Steve Yerington

Safety is going to be a key word and key practice this year as it should be every year. A real emphasis on safety is going to be practiced. The safety folks in our companies usually have a thankless job, but it’s one of the most important jobs in the company. THEY CAN’T DO IT ALONE! It will take the help and watchful eye of everyone. In some cases it may become a CULTURE CHANGE. So be it. That is the wave of the future for all of our employees.

Just when we believe that we are the best that we can be at safety, something proves us wrong. We have had a couple of cases already this year and it isn’t the 15th of April yet. Not a good sign for the rest of the year.

It is time for us to really study the way things are done. Years ago we had a safety movie that talked about a yellow flag. If you thought twice about how or what you were doing it probably deserved a yellow flag of caution. Think twice act once. Nothing is important enough to put yourself, or anyone else, in harm’s way. If you are not sure about a project or task, consult some one. Sometimes just visiting with some one else will help prevent a potentially dangerous situation.

In this day and age a lot of the rules have changed from the old culture of “WE USED TO DO IT LIKE THAT ALL THE TIME AND NEVER HAD A PROBLEM.” Lucky You. That is not a reason or an excuse to do it that way now, and it can’t be accepted as one.

Insurability is so important to our costs and our existence. Some of the rules that are being emphasized now are so we can maintain insurability. In one of accidents this year, saving 10 minutes of downtime by not using the tools that are provided just cost one employee about 12 weeks of recovery. This mistake will by far cost the employee way more harm than good and will cost the company way more $$$$ than it would have by being down long enough to use the right tools. A yellow flag of caution was flying as a task was being done. This example is not meant to pick on any one person. All of us can remember a situation you put yourself into just to beat father time. Sometimes, Lucky You, sometimes, “Wow” that’s going to leave a mark.

To conclude, I would ask all of you in the field, shops or anywhere else to work very safe this construction season. More important than insurability, we want you all to “GO HOME AT THE END OF THE DAY!”