Safety Week 2020: A Time to Recommit to the Basics

If 2020 has shown anything, it’s that a robust and engaged safety team is a critical necessity for general contractors. Prior to 2019 this statement still held true, but with the advent of COVID-19 and the eruption of wildfires across the west coast, never has there been a time when safety’s importance could be more paramount.

That is why Truebeck made Safety Week an exceptional week for an exceptional year. The week of September 14^th was devoted to refocusing our team on what matters most with a series of activities and events.

“Right now, especially with environmental concerns and the pandemic, Safety Week helps us put safety back into perspective,” shared Justin Walz, Senior Safety Manager. “It reminds us of the risk involved every day in our jobs. The priority is still on safety even with everything going on. Safety is our focus.”

Safety STOP Walks

Each project held daily “STOP” walks where the project team with our trade partners addressed safety issues and concerns. Our safety team chose daily topics based on the highest risk factors in the construction industry including safety around mobile-elevated-work platforms, housekeeping, rigging, fall protection, and electrical.

The walks functioned as a targeted inspection with a safety team member taking the lead. However, this walk was an open discussion on how processes and protocol could be improved to help mitigate risk and the involvement of our trade partners allowed us to gain their insight for improvement. Data was collected from these walks and our safety team will use that information to further enhance Truebeck’s safety programs.

Heat Illness Prevention Training

Heat is one of the most dangerous natural occurrences on a job site. Even in October, the temperature reached over 100 degrees in certain parts of California. But even as we move into cooler months, the return of summer and health-threatening heat is always an inevitability. One of Truebeck’s safety consultants visited our job sites and educated team members on recognizing, treating, and preventing heat illness.

Helping Home Ergonomics

With many members of our team working remotely, setting up ergonomic workstations has been essential for comfort, health and productivity. We held a special virtual event to help our team adjust their home offices, including proper set up of chair, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and feet. While they may be small adjustments, they help ensure that our team is taking the proper precautions to care for themselves even when at home.

21-Day Health Challenges

During these difficult times, it’s more important than ever to ensure that physical activity and movement are a daily part of our lives. Truebeck hosted a 21-day health challenge focused on moving more and being active. The move-more challenge encouraged team members to increase their daily physical activity and count their daily steps. Participants created teams and ranked on a leaderboard to add a little fun and friendly competition.

Two other 21-day health challenges are focused on proper eating and mental health. All of these challenges capture Truebeck’s spirit of good-natured competitiveness and promote our team’s health!

Truebeck’s Commitment to Safety

Safety Week is a time for the construction industry to unite in safety. Over the years, the industry has evolved and become safer than ever before, yet there will always be ways to improve. And as long as there is a way to improve, Truebeck will be at the forefront of finding it.