By Daniel C. Brown

The best construction safety people today share three essential qualities, says Patrick J. Conroy, vice president of risk control services at King & Neel Inc. in Honolulu, HI.

First, safety people have empathetic personalities, says Conroy, who is an occupational safety technologist and develops risk control programs. Good safety people know how to tune into the needs of others—like foremen and workers. Safety people have a lot of ego drive; they’re driven to persuade. It’s often difficult to convince someone that the safe way is the right way to do a job. And these safety people have ego strength. They can bounce back from rejection and try another approach.

Under the heading of “Your Safety Program: What Works,” Conroy gave a presentation at the recent annual construction-safety conference in Rosemont, IL. The three-day conference is probably the largest one to specialize in construction safety; it was sponsored by several organizations including the Construction Safety Council, St. Paul Travelers, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, and OSHA.

Safety training—coming from competent, sincere people who believe in safe construction practices—is essential to convincing employees to buy into your safety program, says Conroy. “Training helps employees to be empowered,” he says. “If your employees are not tuned in and turned on to your safety program, they won’t cooperate.”

For example, employees must be empowered to “Push Back,” and stop work on a given operation if they see a hazard. Employees should not be required to start work again until the hazard is removed. Kenny Construction of Wheeling, IL, has a version of “Push Back” that is called a “Take Five” program.

Safety Surveys
Upper managers and safety people need to take perception surveys about your safety program. What are the hazards? What’s working? What’s not working? Those surveys must go to hourly workers, Conroy says. “Supers and foremen will lie to you, because they have to get production rates,” he says. “Workers will tell you the truth. Your workers will help you solve your safety problems, but you need to give them the tools to do it.

“Measure your trends,” continues Conroy. “You should measure how many low-back strains you have, how many slips off the ladder, how many slip-and-trip accidents. Figure out why your accidents are occurring and solve the problems. Half of all accidents occur because of poor housekeeping. And often it’s because a superintendent doesn’t want to bring in three laborers to clean up the job site.”

Conroy says eye protection is mandatory, if needed. “We have eliminated 97% of the eye injuries on the contractors I represent because we have a mandatory eye-protection rule,” says Conroy. “You give workers one set of goggles. If they scratch them, the employer replaces them. If they leave them at the bar, they replace them.”

Flex and stretch exercises take just seven minutes to warm up the body for work, Conroy says. Everybody takes the hardhat off and does the stretching. “We’ve cut down on soft tissue injuries by 78% by doing stretching exercises,” says Conroy.

Supervisors at safe companies are expected to be aware of temporary or chronic physical or mental conditions that may place employees at risk. “You create the culture where the worker comes to you and says, ‘I may be at risk today,’” says Conroy. “‘My son just had a car accident and spent last night in the hospital.’ Or, ‘My wife is having a difficult pregnancy.’ Or, ‘My mother is dying.’” Conroy presented a film clip where a supervisor gave a man the day off under such circumstances. And the supervisor said he would try to cover the time and get the worker a paycheck for that day.

“The employee will always remember the kindness of that superintendent,” says Conroy. “And word travels fast around the job site. This is how you build loyalty in employees. The psychology of this is unbelievable.”

Correcting Employees
Excellent people skills are called for when correcting an employee who has committed an unsafe act. Following are some tips from Conroy:

• Make absolutely certain the employee understands the three basics of job performance: what to do, how to do it, and why it is done that way.
• Ask questions. Find out all you can from the employee’s point of view.
• Listen. It is normal for the person to be defensive and try to redirect attention to some other cause for an unsafe act.
• Deal with the worker’s feelings and emotions. They may be based on inaccurate or incomplete information, but they are offered in response to your questions.
• Communicate. Get your words straight. When words are out of order, their meaning can be misunderstood. Poor communication can result in tragedy.
• Self-actualize. Help fellow employees discover the answer to the question, what’s in it for me? It works wonders if you can help employees discover safety needs for themselves. In this way they become involved in the logic, decision-making, and planning that affects their safety on the job.
• Form safe habits. If you discover an unsafe act before an accident occurs, offer the “safe way” to do the job. Persuade the employee to make the “safe way” part of his or her routine.
• And finally, be sincere. Construction people can spot phony talk from a mile away. To have any credibility, your approach in the persuasion of an employee who committed an unsafe act must be born of a sincerely concerned interest in the person’s health and well-being.

Daniel C. Brown is the owner of TechniComm, a communications business based in Des Plaines, IL.

GEC - July/August 2005