Crews Achieve “No Lost Time” Milestones
(3rd Quarter 2008)
Addressing Issues On A Daily Basis Keeps Crews Safely On The Job
In Virginia City, Va., crews have stayed safe on V&G’s site work for a new power plant.
Above and below: Sharpe Bros. employees enjoy a buffet meal and prizes to celebrate the two-year mark.
The real bottom line for any construction company is not just to achieve each day’s production goals, it’s to work safely while doing it. By that important measurement, Vecellio Group continues to experience success.
The latest evidence is Sharpe Bros.’ accomplishment of going two years without a lost-time injury. The Vecellio & Grogan division, located in Greensboro, N.C., extended its record by “everybody working together and focusing on safety daily,” says Safety Director John Riley, who oversaw a catered meal and gift-giving event for employees to celebrate the record.
Sharpe Bros. is not the only Vecellio Group company reaching safety milestones. In July, Ranger Construction Industries’ Central division marked one year free of lost-time accidents. This achievement came after Ranger instituted a new safety approach, called “Working Safely, Managing Risk,” across all divisions to keep employees aware and focused on jobsite issues. The approach acknowledges the workplace reality that each person must do his part to manage ever-present dangers on construction jobsites.
This heightened safety awareness also holds true for Vecellio & Grogan crews in Virginia City, Va., who are preparing the site for a new generation coal-fired power plant for Shaw Group, Inc. Employees are operating under safety protocols that are “more vigorous than most other places we work,” says Ray Adkins, Project Manager. “Shaw Group has formal safety committees, safety meetings throughout the week, and requirements that you wear your personal safety equipment at all times.
This extends to all subcontractors on the job, as well.
“Really, it is no more than we would normally do, but they put it all on paper,” Adkins says, adding that the approach keeps everyone focused and has kept the jobsite free from lost-time incidents since work got underway in January.
Meanwhile, the well-established safety programs at Vecenergy and White Rock Quarries continue to yield impressive results, as well.