At LeChase, empowering everyone on our jobsites to take action when they see a potential hazard is an important element of our safety efforts. To celebrate Construction Safety Week and its 2023 theme – Strong Voices, Safe Choices – we are sharing stories from our Good Catch program, which recognizes individuals or teams for speaking up to ensure a safe workplace for themselves and others.
Buffalo, NY – While touring a project site, Geoff, a superintendent, noticed plaster on the floor. He went over to inspect the area and determined water had leaked into the ceiling above, loosening the plaster that had fallen. He immediately stepped in to remove the remaining loose plaster from the ceiling so it would not unexpectedly fall or harm anyone below. By observing, evaluating, and taking action, Geoff helped ensure everyone on the project went home safely at the end of the day.
Durham, NC – Prior to beginning work, Jair noticed that his work area – on scaffolding over the third-floor central stair – had posts protruding several inches above the deck floor. Knowing these could present a potential tripping or impalement hazard, he gathered cones and placed one over each post to make them more visible. It’s important not to let hazards you see everyday simply “blend in” with your surroundings. Jair’s actions helped keep everyone aware and alert while working around the posts.
Owego, NY – Mark was part of a crew installing above-ground network cabling after another contractor had built poles as part of the electrical “make ready” phase of the job. Before securing strand wires to one of the poles, Mark took the time to use a meter to validate voltage at the pole. With results registering higher-than-normal, he immediately alerted his crew and stopped work. The project team then marked the pole as unsafe until the local utility was able to identify and fix the issue – a live wire that had not properly been secured to the insulator. You must always validate and verify conditions when working around electricity or stored energy. Mark’s diligent efforts were an important – and potentially life saving – step in keeping himself and his teammates safe.
Rochester, NY – Eric, a carpenter, was bringing plywood into a building through a second floor opening when he noticed another worker’s retractable lifeline that was left in the loading area. Although it didn’t affect his work, he inspected the lifeline and noticed it was attached only to a piece of metal framing that was not strong enough to use as an anchor point. He immediately stopped his own work to notify the project team, who relocated the anchor point to a nearby steel beam. By observing his surroundings, Eric helped protect a co-worker from potential injury. We’re grateful for partners who make safety their number one priority for everyone on the job site.
Johnson City, NY – Pat was erecting steel with a partner when he noticed the other worker did not have cut-resistance gloves. He immediately stopped the activity, came down off the structure and got his colleague a pair of the proper gloves. As cuts are statistically one of the top injuries in construction work, Pat’s effort was important in ensuring everyone had the right PPE to continue connecting steel. Whether an issue is large or small, looking out for each other helps keep a job site safe.
