Sources: Construction Industry Safety Initiative and the Incident & Injury Free Executive Forum
More than 50 national and global construction firms have joined forces for the annual Safety Week, an industry-wide education and awareness event to align with what the Occupational Safety & Health Administration and other federal agencies have set as the National Safety Stand-Down focusing on fall prevention.
Construction companies will take the opportunity to thank employees for the commitment to safety and work to educate, inspire and share best practices; some plan on-site safety awareness activities. “Ask anyone in construction and they will tell you that safety is the number one priority—it crosses competitive boundaries and ties us all together,” says Safety Week Co-Chair Ross Myers, chief executive officer of Pennsylvania-based Allan Myers. “That is the reason we’ve chosen Safety Ties as our theme this year, because the commitment to safety is strongest when it’s woven into the culture of our work and is a visible part of our everyday routines and processes. For workers on a job site, this starts with the individual.”
To symbolize Safety Ties, participating companies will launch social media campaigns around photos of bootlaces as a visible homage to Safety Week. Three major U.S. construction sites will host ceremonial events during which the laces and a “ribbon tying” will be used as emblems: New NY Bridge (replacing the Tappan Zee) in Tarrytown, N.Y.; Crenshaw/LAX Transit light rail line project, Los Angeles; and, 35Express Project, Dallas. Guest speakers and project executives will address project status plus the importance and unifying nature of safety. — www.safetyweek2016.com