As part of OPM’s safety initiative, we participated in OSHA’s 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down the first week of May. Without direct exposure to the construction industry hazards of the projects we manage, our employees are still being educated monthly on the associated risks in the field.
Project Management x Construction Safety
For our first year of participation in an OSHA Safety Stand-Down, our Safety Manager met individually with our employees to discuss their prior formal safety training such as OSHA 30 courses, their workplace safety training in both military and civilian roles, and input on the safety topics that are applicable to the projects they currently manage. Being able to predict potential risks that may impact budgets and timelines, and to have the foresight to understand necessary equipment changes and compliance requirements such as additional soil inspections, allows OPM’s project managers to stay in front of both safety risks and the bottom line.
Keeping the safety conversation open on a regular basis improves not only the knowledge base of OPM staff, but also shifts the focus to one of prevention of injury at the job sites. Our goal as project managers in the energy utility sector, with work that includes construction components of major projects, is to keep projects on time and within budgets while also ensuring that every protection is in place for front-line workers in the field.
How Does Your Company Put Safety First?
Depending on which sector you operate in, safety risks may vary from blood-borne pathogens to dangerous falls. Is there a well-defined protocol in place for your employees to discuss safety concerns? Do you have a culture of #safetyfirst that supercedes the costs and lost hours that may result from taking a safety time-out to address them?
Shifting to a monthly safety training agenda allows us to keep safety at the forefront. Regular exposure to new safety information promotes the ability to view project tasks through the lens of risk prevention.
Free Safety Information
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