Putting Safety Front and Center on the Jobsite

Construction is an important factor in our integrated design-build approach. There are three key responsibilities throughout this process: safety, managing the schedule and managing quality assurance and quality control. Today, I’d like to talk about the number one responsibility—safety.

Safety always comes first on our jobsites. We take many steps to ensure safety on each of our jobsites, including having employees dedicated to construction safety, having a safety committee and subcommittee and ensuring the proper use of safety equipment at all times.

On site we’re sticklers for proper safety gear. Whether you’re working on the top of a high-rise or just visiting one of our sites, we require everyone who steps foot on the project to wear proper gear, including the following:

• hard-soled, flat shoes (preferably leather) that protect the feet from sharp items on the ground, tripping hazards, dropped items and more;
  pants and a shirt;
• a high-visibility vest to ensure that everyone can be seen, especially when heavy excavating equipment or other large equipment is in use;
• a hard hat to protect the head from any falling objects;
  safety glasses and
• depending on the task, a safety harness and a retractable that locks at a certain length to prevent the wearer from falling too far.

In the coming days, my colleague Beth Duyvejonck, senior project manager, will talk about managing the schedule, quality assurance and quality control.