May 6, 2024

Building a secure culture of safety in health and science construction

Perhatch

Every contractor says safety is their top priority, and it should be. But what does that really look like? Some safety factors are universal no matter the project type, such as proper PPE, appropriate use of equipment, fencing and signage around an active site, etc. Some complex project environments require additional and specialized measures that impact a contractor's overall work approach, especially occupied facilities with sensitive operations.

Aldrich + Associates focuses on health and science facility renovations and new construction, where working safely means working differently, particularly for construction in occupied facilities where active care never stops.

Safe construction in health and science environments looks like being creative in our approaches, consistent in our adherence to protocols and processes, and collaborative at all levels of our company to ensure the safety of our team, care providers and patients. There's room for continuous improvement, which looks like Aldrich team members making safety a personal imperative and feeling empowered and secure in speaking up with their experiences and suggestions.

INNOVATIVE APPROACHES PROMOTE SAFE WORK

Healthcare facilities are everywhere in our community, which means we must be prepared to work on all kinds of project sites, some of which present significant logistical and safety challenges. Such sites require innovative approaches to accomplish our work safely and effectively. Our work on Northwest Kidney Centers' (NKC) new flagship Seattle campus is one such project. Located in a busy and congested area next to Harborview Medical Center, the campus is currently under construction, with field operations overseen by Superintendent Brett Price. Brett is an industry veteran with 33 years of experience in the field, 27 of which have been with Aldrich, and a track record of success on multiple NKC projects.

Photo courtesy of Aldrich [enlarge]

Superintendent Brett Price designed an interlocking ramp system to stabilize large trucks and cranes on the sloped site of the Northwest Kidney Centers’ new flagship Seattle campus.

The site sits at a 45-degree angle adjacent to Harborview's helipad. These physical constraints required looking through a different lens than is typical for a healthcare project with this footprint. Our teams and construction partners have been in constant communication to identify and implement innovative solutions to safety. Through collaboration, we have developed three ingenious solutions to improve access and safety on this complex site: custom-engineered ramps for a sloped project site, preassembled shoring poles, and a life pole fall protection system.

RAMPS BUILT FOR SLOPED PROJECT SITES

To safely work on the site's steep grade, Brett pioneered designs for a new interlocking ramp system to stabilize large trucks and cranes. The substantial 5-foot-tall blocks with 3-foot ramps leveled and supported pump trucks during concrete pours, worked perfectly for boom lifts, and are still being used as construction progresses.

The portable blocks were built with picking eyes so they can be moved with the tower crane or forklift to any location on the jobsite. This creative solution has been essential to safely executing this job on schedule.

PREASSEMBLED SHORING POLES

Photo courtesy of Aldrich [enlarge]

The NKC project required a 25-foot-tall shoring for a 14-inch concrete deck above. Instead of putting the forms together in place, the team preassembled the shoring poles in sections and craned each one precisely into place.

The project required a 25-foot-tall shoring for a 14-inch concrete deck above. We discussed options with our shoring pre-form supplier and determined that instead of putting the forms together in place, we could rent the parts, build the sections to our specifications, and fly them in with our crane to improve safety.

Field teams, led by long-time Aldrich Superintendent Andrew Murphy, preassembled the shoring poles into sections and each pre-assembly was lowered into place with surgical precision. This innovative approach provided a safe and stable environment for workers, created efficiency, and saved time.

LIFE POLES FALL PROTECTION SYSTEM

The deck heights required specialized fall protection measures. The traditional “Raptor” mobile fall protection system presented risks of getting strung out and tangled with other obstructions on this site, so I devised an effective alternative using custom fabricated safety posts that were attached to the structural column bolts. This provided a cable system for crews to hook onto with a retractable safety line that moved with them to safeguard against tripping hazards and falls.

CLEAR COMMUNICATION AND PROTOCOLS

Construction in an occupied facility of any kind is challenging and requires detailed planning, coordination, and communication. The challenges — and imperative for safety — are heightened in health and science facilities because of the sensitive nature of ongoing operations, occupants and equipment.

For example, we recently replaced an older PET/CT with a top-of-the-line digital platform PET/CT scanner for Seattle Radiology, located on the ninth floor of the Nordstrom Medical Tower. This challenging project required significant coordination, communication, and adherence to a detailed plan in order to execute successfully.

We worked collaboratively with our crane partner Omega Morgan, the building manager CBRE, and the city of Seattle to develop, document, and perform a complex procedure to remove the existing PET/CT and bring in the new one through the side of the building. Key to success was making sure the crane's fly zone was clear, which required permits to close city streets and coordination and communication within stakeholders in and around the building to close or limit access to the parking garage, stairwells and sidewalks.

We held multiple meetings with building management and security to plan two events (one to remove the old equipment and one to bring in the new one), which were carried out on Saturdays to limit disruption during the work week. We proactively communicated with those affected by the closure and limited access to keep the area clear.

While this process is relatively standard for maneuvering large, multi-thousand-pound imaging equipment, this example was made particularly challenging by the ninth floor location. Our team's proactive planning and consistency of execution enabled both scenarios to be successfully accomplished.

LEVERAGING COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCE

Another effective way that Aldrich promotes continuous safety improvement is through regular opportunities for our team to learn from each other. A push to get to the end of any one project can create complacency, but our teams prioritize opportunities to take a step back, discuss the issues, and keep safety top of mind at all times.

Our superintendents meet weekly for a Thursday morning huddle, the purpose of which is to support each other and all our projects by sharing knowledge and experiences, and problem-solving together as a team. This is particularly valuable and effective because many of our team members have spent decades in the industry and with Aldrich, making them a treasure trove of knowledge and know-how.

With a sense of security in bringing a challenge to the group, it's understood there is no judgement, no ridicule, and no reprimands for bringing forward any situation or ideas. This foundation of open, honest discussion supports collaborative development of executable solutions. This is the kind of trust, cooperation, and teamwork that promotes our secure culture of safety at Aldrich.

CONSTRUCTION SAFETY FOR HEALTHY COMMUNITIES

Aldrich's culture centers on the premise that authentic, personal attention to both clients and employees is fundamental. Best safety practices are part of that. We're intentional in our efforts to empower our team members to speak openly about safety concerns as well as ideas for improvement, and we're grateful that our team members take personal responsibility for working safely at all times. Our ongoing efforts pay off — we continue to reduce our EMR every year.

As a health and science contractor, we're in the business of improving the health of our community, and safety is at the heart of our ability to do so. The construction industry's focus on safety is ultimately about resilience — when everyone goes home each day feeling safe and secure in their work, we can keep moving forward in building communities that support people in leading healthy, fulfilling lives. We'll keep doing our part.

Matt Perhatch is Aldrich's general superintendent and safety officer, and was named AGC Build Washington's Superintendent of the Year for excellence in construction safety in 2022.

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