Site Safety

Dark and getting darker.  

It's been over a month, since I started working as a Site Safety & Health Officer. I really enjoy doing what I'm doing now. Lots of reports to fill out though.  But it's good.  Keeps my mind working too.  I'm on Phase 4 of a Water Distribution System Project.  There are other phases with this project that are ongoing simultaneously.  My first week on the job, I got burnt really bad by the sun.  I went from a light complexion to dark...and getting darker.  But the burning as stopped, especially now that I am using sun block with SPF 50.  

The job we're doing is installing new water lines through certain areas of the base.  It's hard to believe that it took my crew one month to move from where they were when I first started to the intersection behind the control tower.  All the utilities that we encountered that were not marked on the map.  I thank God that we didn't break a single one.  We have a really good excavator operator named, Eddie.  

We jumped from that road behind the control tower to Crum Avenue, last Thursday.  The whole crew seems happy with the change of scenery.  I can see the Pacific Ocean as I look down Crum Ave.  We are making quick progress working along the shoulder of the road.  

My job though is not in production.  It's Safety.  I do help out once in awhile with a production issue, especially since I am the only representative on site from the Prime Contractor.  But I try to let the Sub-Prime's Superintendent do most of the work.  I just work with him and his subcontractor.  What we call a 2nd tier Subcon.  

My day normally starts out by reporting to our company's field office on the base prior to 0630.  Yeah, that's early.  I do some reports, especially now that we are now hard wired with internet instead of wifi.  Also, now that I can scan my reports.  We're trying to change that.  I'm out of the office by 0645 and heading to my job site.  

Sitting in my car, waiting for the rain to stop. 

At the job site, I walk the fence line first.  Check for any discrepancies from the afternoon before or the Friday before, after a weekend.  Since we're doing excavation and trenching operations.  I inspect the trench along the top side looking for any tell tale signs that will lead to a collapse.  When the guys start coming in just before 0700.  I keep an eye on each one as they cross my gate, checking their PPE from head to toe.  A simple reminder usually has them putting on their gloves, eye protection, and sometimes a helmet.  

The 2nd tier sub con is really good about their safety culture.  I really enjoy working with them.  You can really see the difference between a company that has no safety program and a company that has one and enforces their safety program.  

I'm still doing safety training courses with the company for our subcontractors.  Those are fun too.  The preparation is a lot harder when scheduling needed safety courses.  It's not easy doing research when your exhausted from work.  

One of many rain storms that passed through my job site.  

On Columbus Day, I conducted a corporate safety training which involved the following safety topics: MUTCD Flagging, Excavation and Trenching, Accident Investigation, and the Focused Four, for all our Site Safeties, QC's, Program Manager's, Superintendents, and Office staff.  

This past Friday, I conducted MUTCD Flagger Certification Course for our subcontractors.  Now majority of our flaggers are certified.  I even changed the Flagger PPE and raised the standard for our subcontractors to follow.   I'll conduct another class for those subcontractors who didn't make the training last Friday.  It was a good thing they didn't show up.  We could only fit 8 workers in our trailer training room.  

Unfortunately, being a SSHO has it's downside.  Writing up unsafe workers, recommending suspension or termination, working through lunch because a work crew is still working, working in the rain, and sometimes working late.  All the same, I still enjoy my work and the people I work with.