What’s Working ASCCSAFE September 2023
Grace Fox, Safety Director, Encore Concrete Construction
Encore has participated yearly in the OSHA stand downs to prevent falls in construction. Though the emphasis on the topics of fall prevention and protection seems ever present in our discussions, we always get high returns from the increased weight given to the subject during stand downs. The stand downs are a great way to intensify our focus on our safety culture particularly in May when the heat and increased production in summer raise our need for improving situational awareness and prevention. However, when we started sending reminders for the 2022 stand downs, there was a definite lackluster response from the field. Even our own safety team did not seem excited about another round of company-wide stand downs. It was clear that we needed to shake things up! We put our heads together and came up with an idea to turn our traditional stand downs upside down.
In previous years we had sent information to assist Encore field supervisors (superintendents, assistant superintendents, and leads) in conducting discussions with their crews about falls. Though Encore supervisors had done a great job, it seemed the time had come to revitalize our stand downs. Just like that, the idea for “Employees Teaching Employees” was born. Instead of having supervisors lead discussions, we asked Encore form-setters, rodbusters, pump operators, patchers, mechanics, delivery drivers, finishers, field engineers, laborers, and anyone not in a supervisory position, to volunteer to teach any subject related to falls or the safety topic of their choice. They could request specific reference information from the safety team, but ultimately, they would be entirely responsible for preparing and presenting their chosen subject matter. The response was incredibly positive! We got volunteers from every crew. Some of the presentations in 2022 were refreshingly creative and amazingly thorough.
Given the huge response from the 2022 Employees Teaching Employees stand-downs, we tried the same concept for 2023. Our safety team again promoted the idea of having Encore employees, in non-supervisory roles, teach a topic during stand-downs. Once again in 2023, the creativity, level of planning, and expertise employees shared was inspiring! This time most volunteers already had a topic chosen and a general idea for presentation style. The safety team sent reference materials, upon request, including suggestions for effectively conducting a stand-down, handouts, posters, hardhat stickers, and anything else the field volunteers requested.
Presentations styles ranged from employees who read the prepared materials to two employees who built a guardrail with duplex nails, boards nailed in the wrong direction, and vertical supports at more than 8-feet apart. Their presentation consisted of having their audience determine what was wrong. (Pictures attached below.) Every presentation involved a fun, and entertaining approach to the subject matter without sacrificing content or attention to detail. We had extremely detailed inspections of harnesses demonstrated. Speakers who wowed us with their ability to articulate a subject from the worker’s perspective. One field engineering group held their own stand-down on the proper use of the NIOSH-OSHA ladder phone app. (Picture attached below). Another presentation included a timed competition to find the risks in a set of pre-determined situations using pictures. Some employees conducted “hazard hunts” at their current worksites. A presentation by two rodbusters focused on the proper way of fueling and operating chop saws. Overall, the Encore Employees Teaching Employees has been a truly enjoyable experience for two years!
Employees Teaching Employees was born as a hopeful idea to revitalize interest in promoting familiar safety topics. Encore field workers turned that simple idea into creative and fresh training styles.
We are very proud of and extremely grateful to the Encore field workers. Their creativity offered unparalleled support to our safety culture through their contributions to our Encore Employees Teaching Employees initiative. We are equally grateful to Mark Scully, President, and Tim Manherz, Operations Manager at Encore. They support every Encore safety effort unconditionally. We really appreciate the fact that Mark and Tim demonstrated their support for Encore’s safety culture by attending every Employees Teaching Employees presentation their schedules allowed.
We do not yet know what shape the Encore 2024 stand downs will take, but we know we will have many great ideas to consider with the best ones likely coming from the Encore field guys. They are the best in our industry!
