Equipment World Digital Magazine
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/816123
Another legal tactic that works against contractors in work zone incidents is delaying a suit as long as possible, which makes it harder for contractors to prove they were in compliance. Contractors can meet this challenge by documenting ev- erything related to warning devices that were in place the day of an incident. They need to list employ- ees involved in placing or modify- ing these devices. They also must show device placement conformed to project specifications and provide any other details related to contracts, agreements, scope of work and who is responsible for them. "Focusing on these issues is a good exercise everyone should go through, because these incidents don't happen every day, and when they do happen, it's impor- tant to be prepared to realize how you're going to defend yourself," Stefan says. "The whole process of documen- tation is not about getting a form done. It's about verifying that you are executing the management of the work zone as it was intended. You've got to have a means of verifying. You've got to make folks accountable for it. Video and pho- tos are good, but you also need to have a good process for storage and retrieval." Safety leadership Perhaps the best way to ensure work zone safety is to make it a company's core value. "We have to have a culture of personal responsibility in which safety comes ahead of production and your management tools reflect that culture," says Peter Wilson, president and CEO of Barriere Construction in Metairie, Louisiana. "You must talk the talk and walk the walk in your actions." Also speaking at the NAPA annual meeting, Wilson said his company recently completed a large project in Slidell, Louisiana, where three interstates meet. During construc- tion, at least eight work zone intru- sions occurred in which vehicles came behind the cones, barrels and barriers. "We must be proactive leaders with safety in our workplace, and it is management's responsibility to train our employees to carry that safety culture with them in their activities at work and at home," he says. "The real issue is, how can we make our employees embrace advances in safety, use them, and how can we ensure all our employees, both managers and hourly workers, are as committed to safety as we are as owners? It's important that our safety director reports to the CEO, in my opinion, and the message of safety is the responsibility of everyone in the organization, not just the safety director." EquipmentWorld.com | May 2017 61 Connect: Equipment World Magazine Like /EquipmentWorld Follow @Equipment_World Subscribe /EquipmentWorld Social Network_Equip0217_PG88.indd 1 1/24/17 8:39 AM © 2017 Sullair, LLC. All rights reserved. elite rental fleet elite rental fleet CONQUER THE JOB SITE with an Versatility is everything when it comes to your rental equipment. The Sullair 185 and 375 Series portable air compressors are compact, easy to maintain, and conditioned to take on the toughest demands. Visit Sullair.com/Americas to learn more. elite rental fleet elite rental fleet CONQUER THE JOB SITE with an CONQUER THE JOB SITE with an 010718_Sullair_Equipment World Ad_3.375x4.5.indd 1 3/10/17 4:52 PM Untitled-9 1 3/15/17 10:25 AM