|
|
Are You Ready For Contractors to Work in Your Facility'
8/9/2006
 By Randy Gieseking (email)
Safety Management Group
Are you ready for contractors' If you have ever asked yourself or been asked this question, how did you answer it' Maybe you have never even considered it. If you haven't that's okay, but after reading this article, I hope you will pick up some ideas that will help you in your efforts to develop a contractor safety program for your organization.
In the following text, I have highlighted some of the best practices that we have implemented to improve safety culture with our health care clients, but these practices can apply to all industries. I have also included a brief discussion of four critical steps that should be included in your construction pre planning activities, which you can implement right away, and that will assist you in improving your approach to managing contractors who work in your facility on a daily basis.
Where to Begin'
When starting a safety program you will definitely encounter some rough waters, so you need to make sure that you have a strong leadership commitment for the program prior to beginning. If you want the flavor of the month, I recommend visiting your local ice cream shop. However, if you want to be the best in delivering safety for your staff, visitors, and trades workers, you need to walk the walk and build a Solid Safety Culture.
The safety culture we have built is totally dependent on the level at which we can engage the craftsperson who walk onto our projects every day. The luxury is that we can continuously focus our efforts in this area because of the leadership commitment the management team has afforded the program. Here are a few ideas to consider:
- Build your program with the help of your contract partners. When we started the contractor program, we didn't start the program alone, we went to the contract firms working in our facilities and asked them to join a safety team that was empowered to develop policies and procedures that could be effectively implemented. Who better to help address and draft a policy related to fall prevention then the contractors who are exposed to falls on a daily basis. This team is still in existence today meeting and talking about the issues that are important to improving safety on the job.
- Engage the Craftsperson at a New Level. Training of craftspeople begins with safety orientation. The safety orientation program is offered daily and covers main safety areas and topics such as project specific Emergency Information, Safety Permits and Daily safety Plans, and General Safety Information. In addition to the orientation program, contract firms are required to show evidence of their company training efforts prior to being approved to bid on projects.
Three other initiatives that I believe are very important to the program include, the lunch & learn program, the contractor safety walk program that has been implemented, and a program that was just recently kicked off, the Superintendent Safety Team.
The lunch and learn program has been in existence since the program inception and has done volumes in the area of improved morale and increased involvement with the craftspeople who work on our projects every day. On a quarterly basis, we schedule and hold a training topic and luncheon for the craftspeople. Training topics have included a review of infection control policy, asbestos awareness, fire safety, and electrical safety to name a few. This time allows the opportunity to stress what is important to us when a contract firm is working in our facility, i.e., what does it really mean if a fire occurs in our facility', and it also allows the craftsperson the opportunity to ask questions and gain a better understanding of what is taking place on other projects.
Another program that was started is the one-on-one craftsperson safety walks. The concept is simple, once per day, our safety representative will meet with a craftsperson and take them on a 15 ' 30 minute walk. This walk is used as a coaching opportunity for the craftsperson and safety professional; we may look at an excavation, dust wall, fall protection issue, or a variety of other safety topics. The goal is to focus on one topic and try to pass on a good learning opportunity.
Finally we kicked off a Superintendent Safety Team. This team meets six times per year and focuses on training topics related to policy changes, performance reviews (discussion of what we are doing good and areas where we can focus some attention to improve), and allows the superintendents the opportunity to network ideas related to safety on their projects.
Okay, now that we have started you down the path of building a Solid Safety Culture, let's talk about four critical steps in developing some accountability with your program and ensuring that your organization has done due diligence in preparing to invite the craftspeople into your home!
Pre Bid/Pre Construction
It is imperative to your program that you evaluate a contract firm's safety program and develop a safety plan prior to allowing a contract firm to being work at your facility. I will discuss two steps that you can take right now that will assist you in selecting a safe contractor to perform work in your facility and assist you in planning for safety on the job prior to beginning construction.
Pre Bid Requirements:
Step 1: Safety Prequalification
Utilizing available data to review a contract firm's safety program and past performance should be your first step prior to inviting a firm to bid on your project. The safety prequalification process will provide you with a very good indication of the level of safety performance you might expect from a firm you are considering for project work. The prequalification process includes the following: - A review of the Contract Firm's Written Safety Program
- Require the contractor to provide a written program that will meet mandatory safety program elements to receive approval. Elements may include a review of the following; management policy statement, substance abuse program, orientation program, emergency response plan, trade specific program elements, job safety planning, toolbox talk policy, accident investigation program, designated health clinic for injury management, disciplinary action program, hazard communication, site inspection, light/restricted work duty policy, Personal Protective Equipment Policy, OSHA 10 Hour training, designated safety director, and defined safety responsibilities. (Click here for a pdf document containing a FAQ on prequalification).
- A review of the Contract Firm's safety performance (statistical review), for the previous three-year period. This review includes a look at the following measures:
- Experience Modification Rate ' Indicator that can be used to evaluate a firm's claim experience.
- OSHA 300 Log Injury Review ' Log of injuries that is required to be maintained for those companies whom employee 10 or more people. Looking at this indicator helps us to identify areas where a firm may be experiencing worker injury and may assist in the safety planning aspect prior to allowing the firm to work on our projects.
Step 2: Pre Bid Meeting
The pre bid meeting is probably nothing new to most of you and more than likely you are probably already having these meetings, so all you need to do is add the safety element to your discussion. The pre bid meeting is your opportunity to not only explain the scope of the project, but it is a perfect time to explain the commitment that you have to safety and it allows you the opportunity to set the expectations for the project early on.
This meeting is an excellent time to talk about any requirements that go above and beyond state or federally mandated regulations, and should include a discussion of items that contract firms may need to account for in their bidding estimate. Some examples include but are not limited to; fall protection requirements, safety prequalification requirements, contractor safety orientation requirements, a review of the owners minimum contractor safety specifications document, and the requirement for contractors to develop a project safety plan. Discussing safety in pre bid meetings will also allow the contractor the opportunity to ask questions about the overall safety program.
Pre Construction Requirements:
Step 3: Pre Construction Meeting
Once a bid has been awarded, hold a pre construction meeting with your contractors prior to allowing them to start work at your facility. This meeting should be focused on the following:
- A thorough review of the owner site safety requirements.
- A review of the contract firm's written project safety plan that was requested at the pre bid meeting, to include; a detailed job hazard analysis, competent person training documentation, and subcontractor list for safety prequalification.
- The owner safety checklist should also be reviewed at this time. The checklist includes the following information: site logistics plan, safety meeting requirements, safety documentation requirements, owner requirements for substance abuse testing, injury/incident reporting, etc. The owner checklist should be reviewed with the contract firm project manager, superintendent, and any subcontractors who will be working on the project.
Step 4: Safety Orientation
The final step in the pre construction process is site safety orientation. It is recommended that you as an owner develop and implement a site orientation program for all craftspeople prior to allowing them to work in your facility. We focus our efforts on improving and updating our presentation as the need presents itself and always try to explore new ways to make the message more effective.
Don't forget that this is your first opportunity to influence the craftsperson and help them understand the culture that you have in your facility. So make sure your message is communicated in a positive manner.
Are You Ready'
I hope you have picked up a few good points that can help you begin to develop your safety program and/or improve your current program. If you would like to learn more about developing a strong performing contractor safety program, please feel free to contact me anytime.
The Author
Randy Gieseking (email) is the Account Manager for Safety Management Group's Health Services Group. Randy received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Occupational Health and Safety Management from Indiana State University in December 1992. Following graduation, Randy was a safety consultant for Heritage Group Safety Services (Indianapolis), served as the Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator for Reynolds Aluminum (Auburn) and later became the Regional Environmental Health and Safety Manager for Reynolds Auburn and Lebanon (VA) facilities. In August 1998, Randy joined Safety Management Group and provided consulting services for a local Health Services provider and a nationally recognized pharmaceutical conglomerate.
|
|
|
|
|