![]() ![]() Turning off the water was a multistep process, but by acting fast, the team was able to shut it off within the hour. ![]() We immediately contacted the building engineering department and the rest of our staff by group text. ![]() Water started pouring out of the pipe and into the restroom. Safety Story from a Structure Tone Boston SuperintendentĮarlier this month, I received a call from one of our subcontractors to tell me that an electrician accidentally cut a half-inch copper pipe behind a restroom sink on the 11 th floor of our project. Takeaway: Always practice safety precautions on all projects, on-site and at home. “This accident could have been avoided, and that will live with me forever.” Safety at work is always a top priority, but this is a reminder to apply the same safety principles while taking on odd jobs at home as well. “People don’t think about the consequences an accident can have on you and your family,” he said. Now back at work, he preaches safety 24/7, not just in the workplace. In hindsight, he knows that wasn’t the right decision-it should have been a two-person job so someone could hold the ladder.Īfter two stays and 23 nights in the hospital, my friend recovered with the support of his family, friends, and colleagues. He had been trimming back some bushes at his Cheshunt home when the ladder wobbled, and he decided to jump clear from it. However, a few months ago, my friend sustained serious injuries, including a punctured and collapsed lung and nine broken ribs, after falling from a ladder. Safety moment from Structure Tone London’s Director of SHEQ SystemsĪ friend of mine has worked in highway engineering for three decades and is a firm advocate of his company’s workplace safety culture. Takeaway: Don’t choose convenience over safety! Discuss safety challenges with your site safety manager. The worker looked up at me and said, “That’s why you’re the safety guy!” The next day, I returned to observe them cutting again, this time using the pump sprayer to wet the stone from two to three feet away-there were smiles all around. I pointed down the street to a hardware store and said, “How about we buy a pump sprayer with a long wand so you can keep all your fingers?” ![]() When asked why they were using this procedure, the workers replied there was no other water supply available to them and the bucket was their only option. I didn’t want to startle them, so I let them finish cutting the stone and then directed them to stop work. I noticed the worker’s hand was only inches away from the cutting blade when he was flicking water towards the saw. Safety moment from Govan Brown’s Director of Health & Safetyĭuring a visit to one of our projects, I observed a worker cutting stone on a sidewalk with a quick-cut saw while his coworker stood beside him, splashing water from a bucket onto the blade to help minimize dust. Takeaway: If a plan goes against safety regulations, speak up and devise a new one. Immediate recognition of the hazard and quickly mitigating the risk prevented a potentially serious safety mishap. The crane pick was successful, and all items were hoisted to the roof without damage, incident, injury, or concern. Greg and I regrouped with all personnel on-site and repositioned the crane pick and materials so they would not be hoisted near the residential building. The path he demonstrated was not in accordance with the original pick plan and our safety protocols. We stopped him right there, reviewed the plan, and informed him the building next to this facility is an occupied apartment complex. The operator then used his arm to demonstrate the swing of the crane. Once the crane operator completed its set-up according to the pick plan, the project superintendent, Greg Hussey, and I held a safety meeting, where we questioned the operator on the swing of the materials. Last fall, BCCI had a scheduled crane pick for a project in downtown San Francisco. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |