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Industry news

Safety Corner

11/10/2015

 
Chris Ross
CSP, CPLP
President, The Engagement Effect

              Strengthening safety culture by analyzing close calls The classical definition of “safety” is to identify and mitigate hazards. Traditional (compliance-based) safety programs are largely focused on these activities. Almost the entire emphasis of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) efforts are based on hazard recognition and abatement. Most safety training is based on these  concepts — certainly all compliance-based training, such as fall protection or electrical safety — but so is a lot of other training, such as the OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour Outreach Programs. In fact, the stated purpose is: “The OSHA Outreach Training Program for the Construction Industry teaches construction workers about their rights, employer responsibilities and how to file a complaint as well as how to identify, abate, avoid and prevent job-related hazards.” Certainly the foundation of any solid safety program is having all the basic elements of compliance and hazard abatement in place. But to  go to the next step, to achieve safety excellence, requires much more than that.

Developing a strong  safety climate at the construction job site takes careful thought, focused efforts and lots of attention. Another way to think about safety is to get people to change their behaviors — obviously no easy task.  Resistance to change is a universal human condition, but resistance to safety change seems even more deep-seated. That resistance is built over time through a number of factors resulting in most adults believing they are “safe enough.” Combine that with two other factors: Most safety messages  are negative (e.g. “you shouldn’t have been doing that” or “put on your PPE”), and much safety training  is boring and repetitive. The result is that most adults think they are safe enough and have little motivation to put much effort into improving their safety. It’s no wonder that trying to get workers to  change their safety behaviors is quite an uphill battle. You can make workers wear personal protective  equipment in front of a supervisor, but can you make workers wear PPE when the supervisor is not around? Or wear their PPE when they are mowing the lawn or working on their own  roof? The answer is obviously no; only they can make that decision.

One of the ways to help people change is to help them understand that despite not having a serious injury on the job for the past 20  years, in fact, over the course of their lifetime, they have been hurt — maybe not on the job — but they  have been hurt. When asked, most adults report having about three to seven major injuries, 20 or more total stitches, sprains and strains, thousands of minor injuries — not counting the close calls they  have had. Developing a robust process for near-accidents can help begin the shift toward  behavior change and personal responsibility. Ask a group of workers, “Suppose someone slips and falls  in a far corner of the construction site, what is the first thing a lot of people do before they get  up?” Many will reply, “Look around to see if anyone saw it.” Because if no one saw you, it didn’t happen,  right? Or how many people have missed the last step on a flight of stairs and stumbled, then looked around to see if anyone saw them? Those little slips, trips, falls and mistakes are not life-threatening,  unless of course there is enough hazardous energy present. For instance, a trip at the top of the stairs  can have a much different outcome than on the last step. Or a two-second micro sleep in front of the  TV set is much different than having a two-second nap while driving on the Seward Highway at 65  mph. When people can freely discuss their near accidents and close calls, they can begin to explore  their states and errors. Perhaps they were rushing, frustrated or tired and failed to self-trigger on the  state. Or perhaps  complacency played a role, in which case we can work on our habits. Not every  close call should be elevated to the level of writing up a report and investigating. In fact, probably 95  percent of the small mistakes and errors that we make daily would overwhelm any kind of tracking system, but they afford an opportunity for us to learn from our errors. Sharing those with others helps us articulate the reason for our error and lets others know of our humanity.

Listening to other  peoples’ stories helps us recall our own. An example is a worker who is rushing to complete a cutting  task but fails to wear eye protection. At the morning meeting, he relays the incident to the rest of the  crew, which might go like this: “Yesterday I was in a big rush, and was a bit complacent, to get a piece  of lumber cut. I forgot to put on my eye protection, but nothing happened. Obviously it could have  been a lot worse. Next time I rush, I need to self-trigger on that and remind myself to wear PPE.” Getting people to talk about their close calls and at-risk behaviors is a great way to let them realize  that there may be room for improvement in behaviors. But not everyone wants to talk about their  mistakes, especially if there is a climate of ridicule or blame attached to errors. That becomes one of  the primary roles of site leadership — to make storytelling and discussing error a safe thing to do for  everyone. Using the power of storytelling, unlocking the opportunities we all have to analyze our  close calls and encouraging a culture where people freely talk about their errors and mistakes can  help build trust and make employees realize that “it could happen to me.” And when people think that,  they are far more inclined to change their behavior, not only in front of the boss but when no one is  looking and at home. And that translates to a safer workplace and fewer injuries, which benefits  everyone.
The Engagement Effect, a division of Ross Performance Group, LLC, offers solutions in organizational results, safety and health, leadership, talent management and culture change. Learn more about us at www.theengagementeffect.com or email the author at chris@theengagementeffect.com.
Fall 2015
The Alaska
CONTRACTOR - 59

Education & Training Corner

11/10/2015

1 Comment

 
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Construction Academies in Southeast Alaska - Hands-on instruction for students in Juneau and Ketchikan
Kathleen Castle
Executive Director -
Alaska Construction Academy



      The goal of the Alaska Construction Academies is to serve the industry by providing knowledgeable,  motivated, entry-level employees, and to serve students and job seekers by allowing them to explore their aptitudes and interests under the guidance of experienced, hands-on instructors from within the industry. An integral part of this strategy is to increase the likelihood that trainees will find jobs by  tailoring instruction to the needs of local employers and providing referrals for actual job  opportunities, often directly, but also through the Alaska Job Centers.
       The Construction Academies in Juneau and Ketchikan began in 2008. They are funded through the Construction Education  Foundation (CEF) by grants from the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development and  the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development. Both academies have  an adult and a high school component.
      The Juneau Construction Academy’s (JCA) in-school program provides courses for high school students in construction and related trades at the district high  schools and an alternative school during the school day and through after-school courses for  interested and motivated students. The adult program includes classes that teach basic construction techniques and often include information on weatherizing homes in the wet southeast weather. The  JCA began “House Build” last year, a project in which students design, build and sell a home. This  year’s home was designed by Caitlyn DeRocher, a senior student at Juneau-Douglas High School  taking architecture and engineering courses. She designed the home with help from high school instructor Craig Mapes, UAS Professor Robin Gilchrist and Tamara Rowcroft with the Juneau Housing Trust.
      The Ketchikan Construction Academy (KCA) combines classroom instruction and on-the-job  training with local contractors. KCA’s adult program instructors are licensed local contractors, and  during the classes they become familiar with potential employees. KCA offers students help with  resume writing and interviewing skills to prepare them for jobs. At a special graduation celebration,  KCA added “speed interviewing” as a way for multiple employers to meet and interview course  graduates in five- minute sessions.
      Ketchikan High School partners with Southeast Alaska Builder Industry Association (SEABIA) members to offer opportunities for students in construction trade  classes to make site visits and “help” as a concrete foundation is poured or watch as beams are set into  place. And welding classes give students the skills needed to work in the Alaska Ship and Dry  Dock industry.
     There are also Construction Academies in Fairbanks, Mat-Su, Anchorage and the Kenai  Peninsula. In 2010, rural Construction Academies were started in the Bethel, Nome and Kodiak  regions funded by the Denali Commission.
For more information about Academy classes or  how to hire AkCA course graduates, contact your local Construction Academy, visit www.alaskaca.org or call AkCA Director, Kathleen Castle at (907) 222- 0999.


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  • About AGC
    • Staff & Contact
    • Board of Directors
    • Member Testimonials
    • History
    • Construction Industry Progress Fund
    • AGC Privacy Policy
  • AGC Services
    • AGC Online Plans
    • Training Room Rental
    • Education >
      • CESCL, CQM & More
      • Scholarships
      • UAF Student Chapter
      • UAA Construction Management Student Organization
    • AGC Health Benefits
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  • Membership
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