvement into the construction safety process
• Acceptable behaviors

• Identification of employees at risk

  • Minimum standards for employment
  • Silver dot program
  • Buddy system
• Safety critical success factors
• Supervisor training - dynamics of the new workforce
• S & B culture - changing, coaching, caring commitment and consistency
• Employee based incentive program

Value Added Best Safety Practices

Over the years, we have developed the following best safety practices:

• Clear communication, commitment and involvement by S & B senior management
• Use of CII – Zero Accident techniques
• Employee Based Safety (EBS) program
• Required pre-task planning: CHA, JSA, STA
• Required training for craft through supervision
• Root cause, no-fault investigations
• Rewards, recognition, incentive program
• Subcontractor management