Sub contractor safety
I work for GC that subs out 99% of the work performed on a project. This also my only experience as a safety professional. So I am unfortunately feeling like a compliance cop when I visit job sites. As soon as I leave, safety guy is gone back to business as usual. Our superintendents do a good job in regards to safety, when they try but there mind is on so many other things that they can’t see the forest through the trees.
Does anyone else have this experience? Do most safety professionals work for a company that self performs and therefore has a
More direct impact on how their workers behave?
Comments (6)
It's par for the course. You have to build a organizational culture that focuses on safety. Their job is not safety and not what they specialize in, so you have to emphasize on the WIIFM concept ("what's in it for me"). If they don't see a benefit in it or feel like you're just a safety cop, you'll get zero buy-in. If it gets them more work by meeting more customer requirements, tell them. If it eliminates another paper they have to fill out, tell them. If it saves the company money so you can return it to the employees via a potential bonus, tell them. Transparency is key! Get them involved early and often. Don't try to act like the SME in their field if you're not. Ask for their input, have them show you how things work, and just talk to them like a person rather than an employee. If you're reasonable with them, a lot (not all) of them will be reasonable in return.
Honestly it's pretty tough. We have a rigid contractor orientation program, and even still we have a few that still don't play by the rules. I think it helps to use contractors you already have a relationship with. Newer contractors you run the risk of the "fly by night", who collect the check and roll and don't necessarily care about safety.
I also work for a GC that subs out 95% percent of the work. When I started safety was almost an after thought. I have been working on revamping programs for 2 years now and we are getting there. I find a lot of the issues now come in the form of paperwork. After having boots on the ground for two years working with the subcontractors they now respect me more and ask for my opinion before work starts. Don't get me wrong though I also have a fine structure and have had to use it multiple times.
With contractors we have on site, I/we go through site specific training with all their employees and outline our expectations for safe performance of the job.
I take walks through the project, if I observe an activity that doesn’t meet the standards, I get with their supervisor to correct the situation. If it’s an imminent situation, I stop the job and talk with the person/people involved.
If a contractor doesn’t want to comply, we ask them to leave the site.
We are not safety cops, we are trainers, coaches and observers.
Safety culture is my bread and butter. Instead of being a cop and saying don’t do that, you should be asking show me why you do it that way? Explain what hazards are being exposed to by that action, then your not a safety cop you are learning their trade and attempting to show how it can be improved. My people respect that.
Also, working for a GC who subs everything out, I definitely had a similar experience when I first started. While there is no way to make the change happen overnight, the more time you can spend working with and gaining the respect of your team/subcontractors, the better. Show and teach them why you are doing/saying what you are and how it impacts them. Also, highlight how things you are saying can make them more productive and can help them meet those goals more efficiently, that way everybody wins.