The One With the Interns: David Talks Safety

Hello everyone, David here!

I am going to be sharing some information on general safety in construction as well as what my recent safety week for the Flatiron internship looked like.

My first week with Flatiron included a lot of information about safety including meeting with the safety project manager and going out into the field, checking for damaged equipment, such as exposed wires. In the case that we found any compromised equipment, we immediately reported back to the subcontractor or supplier to get everything taken care of before the project began. We had to make sure that all the crafts were wearing all their safety gear and equipment before heading to the worksite and checking that they were following all of the safety rules and guidelines. Later, there was a meeting with the crafts and the foremen to go over the daily risk assessment and to make sure that everyone signed the safety toolbox. After that, I went back to the office and filled out the weekly safety report where I was asked questions about whether the equipment and work being done on the project was safe or not.

When it comes to construction, safety is key. In order to keep up productivity and get a project finished, it is important to practice safety on the worksite. At Flatiron, we take safety very seriously when it comes to protecting each individual employee. We want everyone to go home safely at the end of their shift. Also, In construction, if the proper safety measures are not met, it can impact productivity, and overall create delays for projects. Productivity can come to a stop if the worksite is not safe, whether it is from damaged construction equipment or an employee that has been injured on the site. Both hurt workers and equipment can prevent the project from moving forward to completion which will only domino effect into even more problems.

It is important to speak up if there are any signs of an unsafe environment on the site in order to steer clear from any ways to hurt the company, equipment, or employees.

After safety week, I felt much more comfortable with the environment at Flatiron because I learned that they always put safety first. Speaking with the safety project manager, crafts, and foremen allowed me to learn a lot about how this company takes the safety of their employees very seriously and takes real care of the products and equipment that is used in every project.