Planning Construction Projects in 2014 – Site Safety Managers Play a Critical Role

The construction industry throughout the Northeast created thousands of new jobs 2013. And all indications show that the construction industry will continue to grow throughout 2014. In Massachusetts alone there is a proposed $3 billion in public infrastructure improvements and new construction.  Industry indicators for private construction throughout the northeast show that new construction projects will continue to be funded into 2014. With new construction projects being launched daily on commercial building, university expansions and for additions onto healthcare facilities; we encourage owners, construction managers, general contractors and subcontractors to take a close look at the risk involved in each of the projects and to evaluate if they have the proper staffing when it comes to their occupational health and safety (OHS) needs. This is always a complex evaluation from many business perspectives and in general the decisions we make when it comes to OHS needs, often calls for detailed planning from the inception of any new project.United Alliance Services Corporation (UASC) is dedicated to providing a healthy and safe workplace for all of their clients, employees, subcontractor personnel, and building occupants.  Our construction safety management consulting service starts with safety awareness, training, and enforcement begin with the acknowledgement and combined support of United Alliances client’s superintendents and upper management.  Marc A. Bianco, United Alliances COO and VP of Technical Services, provides oversight of the construction consulting and training assignments.      “As construction safety consultants we understand that not only is it important to support each construction project with experienced and qualified site safety managers that are responsible for day-to-day safety operations on assigned projects but, it is equally important  to support these consultants with a support team of administrators and technical expertise beyond the capabilities of one consultant. Our approach to managing our client’s services has always been multi-layered; so when one of our team members needs support, technical guidance or administrative assistance we have the staff to support them. Because of this attention to each account, our clients appreciate the adaptability of our services within the ever-changing environments that construction sites present,”         -Marc Bianco, COO / VP Technical Services.For over a decade United Alliance Services has grown through the service demands of our clients. Our construction safety management services are central to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York but are also available throughout the northeast from Maine to Washington DC.United Alliance Services Corporation will develop and implement a detailed company safety plan and construction site specific safety plans tailored to your construction activities.  Generally our clients are looking to operate a construction project that does not just meet minimal requirements but, exceed industry standards and achieve best practices throughout the construction industry.Early planning is the key to our successes and to our clients’ success when it comes to construction safety management services. Before construction activities commence, our consultants will engage with the project staff to fully evaluate the job activities and establish a Site Specific Safety Plan.  Safety planning continues as the work takes place and is discussed in detail with each client, subcontractor and vendor on a daily basis, at weekly foreman’s meetings and monthly with the project management team.  These meetings include review of the specific work to be performed and recognition of potential hazards to be addressed prior to the work taking place.UASC’s safety programs and our construction safety consultants have been effective at reducing the number of incurred injuries and losses for our clients.   Some the immediate health and safety considerations and questions every construction management team should plan for and ask are;OSHA Training:  Have our superintendents, laborers and carpenters been trained in the OSHA 30 and 10 Hour Construction Safety Courses?Specialty Training:  Have we provided continuous specialty training to field staff? Examples of specialty training include:  fall protection, crane certifications, first aid & CPR, respiratory protection, scaffolding, excavation, mast climbers, confined space, aerial lifts, and rigging & signaling?Do we have a structured project specific safety orientation program for all workers?Have we contractually required weekly jobsite subcontractor foreman safety meetings?Have we planned for a scheduled formal safety training session for project managers, superintendents, foremen and tradesmen?Do we have the expertise and experienced personnel on the team to conduct weekly on-site safety audits with deficiency reports to be completed and returned with corrective actions?Does our program include a periodic formal and informal staff safety reviews?Have we established regular meetings for your safety committee at which safety issues, policies, procedures and training programs are reviewed?Have we considered a safety incentive program to provided recognition to your employees who perform work safely, are not injured on the job, and meet the established project safety criteria?Do we regularly communicate with your management staff with monthly safety Newsletter?Do we have the means and methods to continuously track and monitor subcontractor incidents and injury trends?Do we contractually require subcontractors to develop Job Hazards Analysis? And how is this managed?When It Comes to Construction Safety Courses and Education:OSHA courses are not only a great way to bring yourself and your employees up to speed on safety codes, completion cards are now being required on some private contracts and on publicly funded construction jobs in the northeast including Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, New Hampshire, and Connecticut!Check our Course Schedule for current classes. If United Alliance’s open enrollment schedule is not convenient for your employees please visit our online courses or Request a Proposal for Live On-Site Classroom TrainingThen OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Construction Outreach Training Programs are in many cases a requirement and are necessary for construction administrative and field staff to understand the many aspects of your company’s safety program and the regulatory compliance needed to manage a successful project.  You should think beyond the OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Construction Outreach Training Programs and ask your management team a few questions when it comes to safety training needs;Does our team understand our company’s safety philosophy?What are the expectations of safety officers and managers when it comes to safety?Does our management team understand the OSHA standards that apply to their projects?How will the project conduct safety training and safety meetings?Does our company understand your role as a safety officer in pre-job meetings?How will we conduct a proper accident investigation? And how does it impact our worker’s compensation insurance?Do we understand the roles and responsibilities of multi–employer job sites?When it comes to occupational health and environmental controls do we have a plan?Who will be responsible to record keeping? i.e, OSHA 300…recordable incidents… OSHA 10 Hour Construction Outreach Training: Our courses are instructed by OSHA authorized instructors with years of construction and construction safety experience. Upon successful course completion, students will receive Completion Cards from the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).Course Outline • OSHA Act, General Duty• Materials Handling, Storage, Usage & Disposal • Motor Vehicles, Mechanized & Construction Equipment • General Safety & Health Provisions • Personal Protective Equipment • Stairways, Ladders & Excavations • Required Electrical • Required Fall Protection • Competent PersonsOSHA 30 Hour Construction Outreach Training:OSHA 30 Hour Outreach courses are ideal for supervisors and managers. This course willprovide instruction on a variety of construction industry safety and health standards tointermediate and advanced level participants. Those who successfully complete the course willreceive completion cards from the U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety andHealth Administration (OSHA).Course Outline • Introduction to OSHA Standards • General Safety and Health Provisions• Occupational health and Environmental Controls• Fire Protection and Prevention • Cranes and Rigging • Welding and Cutting• Electrical Standards • Scaffolding • Fall Protection• Excavations • Demolition Stairways and Ladders• Confined Spaces • Understanding of regulations or standards that could help in establishing a    safer workplaceONLINE OSHA 10 Hour and OSHA 30 Construction Outreach Training:Taking our OSHA courses online offers these benefits:• Receive your Department of Labor (DOL) outreach training completion card• OSHA accepted training with access to an OSHA authorized instructor for any questions• Audio narration and interactive exercises• Real life case studies• Download or print reviews for final exam preparation• Work where and when you want; all you need is access to the internetLearn more about our construction safety consulting services, construction training programs and online safety training by giving us a call at 877-399-1698 or by clicking here and filling out a request for services form. One of our account associates will be sure to get back to you within one business day of your request.