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NUCA 2007 William H. Feather Safety Awards
Recognizing a Commitment to Safety Within the Utility Contracting Industry
By Jason Morgan and Pam Stask
From the time that we are children, safety plays an important part in everyday life. Not talking to strangers, looking both ways before crossing the street and wearing a seatbelt were simple ways to stay safe when we were younger. As adults on the jobsite, safety becomes a bit more complicated. Every utility contractor knows the importance of safety and he or she implements rules and regulations on the jobsite to keep his or her crews safe day to day.
To recognize the companies that strive for safety and the general well-being of their employees, the National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) awards seven companies with the William H. Feather Safety Award.
The award, named after the founding chairman of NUCA’s Safety Committee, is given to companies based on incidence rate (OSHA 300 log), a company safety statement and company safety program information. Participation in NUCA safety programs and activities is also taken into consideration. The 2007 William H. Feather Safety awards were given out at the NUCA Washington Summit and 2008 Board Meeting. And the winners are…
0 — 50,000 Man-Hours
A.E. Bragger Construction Co. Inc.
Warwick, R.I.
In the eyes of the A. E. Bragger Construction crews, no operation or administration is more important than accident prevention. The groundwork for A.E. Bragger’s safety program was the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
The company developed its job safety and health awareness program to ensure that the safety and health of its employees continued to be the top priority.
“Our ongoing commitment to keeping all our employees and management up to date on current and new safety regulations has had the most significant impact on our records,” says Virginia DiCristofaro, safety director for A.E. Bragger. “Because we are a small company, our job was much easier to bring forward to our employees. Just better communication helped our program.”
Over the last few years, A.E. Bragger has engaged in more Toolbox Talks, in addition to its ongoing safety training. It is important to A.E. Bragger that a level of safe operations, fire protection and health stays consistent with OSHA regulations and nationally-recognized standards to keep its employees safe. Its program is also intended to create a positive working relationship and proper attitudes toward injury and illness prevention between management and its employees. Cooperation between management and its employees, as well as the employee and co-workers, is crucial in all safety and health matters
A.E. Bragger has also relied on NUCA for direction in safety by attending the Confined Spaces, Trench Excavation Safety and Competent Person training sessions. With no injuries or illnesses that resulted in lost time, transfer or restriction from work in 20,669 man-hours, A.E. Bragger’s safety program continues to excel.
“Our employees are now more cognizant of the jobsite surroundings and the work environment not only for themselves but also for their fellow workers. We truly now work as a team,” says DiCristofaro. “Our company being the size that it is has kept up with current and new safety requirements. However, we don’t think you can ever stop working on increasing safety awareness. Just one fatality and/or accident is too much.”
50,001 — 100,000 Man-Hours
Raymow Construction Co. Inc.
Oldsmar, Fla.
Ever since it opened for business in 1993, Raymow Construction Co. has been dedicated to maintaining a safe working environment. “Since we are a family-owned company, all of our employees are treated as a member of our family,” says Bud Bradley, founder and president of Raymow Construction. “Therefore, motivation comes in the form of not wanting to let each other down or to put one another in harms way.”
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| The Raymow crew stays safe by utilizing publications, reports, tapes and DVDs from NUCA, as well as SUCA and UUCF. |
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Raymow is a medium-sized site and utility construction company serving the Tampa Bay, Fla., area. From the beginning, the company has prided itself on providing the best quality finished product within the agreed schedule completion time. Also, in its 15 years of business, Raymow has not had one lost-time injury.
Shortly after opening for business, the company joined the Suncoast Utility Contractors Association (SUCA), as well as
the Underground Utility Contractors of Florida (UUCF) and NUCA. From there, Raymow began to focus on its safety program with the help of materials such as NUCA’s Pocket Safety Guide, Competent Person Training and Toolbox Talks, says Bradley.
While safe equipment operations, pipe and product installation came naturally from the start, Raymow and its employees needed to set its sights on employees’ individual safety.
“We had to work on the importance of basic jobsite safety apparel and personal protection such as hard sole shoes, long pants, sleeves on shirts, hard hats, gloves, ear plugs, safety vests and safety glasses.”
Today, Raymow focuses on diversifying its bi-weekly safety meetings to include guest speakers, DVD presentations and current events. The company also offers incentives to employees to encourage their efforts of maintaining a safe jobsite, including an annual safety luncheon with individual awards.
To continue to maintain a safe work environment, Raymow utilizes publications, reports, tapes and DVDs from NUCA, as well as SUCA and UUCF. Bradley notes that the literature the company receives from NUCA is invaluable and easy to understand as it is user-friendly and tailored to the industry.
For companies looking to increase job safety awareness like Raymow, Bradley suggests keeping the lines of communication open with all those involved.
“Talk about it. Being safe doesn’t just happen, it takes work,” says Bradley. “Talk with your employees and meet regularly to discuss current safety issues. Listen to their concerns and give them the tools they need to be successful.”
As for receiving the Feather Safety Award, Bradley notes that Raymow takes pride in its safety record and by being honored by NUCA reaffirms that the company is moving in the right direction toward continued jobsite safety.
100,001 — 300,000 Man-Hours
DeKalb Pipeline Co. Inc.
Conyers, Ga.
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| DeKalb has come a long way in its development of its safety program in more than 45 years. NUCA has
helped build DeKalb’s safety program by having materials readily available and offering classes through
the Georgia Utility Contractors Association (GUCA), DeKalb’s local chapter. |
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“Keep it simple” was the beginning philosophy of DeKalb Pipeline when it was started in 1960 by James King Sr. Back then, safety wasn’t the first thing that people thought of while on the job. The major concern was to get the job done. So when James King Jr. took over as president, he knew something had to change.
“The biggest hurdle for me was making the employees understand the importance of being safe,” King explains. “They really didn’t see the dangers, so we had to start slow and work our way to where we are today.”
King began introducing new rules and procedures gradually, so the employees had the understanding of what they were doing and why. The “why” aspect was the most important thing he could show them, King says. Over the years, DeKalb changed its training programs and increased safety meetings to punctuate the importance of safety on the jobsite. Much of the success of DeKalb’s safety program is safety awareness — recognizing jobsite hazards before they become or lead to injuries.
“DeKalb Pipeline has added mandatory requirements throughout the years that promote the visibility of safety,” says King. “We strive to make the jobsite a safer place for workers. We constantly work to make a better work environment.”
Once the seed of safety has been planted in the mind of workers, the feeling of completing a day’s work without any injuries is the greatest motivator at DeKalb. Twice a year, DeKalb has a luncheon, where they take time to reflect on the past months and talk about how safe the jobsites have been and how safe they will be.
NUCA has helped build its safety program by having materials readily available and offering classes through the Georgia Utility Contractors Association (GUCA), DeKalb’s local chapter.
“NUCA has by far the best Competent Person training for trenching and shoring in the marketplace,” says King. “NUCA is the originator of this program and it shows. Others have tried to copy, but nothings compares to NUCA. NUCA also offers a Confined Space program that is just as good. NUCA also provides the ability to network with other contractors within safety forums, which helps a lot as well.”
By working hard on its training program, making sure employees are trained, have a clear understanding of hazards and know what they can do to make a safer jobsite, DeKalb has been able to keep it’s jobsite accidents at 0 for the past 10 years.
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