Joe Whiteman, director of safety services The Voice Newsletter March 2023

Construction Safety Week 2023 takes place May 1 through the 5. I chose March to discuss this event as we all know in construction time flies, and there is a lot to prepare for if you want your organization to be involved with this celebration. Construction Safety Week is exactly that, a celebration of safety which provides organizations an opportunity to discuss safety with a focused theme with each day of safety week dedicated to a related topic, all designed to reinforce the theme and message for this year, “Strong Voices, Safe Choices.”

Monday‘s focus will be on Engagement, and the discussion will dive into best practices on reinforcing both craft and leadership’s role and how actively being engaged with safety will support a strong safety culture. Tuesday will focus on Risk Identification and provide an opportunity to review steps to ensure the hazards of the day are understood and what steps may be necessary to safely perform the work. Wednesday will be a discussion on a familiar topic within ASCC, Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBI) and being psychologically safe. This provides the opportunity to not only highlight the value in helmet-style head protection, but also an opportunity to ensure all are aware their voice can help positively change the course of someone’s life. Thursday’s discussion will focus on Continued Learning, and we all can learn from shared experiences focusing on fatigue, working around equipment, de-escalation techniques and situational awareness. Lastly, Friday will start off thanking everyone for their participation and discuss methods on craft empowerment.

This may seem overwhelming for some, but the group behind Construction Safety Week has already developed all the resources you need to ensure Construction Safety Week goes smoothly and effortlessly. Such resources include all five topics in toolbox talks format, videos, tool kits, activities, jobsite banners, Construction Safety Week logos, letterheads and PowerPoint presentations to meet the needs of how you choose to incorporate the discussion of these topics at your organization. It is also important to mention many of the resources are available in Spanish. All you need from your end is a commitment in time for these brief discussions each day of construction safety week whether its on the project or at the office, all in attendance will benefit from the valuable information and message discussed.

I would like to take this opportunity to encourage all of you to take time to prepare, review the resources and tools available to you and get your organization involved with Construction Safety Week 2023. All information and materials can be found here. ASCC wants to be involved with your celebrations so tag us on social media or send us pictures so we can highlight and share your organization is celebrating Construction Safety Week. If you have any questions, or want to share your Construction Safety Week experiences, please contact Joseph Whiteman, jwhiteman@ascconline.org.