Spotlight on Safety: a look at Kraus-Anderson’s Safety Department and annual Safety Week
by Brenden Nickels, Senior Office Assistant
KA Job Site Safety Week
Any form of work can be hazardous, but construction workers need to keep an extra close eye on safety protocols. Every May, the same time the of National Safety Stand-down for Fall Protection, Kraus-Anderson holds its annual Safety Week. The program is intended to enhance our safety culture by training employees in safe work habits, and at the same time, encouraging these same employees to keep practicing them and sharing them with others, both at the office and at the jobsite.
The culture of safety has changed throughout time. There are more studies and research done on workplace ergonomics, hazards, and well-being that are related to safety. “Our industry as a whole is dedicated to making safety culture the top priority for many companies, KA included,” says Jay Vanderleest, Director of Safety at KA. “Safety is about ensuring everyone who comes to the jobsite or the office returns home safely in a better condition than when the day began.”
Each day during KA Safety Week, employees gather and office leaders or superintendents lead everyone in a topic related to safety and/or safe work habits. This year our key topics at the jobsites include material handling, excavation, scaffolds, and fall protection. We usually do one or two days related to fall protection, to simultaneously connect our KA Safety Week with National Safety Stand-down for Fall Protection.
Safety in the Office
Meanwhile, at the office, we are focusing on managing stress, suicide in the construction industry, repetitive strain, general office safety tips, and the importance of getting good sleep. “Of course there are endless topics of importance that we can focus on but we do try to mix it up and keep things relevant to trending work place themes we are seeing,” says Taylor. “We’ve had a lot of great dialogues about well-being and mental health inspired by topics from KA Safety Week. It’s important to talk about these things and give employees all the resources they need to be successful.”
While they may not have much of a presence around the office, KA’s safety department definitely has one at the jobsite. In fact, they even have a presence at preconstruction meetings at potential jobs before ground is even broken. “We want our business partners and clients to know that keeping everyone who enters our jobsite safe is our #1 priority. This is why we like to get involved in the project very early on to set these expectations right away,” says Jake.
Safety All Day, Every Day
Each day, the Safety Department visits random jobsites for a safety inspection. Also, each one of them has a cellphone number they can be reached at if anyone has a question, concern, or anything else to say to them. We want to see each site as it would operate regularly, without having the Safety Department looking over their shoulder. It keeps jobsites alert and aware and gives us a better insight in the safety practices being upheld on each site.
“We’re definitely connected to each job. We make ourselves accessible to everyone. Our contact information is posted and easily obtainable for questions, concerns, etc. We value the lives that enter our sites. We want everyone to feel comfortable reaching out if they feel something is amiss. Communication is key to project safety.” said Klitzke.
Dedicating an entire week to the subject of safety shows Kraus-Anderson’s commitment to its employees and at the same time, its commitment to its work. As Klitzke describes it himself, “Safety starts before the job even starts.”
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