Page 27 - May-Jun 19

FEATURE

KEEPING SAFETY

AT THE FOREFRONT

Risk Mitigation Strategies

BY JIM FORD, DR. PERRY DANESHGARI & DR. HEATHER MOORE

he construction market has We all want to make hay while the sun is additional costs of extra manpower from
been steadily growing for shining, but having crews fly by the seat either having to approve overtime, or
the past 9 years, reaching of their pants leaves you exposed to all bring on a new worker for the short term
unprecedented highs at the kinds of risks at the job sites. How many to keep the job on schedule. This reminds
Tnational level. But like all good of you have had to deal with injuries on us of the old adage that, “an ounce of
things, nothing lasts forever and it is just a the job site because someone tripped over prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
matter of time before this run is over. Like an empty pallet while moving material? You want crews to work as efficiently
many other contractors across the country, Or watched a co-worker get hit with 440 as possible, but how often do you hear,
you are winning the work, scrambling volts because they were in a hurry and “we can’t do that because every job is
to find additional skilled labor to do thought they could work hot? So, now different?” This is where planning at the
the work, and yet experiencing margins you’ve got a good worker who is out, and job level becomes crucial in order to deal
that are barely covering your costs. when they come back they will have some with the fluid dynamics of the job site. If
sort of restriction. This turns into a double you want to manage the job, you need to
With the margins getting tighter than whammy, not only from lost production manage the work. If you want to manage
the deadlines, it is forcing Contractors while the worker recuperates, but also the the work, you need to manage the labor.
to get more and more work out of the lack of production from them when they
labor, which in turn forces the work force come back while they are on a temporary Managing the labor begins with pre-
to literally fly by the seat of their pants. restriction. You also have to deal with the planning the job at the task level.

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