Last week we were working on a reroof project on the east shore of Lake Maxinkuckee for one of our good clients. Superintendent Bob Cooper noticed a car parked in front of the site, observing our work. He went out to check on it and found one of our competitors in the car with a Safety Consultant he had hired. Apparently our competitor had just had a visit from OSHA resulting in fines. He had hired the consultant to assist with the OSHA compliance on the current issues as well as to prevent future problems.
Upon some further discussion it was determined that the consultant was a former OSHA inspector. They were touring around looking at projects and discussing the safety violations they saw. Why were they spending so much time in front our our site? Because he was using us as an example of how to do it right! Our fall protection was in place. Our housekeeping was good. When he heard about our safety program, tool box talks, etc. he suggested that our competitor talk to us. “Sounds like this company does it right!”
We strive to do the right thing on our projects. We don’t want to see anyone get hurt. I cringe when I go by some job sites and see poor safety measures employed. I am pleased when our efforts are recognized by our clients and our peers. Earlier this year we achieved Silver Status in the ABC S.T.E.P. program. <certificate> We will strive to maintain that level or move up next year.
I was asked to write an article for the Culver Citizen explaining a little about Garden Court and the positive reasons for bringing one to Culver as well as the obstacles preventing the project. It was printed in the paper last week along with a sidebar I wrote giving a little description of the umbrella group that is Garden Court. I have copied the article and sidebar below: