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| Clarkson Construction employee Bob Fry speaks at a safety
lunch at the shop. |
KDOT and contractors have come a long way with safety and safety procedures since I graduated from K-State in 1985. When I arrived at KDOT fresh out of school, safety was rarely discussed on projects. In fact, as a young EIT, I used to work shirtless while inspecting work so I could work on my tan!
In 1991, I went to work for Clarkson Construction Company, and our safety culture at Clarkson was not much better. Although we did require hardhats, safety glasses were rarely used, employee’s exposed to falls over six feet were not required to tie-off, excavation safety was rarely if ever discussed, etc.
The good news is - safety was focused on more through the years and has become a top priority. The construction industry and KDOT have put so much more emphasis on training, teaching and requiring individuals to work safely. One of the tools to changing the safety culture at any company is enforcement of safety rules and procedures. Clarkson has invested time and money over the years in an effort for employees to work safer. We have received many safety awards in Kansas and Missouri. But that doesn’t mean incidents can’t happen.
In October 2020, we had one of our worst accidents since I have been at Clarkson. While redecking the I-435 bridge over the Missouri river, we had an ironworker fall 75 feet into the Missouri River. Miraculously, he was able to swim to the north bank, basically uninjured. We estimate that his speed at impact to the water was 45 to 50 miles/hour.
How did this happen? All of the safety lifelines and tie-off locations were in place. Every individual exposed to a fall was wearing the proper PPE that was required as per our job hazard analysis. Our safety procedures had been discussed with all crew prior to beginning each operation.
During our investigation, it was uncovered that this individual has been seen earlier in the day unhooking a lanyard at one location before being hooked off at another location. A clear violation of the safety procedures.
When I spoke to the individual who fell, he admitted he knew what he was doing was unsafe, but he felt it was just for a second, so he didn’t feel he was being unsafe. After our conversation of the incident, I asked him to tell me everything that happened, from the time he got out of the water Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. His story was amazing - his wife and kid’s reactions and emotions as well as the calls and visits he got from his fellow workers over the weekend. The one statement that stuck in my mind was his daughter’s statement on Saturday night, “Dad, who would walk me down the aisle on my wedding day if …?”
When I spoke to his coworkers who witnessed the unsafe procedure and did not say anything, they said they could not sleep Saturday night because of the guilt they felt for not stopping the unsafe procedure. It became obvious to me that we needed to make everyone understand they are part of the safety culture, and what could happen if they did nothing or said nothing when witnessing unsafe working conditions.
The following week, I gathered the entire Ironworker crew and told them we are all at fault for what happened. I told them if Clarkson is going to change to a company where everyone feels responsible for safety, I needed them to tell this story – from how the incident happened, to his family members’ responses, to no one reporting the unsafe actions and the guilt they felt. It was personal, it was emotional, it was real and it was a story from people everyone knew. It was from a teammate.
In the summer of 2021, an employee survey of how people perceived the
safety culture at Clarkson had the best results we have ever received from a
safety survey. I believe that incident
was a wake-up call, and it will help Clarkson and all its employees to strive
to have zero incidents in the future.
Bob Fry is the Field Operations Chief at Clarkson Construction in Kansas City, Missouri.
Thanks for sharing this story Bob. It is one we can all learn from.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great example of how an incident that could have been tragic was turned around into a good thing. Many companies or managers would not have taken the time to investigate the circumstances that lead to it. I believe your comment that WE are all responsible for what happens on the jobsite is one that needs to be held as the standard. This is one way to improve the safety culture of an organization.
ReplyDeleteClay Adams
Bob, I agree with the part about the guilty feelings afterwards. They are something we do not think about. We normally live in the moment and do not want the confrontation of saying something about the violation. I think for the most part if done right the situation can be taken care of between workers. Most people just need to realize that speaking up is truly being a good co-worker.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing. It is truly sad that it took something this serious or tragic to get the attention of others before the culture could move forward in a positive direction. Your story is very encouraging and should be repeated over and over.
ReplyDeleteOne of the hardest things to overcome is actually, "saying something when you see something". Because people feel its not their place or don't want to be "that person". This is a great example of what can happen when someone doesn't say anything. I hope others read this and understand what can happen when safety is disregarded even for that second.
ReplyDeleteLikely everyone working on a work site is probably a little guilty of some seemingly minor safety infractions, not wearing proper shoes, a hardhat or not putting on that retroreflective vest. While 999/1000 times nothing happens, it only takes one mistake one time! It's good that in this case, the end result was not catastrophic and turned into positive action for a safer workplace. Thanks for sharing and hopefully others might be influenced to make better worksite safety decision.
ReplyDeleteThanks for putting safety as a priority. It's so important for everyone involved.
ReplyDelete