At The Scalo Companies, one thing that is not taken lightly is safety; specifically, the safety culture of our warehouse workers and roofers. When employees first get hired at The Scalo Companies they go through a safety orientation with information about various topics that they will encounter in the field. Safety Engineer Dan Wakeley and Safety Associate Vinny Piccolino weigh in their take on what each field employee goes through for their safety training.
“During orientation, some of the topics that are covered in a presentation include incident reporting procedures, fall protection, warning line system, holes and covers, scaffold safety, ladder safety, personal protective equipment, electrical safety, basic first aid, hand and power tool safety, fire prevention, material handling, good housekeeping, and hazard communication,” said Dan. “This presentation ensures that our new employees understand and are aware of company’s safety policies and procedures.” Some other methods include: weekly Tool Box talks, a monthly Foreman Meeting, and Field Inspections.
Safety Day:
Every year, the Safety Department holds an annual Safety Day for The Scalo Companies for all field employees. All projects are put on hold for the safety day. Stations are set up for safety items our industry encounters, fall protection, ladders, defensive driving, small crew compliance, and deck safety. The Safety Day will take place in February of 2018.
Weekly Tool Box Talk:
The Safety Department sends out Toolbox Talk forms every Monday morning electronically with our HarnessUp software. The forms are emailed to foremen and field supervisors for completion in the field with their crews. The Toolbox Talk topics are sent to refresh employees on safety culture procedures and it gives them safety knowledge about specific topics they may encounter.
Monthly Foreman Meetings:
Every meeting starts with safety. The safety department covers recent project safety concerns and solution methods to prevent future occurrences. We reward foreman who have completed 100 percent of all Tool Box Talks for the month and daily Safety Reports during the month. We are constantly improving on how many safety inspections are being done out in the field during each month, because research has shown the more inspections a company has the less incidents they encounter.
Field Inspections:
The foremen are required to daily safety inspections on a mobile website (soon to be app) called HarnessUp. The software has a safety report with safety items each project may encounter. The report consist of basic health & safety items, rooftop access safety, fall protection safety, fire prevention safety, personal protective equipment, electrical safety, material handling, and housekeeping. Field supervisors are responsible to do the same report one per project they are assigned to per week. Safety Department completes inspections on all companies and divisions correct any safety hazards while on site, and provide support to correct any issues.