Engineering a culture of safety

Safety is everyone’s responsibility, whether on or off the jobsite, and it is possible with a good attitude and a proven process that begins early in design. At the core of this concept is a strong safety culture, which requires a unified team of designers, fabricators, and installers that believes in and utilizes common safety practices during all stages of a building’s lifecycle. If your building team is looking at evaluating or formally creating a culture of safety, be sure not to overlook the concept of Prevention through Design.

Prevention through Design (PtD) is defined by mitigating occupational hazards when they are engineered out of the process. Many firms are embracing the concept including Southland Industries, which has embraced PtD in its design and engineering project phases with a goal of minimizing the risks associated with both building and maintaining installed systems.  Similar to Lean Construction Principles that strive to eliminate waste in the construction process, PtD reduces waste associated with accidents and injuries while providing a valuable pathway to a culture of safety.

According to a study published by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Driscoll et al. 2008), design was implicated in 37 percent of all job-related deaths. The motivation for implementing PtD cannot be more clear. The trick, however, is making PtD a standard operating procedure with everyone involved in the design of the building systems.  
Principles of PtD can help eliminate hazards and minimize risks to workers in both new and existing processes, with the main focus on construction/retrofit, installation, use, maintenance and ultimate disposal or reuse of the following factors:

Work facilities

Part of any contractor’s safety culture should include pre-fabrication. When a contractor can control the work facilities, much of the risk involved in fabricating building systems can be minimized. Pre-fabrication at a fixed shop allows employees to work indoors and to be protected from the elements; to have better control over dust and fumes; and to have exposure to fewer trip hazards compared to a construction site.  Consider that when Southland Industries pre-fabricates systems, the OSHA recordable injury rate (RIR) drops dramatically. The company experiences four times fewer injuries, in comparison to the 5.0 national average RIR for plumbing, heating and air conditioning specialty contractors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Additionally, when designing systems and performing pre-fabrication in the shop, RIR is about one-fifth the national average.
Machinery, equipment

Collaborating with purchasing, project engineers, and machinery manufacturers, it is possible to eliminate many hazards created during the installation and maintenance of machines. Simply specifying a caged ladder on a piece of equipment that requires elevated work will minimize fall hazards. Enlarging the access door for mechanical equipment to 6’6” may reclassify a confined space to non-confined space. Redesigning a control panel, so that anyone who takes readings is only exposed to 24V instead of the 110V or 220V reduces the chances of an arc flash. This PtD factor requires collaboration early in the design process and will be a real test of a company’s safety culture.

Tools

Hand and power tools are the backbone of the construction process. They are also responsible for a large percentage of jobsite injuries. Along with the pre-fabrication process, PtD practices can minimize the frequency of certain tool use. For example, installing 20’ long pre-fabricated sections of building systems instead of assembling smaller sections on site reduces ladder usage as compared to assembling smaller sections on site. Overhead cutting and welding is also minimized. Tool manufacturers who understand the importance of jobsite safety are always developing solutions to common safety hazards. Working with vendors to stay on top of the latest and greatest tools on the market is a sign of a strong safety culture. 

Pre-fabrication at a fixed shop allows employees to work indoors and to be protected from the elements; to have better control over dust and fumes; and to have exposure to fewer trip hazards compared to a construction site.

Substances

Harmful substances such as chemicals, coatings and paints, can create health hazards on a project. Exposure to silica dust and fumes from welding on stainless steel can be dangerous. The safest way to work with these products is to eliminate them altogether. It is also important to keep in mind what other team members may want or need. For instance, will the architect consider using a different material that doesn’t create dust when it’s cut? Will code allow for, and will the inspector accept a different alloy that does not create toxic fumes when welded? Involving all parties early in the design phase will provide the best opportunity to implement PtD.

Work processes

Perhaps the greatest impact a company’s safety culture can have on PtD involves the work processes used for accomplishing specific tasks. In a perfect world, companies can complete work processes without a hitch. But on a construction site, best laid plans can often become hazards. When trades are stacked, or there is a rush to be first in and first out of a work area, a higher potential for error exists. Pull Planning is a Lean tool that can help facilitate safe work processes by allowing everyone to see how their schedule impacts other trades. Early coordination during the design phase can identify potential dangers with one or more work processes that could lead to accidents.

Developing a safety culture that utilizes PtD practices can seem initially overwhelming, but with practice and patience, it will be well worth the effort. Consider that in the U.S., PtD can save an estimated 1,876 lives, prevent 1,369,000 serious injuries, and save companies $47 billion (National Institute of Occupational Safety And Health, Driscoll et al. 2008). Ultimately, when we buy into the importance of implementing a strong safety culture, than the results can truly be outstanding.  

Scott Limpus is the safety manager for the Southern California division of Southland Industries, a national MEP building systems firm. He oversees the implementation of Southland’s comprehensive Safety Program on a variety of projects. He can be reached at [email protected].