May 6, 2024

Preventing serious injuries & fatalities: advancing safety in construction

Church

Roggy

Despite advancements in safety management and technology, the construction sector still faces a troubling trend: it has the highest volume of workplace fatalities across the country. Serious injuries and fatalities (SIF) are a grim reality for the industry, with many employers left grappling for solutions. Preventing SIF incidents is now a major focus for general contractors hoping to reduce risk and keep their employees safe while on the job.

MODERNIZING SAFETY STANDARDS

Herbert William Heinrich's Theory of Accident Causation is most well-known for the 300-29-1 ratio pyramid theory. He states that for every 300 near miss incidents, there are 29 incidents with minor injuries, and 1 catastrophic or fatal incident. While he was undoubtedly the most influential pioneer for the safety industry, his conclusions have steered companies and safety professionals astray in the ongoing search for improvement.

For instance, in his book “Industrial Accident Prevention: A Scientific Approach,” he states that 88% of workplace accidents are caused by unsafe acts of workers. However, assigning blame solely to workers doesn't pave the way for substantial safety improvements. Real systemic change and progress in addressing the SIF issue necessitates a proactive stance on safety, involving ongoing, collaborative efforts to enhance systems.

Photos by Maria Lamb [enlarge]

BNBuilders’“Why I Work Safe” campaign includes a bulletin board at every jobsite where workers can put pictures of their families, pets and any other reason they have for staying safe.

By adopting a forward-thinking approach that prioritizes collaboration, continuous improvement, and proactive risk management, the industry can mitigate the occurrence of serious incidents and ensure the well-being of its frontline workers.

UNDERSTANDING ROOT CAUSES

At BNBuilders, preventing SIF incidents begins with thorough analysis. We conduct ‘Deep Dive' reviews with senior leadership for high-potential incidents, sharing findings with the entire company weekly. Supervisors then relay lessons learned to our teams in Monday toolbox talks.

Near-miss reports also inform our prevention efforts, triggering Deep Dive analyses for incidents related to the construction Fatal Four (falls, electrical, caught-between and struck-by.)

BUILDING A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE

Safety culture also plays a big role in making sure employees and subcontractors make good choices while on the job. Generating buy-in leads to stronger participation in safety meetings, more thorough safety planning and better incident reporting. Engaging safety campaigns have allowed us to improve our safety culture and demonstrate to our employees that we care about their health and safety. These include:

• Why I Work Safe – a bulletin on every jobsite where workers can put pictures of their families, pets, and any other reason they have for staying safe.

• Value Every Voice – a theme that encourages everyone to feel confident and empowered to speak up when they see potential safety hazards.

• Find It, Mark It, Miss It – a protocol for utility avoidance; teams scan for utilities using a Ground-Penetrating Radar, mark the utilities physically on site and in a live utility map, and then create a plan to avoid hitting the utility.

By engaging our employees and recognizing them as individuals, we create a culture of trust, which in turn empowers them to take an active part in our safety protocols.

ASSESSING RISK & PLANNING ACCORDINGLY

[enlarge]

An on-site Safety Stand-down taught by BNBuilders’ assistant safety director Steve Leigh.

Focusing on SIF potential for each task during the planning process is crucial to preventing incidents. Instead of only focusing on traditional lagging indicators like Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and lost-time, companies should also look ahead by identifying high-risk activities. These include tasks that require fall protection, electrical work, ladder use and cranes. We ask each team to communicate upcoming high-risk activities to the safety department so we can help them plan to do the work safely.

INVESTING IN TECHNOLOGY

While much of our safety program relies on planning and communication, technology continues to be a vital resource in understanding and preventing risk. Safety applications assist us in conducting and documenting inspections to pinpoint and remove hazards at the worksite. Looking ahead, we anticipate a significant advancement with the integration of generative AI and machine learning, enabling us to analyze the data we collect and forecast the likelihood of future incidents.

TRAINING & COMMUNICATING WITH YOUR WORKFORCE

Finally, training and communicating with our employees is the most important step in reducing SIF incidents. We do regular monthly safety trainings with management staff at all levels as part of our BNB University program. Our annual Safety Town Halls give our front-line supervisors the opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas with the safety team and senior leadership. We prioritize follow-up to demonstrate our commitment to listening to and acting on employee feedback.

PIONEERING SAFETY EXCELLENCE

The construction industry's ongoing battle with workplace fatalities highlights the urgent need for proactive measures and innovative approaches to safety. Despite progress in safety management and technology, SIF remains a major concern.

By involving our workforce and fostering a strong safety culture, we've achieved remarkable success, illustrated by our strong safety record and multiple national safety awards from the AGC. Through teamwork, open communication and constant improvement, we're setting a safety standard that keeps our workers safe and paves the way for others in the industry.

Michael Church is the regional safety manager, and TJ Roggy is health and industrial hygiene manager for BNBuilders.

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