By Jim Dolente Jr., President, Madison Concrete Construction
Every person on a jobsite should be empowered to take ownership of acting safely—and to step in and speak out to keep their team and jobsite safe. Strong Voices, Safe Choices is the theme for this year’s Construction Safety Week. The annual week-long event is a time for the construction industry to reaffirm our commitment to sending every worker home safe each day.
Construction Safety Week is scheduled for next week, May 1-5. Safety Week Daily Topics are available with accompanying videos and Toolbox Talks to help you plan conversations, demonstrations and activities with your team. Available resources include a Mental Wellness Field Guide, as mental health is an increasingly important safety topic in construction.
Another component of safety is partnering with other trades to make jobsites safer. The American Concrete Pumping Association recently launched a safety campaign that brings heightened awareness of each trade’s responsibilities when working around a concrete pump. I encourage you to learn more about the campaign by visiting WeAreSaferTogether.org.
Our Safety Culture
Safety has always been a cornerstone of Madison Concrete’s culture. It is our No. 1 priority. Through the employment of a corporate safety director and safety manager, the implementation and enforcement of a comprehensive safety policy and the in-house production of an Employee Safety Orientation program and video, Madison is recognized in the local construction industry as a contractor that strives to provide a safe working environment for our employees as well as other trades working nearby.
Our safety professionals work hard to stay on top of the latest safety regulations and industry trends, and our program incorporates safety procedures so that they become a natural part of daily activities. This is done through teamwork, collaborative evaluation of incidents to determine measures that reduce risk, and teaching employees to proactively identify and mitigate risks. Participation is expected at every level of the organization, from executive staff to field workers. However, the program is implemented from the top down so managers can verbalize the message of safety to staff and lead by example.
We’d love to hear about how you’re approaching safety on your projects and how we can use our experience to assist you. If you would like to learn more about our policy and how it might relate to your project, I invite you to contact me or our safety department.