Highlighter Fall 2015

Fall/Winter 2015 | 9 O ur favorite success stories are those where an underdog competitor that has little chance of success, and against all odds finds a way to victory. A story that illustrates this is “The Greatest Game Ever Played.” Francis Ouimet is a poor boy who competes against the golfing legend Harry Varden, and others during the 1913 US Open Championship. The competition was rife with adversity, challenges, and failures, but at the end of the day, Mr. Ouimet was crowned the champion, worthy of the respect to be considered among the best in the game. This story has striking similarities to the business challenges that Pond faces as we compete with some of the largest, and well-known names. As we strive to achieve the goal of 520 by 2020, we are reminded that Pond is also an organization with a history of success, and a future that is up to us to create. We are a team that values integrity, exceeding client expectations, and individual passion! These organizational traits are also the very building blocks that serve as the foundation of our health and safety practice, and much of it happens “behind the scenes.” Safety behind the scenes begins when we accept it as part of our organizational identity, and becomes a personal responsibility for ourselves and those we work with. Developing a culture of safety interdependence does not happen by accident, no pun intended, it is the result of the efforts of many employees, beginning with a commitment from our Company leadership that is embraced throughout the organization. Safety excellence is initiated with the belief that all injuries and accidents can be prevented by focusing on proactive safety actions, long before the projects are staffed and mobilized. Proactive organization actions are not new to Pond, as they are common tools associated with executing our quality and profitability models. Now they will become the new norm as we look to brand Pond safety as a business discriminator within our industry. Here are some of the more popular proactive safety actions: Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA)/Job Safety Analysis (JSA) based Accident Prevention Plans/Health & Safety Plans We develop profitability plans, quality plans, flight plans, blueprints, and hiring plans. Our safety success should be planned for also. Share your Stories If we all share our stories during the planning stage, our effectiveness is increased and we can reliably protect our employees from recognized hazards as well as from the hazards associated with unexpected changing conditions. Start meetings with a safety story and ask openended questions to engage the team. Employee Empowerment We all have the authority to stop an action before it results in an injury. We will be successful when we make injury prevention a personal goal. Set Zero Injury & Accident Goals Make participation a priority by establishing personal, project, and office operational health and safety goals. “I will not get injured and I will not let it happen to those I work with.” Employee Training Train employees to recognize hazards and how to implement safety controls. Train them on the importance of safety observations and stop work authority. Show them the organization and personal benefits of injury and accident prevention. Host monthly health and safety training modules that are relevant to their current work tasks. Orientation & Buddy Program Provide a specific health and safety orientation for the job they will be performing. Partner them with a leader who is willing to help the new employee to become successful, with a focus on health and safety excellence. This typically results in positive relationships, where they will help each other to remain safe and injury free. Subcontractor Due Diligence Select team subcontractors who value employee safety in the same manner as the Pond team. Newsletters/Blogs Develop routine team communications that provides insight into current safety trends, emerging safety challenges, and the safety achievements of others. These are just a few behind the scene actions that are accomplished by many Pond employees, who are dedicated to injury prevention and the success of Pond. I want to thank each of you for recognizing that your safety is only a small part of the bigger picture, but has a tremendous positive impact on everything Pond does. One person can make a difference, and you are doing it! Well done team! n Jim Davis Corporate Health & Safety Director Health & Safety Success A Look Behind the Scenes Construction

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTUwMzg5