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The Safety Committee’s latest meeting included several important conversations surrounding fall protection, employee training, jobsite hazards, and ways companies can continue strengthening their safety culture. Fall protection remains an ongoing concern, with several recent observations involving employees exiting aerial lifts without maintaining 100% tie-off or wearing harnesses incorrectly. In many cases, these behaviors may stem from a lack of proper training, reinforcing the importance of taking advantage of on-the-spot coaching opportunities when unsafe practices are identified.
The committee also discussed the value of learning from incidents and near misses before they result in serious injuries. A recent incident captured on project cameras demonstrated how quickly unsafe behavior can escalate and provided an opportunity for additional training and a safety stand-down. Members emphasized that these situations should be used not only to correct behavior, but also to identify where additional education may be needed throughout an organization.
Jobsite safety responsibilities extend beyond employees and subcontractors to members of the public as well. One recent example involved an unsecured excavation containing standing water near an area accessible to neighborhood children. The hazard was identified before an incident occurred, allowing additional fencing to be installed. The committee also emphasized the importance of recognizing employees who proactively identify hazards and take ownership of safety responsibilities, including routine inspections and other preventative measures.
Employee engagement and safety culture were another major focus of the meeting. Members discussed the importance of establishing strong safety habits early in an employee’s career, increasing leadership presence on jobsites, and recognizing the significant influence supervisors and foremen have on their crews. Effective safety programs require a balance between coaching and accountability, along with recognition programs that reward employees who consistently demonstrate strong safety practices.
Planning also continues for the ABC Utah Safety Fair on September 23. Members are encouraged to continue submitting vendor recommendations and to participate in the Safety Fair subcommittee if they would like to help with planning. The committee’s upcoming training schedule includes Reasonable Suspicion training in October, a Safety Roundtable in November, and Suicide Prevention in Construction in December.
Additional topics, including safety complaints, machinery and vehicle inspections, cord and tool safety, and scaffolding, are being
considered for next year.
The committee agreed to host another Safety Roundtable in November, providing members an opportunity to discuss some of the industry’s most pressing safety challenges. Potential topics include mental health and suicide prevention, ladder and fall safety, working near traffic, night work, silica exposure, excavation safety, PPE, substance abuse resources, incident response and crisis management, OSHA, the Fatal Four, and leading versus lagging safety indicators.
Finally, members discussed an increasingly noticeable concern across jobsites: employee fatigue. As workloads increase, physical exhaustion can significantly affect awareness, decision-making, and overall jobsite safety. Supervisors and company leaders are encouraged to watch for signs of fatigue, regularly check in with their crews, and remember that preventing an incident sometimes begins simply by recognizing when an employee needs a break.
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