Posts Tagged ‘construction safety’

ACTIVE STRETCHING VS PASSIVE STRETCHING

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021

Active stretching is an integral part of every day at Egan Company. Although a seemingly simple task, stretching does more than just warm your muscles up, it also promotes a healthy lifestyle, increases range-of-motion, balance, heart rate, and engages muscles.

An Egan Company crew starting their day with active stretching

The reason active stretching takes place at the start of each day on every Egan jobsite is because it improves muscle function and releases tension; what better way to start the work day than with fully relaxed muscles. Unlike other types of stretching, active stretching only uses one’s own muscle contractions.

Taking the time to do a few simple exercises greatly decreases the rate of workplace injuries. Often implementing the smallest steps makes the biggest impact. We believe time spent stretching is time spent valuing the safety and lives of our employees.

For a video demonstration, view our active stretching training video. Over the course of the video, 12 active stretching exercises are demonstrated by Egan employees. Safety is a large part of our culture and our Active Stretching Program is just one aspect of the Safety Brings You Home initiative, which seeks to bring all employees home at the end of the day. For more about our commitment to safety and the lives of our team, check out our safety video.

UNENDING PRACTICE CREATES SAFETY EXCELLENCE CULTURE

Wednesday, June 17th, 2020

Excellence in safety doesn’t just happen. It takes practice and leadership.

At Egan Company, our teams strive to promote safe and healthy working environments and to maintain safe practices at all times. Our safety program is not static—it continually evolves and improves to meet our own standards and those of our customers.

Two consecutive years without an OSHA recordable injury is a milestone we celebrate, and there’s one group at Egan Company that achieved zero injuries in 2018 and 2019– the Industrial Controls team.

A business offering within Egan, the Industrial Controls business unit provides electrical installations, system integration, PLC/HMI programming, engineering, custom-built control panels, and a variety of other specialty controls services.

Last year, this group delivered 135,332 combined hours in the field and in our UL 508A Panel Shop.

KEY CONTRIBUTORS IN SAFETY

When safety is a cultural priority, experience through field practices and leadership become key contributors to reaching success in safety.

Through implemented programs like jobsite audits, safety observations, and safety lunches, a safety mindset is emphasized and it is everyone’s job to make sure these are completed every month. 

“The Industrial Controls leadership team has made safety a top priority. We believe the safety team has implemented these important programs to emphasize the importance of safety. It is our job to make sure these are followed through.” said Mike Tengwall, Egan Company Vice President. “Our experienced project managers and field leaders have a good understanding of our jobsites and the hazards associated with the work they are performing. If there are any questions related to safety, we involve the safety team early to help us execute work in a safe manner.”

COMMITMENT SHOWS

Recently, this team was recognized for an Award of Honor by the Minnesota Safety Council. Recipients of this award have incident rates at least 91% better than the industry average and a score between 91 and 100 on the safety program evaluation scale. 

Significant growth over the last few years has also added to the need for additional safety measures. As new employees have joined the team, additional space has become necessary, and demand for project output has increased, the continued focus on safety has grown as well. 

Terry Fredricks, Egan Company Panel Shop Foreman

Specifically, in the panel shop, there’s a continued commitment to executing work in a safe manner, identifying hazards, and communicating on a daily basis through the daily safety plan to keep everyone aware. This, coupled with the weekly tool box talk and daily stretching, sends a powerful message that safety is at the top of the priority list.

“As leaders, we always follow up on safety concerns or near-misses with employees and customers to understand what can be done going forward to eliminate any future risk to people or property,” adds Terry Fredricks, Egan Company Panel Shop Foreman. “In addition, from a tool and process standpoint, continued investments in leading technologies have assisted in achieving our safety goals.

Safety remains the number one priority at Egan Company – across all business units and teams. The leadership team and dedicated safety team empowers and holds every employee accountable to the highest level of safety possible. Thanks to the many advocates across all levels of our Company that promote safety excellence, safety is a long-standing standard and foundation of our culture.

ORGANIZATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH STATE SAFETY AWARDS

Wednesday, June 10th, 2020

The Minnesota Safety Council has awarded three Governor’s Safety Awards to Egan Company for excellence in safety. 

Egan is amongst a very small group of companies to receive an Award of Honor; recipients of this award have incident rates at least 91% better than the industry average and a score between 91 and 100 on the safety program evaluation scale. Egan received the Award of Honor in 2014 as well. 

Two Meritorious Achievement Awards were also earned, recognizing an outstanding record and incident rates better than the industry average for at least three years, respectively.

Traditionally, The Minnesota Safety Council honors award winners at its Governor’s Safety Awards Ceremony at its annual conference; however, due to COVID-19 developments, this event has been postponed until Fall 2020.

To read more about the scorecard and award categories, visit The Minnesota Safety Council website.

About Minnesota Safety Council

The Minnesota Safety Council, founded in 1928, is a non-governmental, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in Minnesota by preventing unintentional injuries (“accidents”). Since 1934, the annual Governor’s Safety Awards program has honored Minnesota employers with exceptional safety performance. Applicants are judged on several years of injury data as it compares with their industry’s national statistics, and on their progress in implementing a comprehensive safety program.

Strong Safety Performance Earns Governor’s Safety Awards

Wednesday, June 5th, 2019
Pictured above is Egan's Safety Committee.

Since 1934, the annual Governor’s Safety Awards program has honored Minnesota employers that are committed to workplace health and safety.

During this Spring’s 85th Annual Minnesota Safety & Health Conference, Egan Company received seven Governor’s Safety Awards for exceptional safety performance in 2018. This marks the 12th year Egan has been awarded multiple Governor’s Safety Awards.

Overall, Egan was one of approximately 294 employers to be honored through the awards program and one of 170 winners of the Meritorious Achievement award. Meritorious Achievement recognizes companies with incidence rates that are better than the industry average for at least three years, and a score between 50 and 74 on a 100-point safety program evaluation scale.

To read more about the evaluation scorecard and award categories visit Minnesota Safety Council’s website.

Pictured above is Egan’s Safety Committee.

Safe by Choice: Construction Safety Week Recap

Friday, May 10th, 2019

In recognition of Construction Safety Week, we highlighted a few topics that inspire, educate, and shape us to Stay Safe in all that we do.

A Strong Culture of Safety

We’re eager to showcase why ensuring the highest standard of safety on every jobsite and within our shops and offices is our number one priority. Check out this cool video (1 min.)!

Educating for Safer Roads

While driving may be perceived as a routine activity, attentive driving is critical to your safety, the safety of other drivers, and personnel who work on our roadways.

PPE – what is it and why do we wear it?

With the potential hazards of a construction site, personal protection equipment (PPE) is considered a primary line of defense when it comes to crew safety. Each item is designed to minimize exposure to certain risks of injury or illness, and the damage caused by those hazards in the event of a mishap.

Egan upholds a 100% PPE policy on all of our jobsites.

Why We Work Safe

Often times, taking shortcuts on the job can have ripple-like consequences, which is why making safe choices every day is essential. Choosing to work safe benefits everyone. We all want to go home at the end of the day to see the people that matter most and do the things we love.

Safety Performance Recognized as Exceptional

Wednesday, June 13th, 2018

Safety is a part of who we are at Egan Company. We do more than just embrace it – we are dedicated to living it and breathing it every day in our offices, shops, and jobsites.

For more than 10 years, we’ve been awarded multiple Governor’s Safety Awards by the Minnesota Safety Council for this commitment to workplace safety and health. And, this year proves to be no different.

Egan recently received five Meritorious Achievement Awards. These awards recognize incident rates that are better than the industry average for at least three years, and a score between 50 and 74 on a 100-point safety program evaluation program scale.

Egan was one of approximately 280 Minnesota companies recognized at the Governor’s Safety Awards luncheon this year. To read more about the evaluation scorecard and award categories visit Minnesota Safety Council’s website.

 

Together, Safety Brings Us Home

Friday, April 14th, 2017

Empowering employees is the key to ensuring safety on all jobsites, and it’s something Egan Company takes to heart with its Safety Brings You Home program. The intention is to make any employee – from apprentice to field leader to project manager – feel comfortable speaking up when they see something risky or unsafe onsite or even in the office.

As 2015 came to a close, Egan’s incident rate was the highest it had been in five years at 3.33. While it was significantly lower than the industry standard, our ultimate goal is ZERO injuries, so 3.33 was too high.

As a result, Egan’s Leadership, Safety team, and other key partners took a step back to evaluate and create a plan to reduce our incident rate. Egan’s long-standing safety program was expanded, further promoting safety on jobsites and in the offices.

Egan’s safety program has everyone working together for one common goal: going home safe. The biggest improvement made in 2016 was the standardized morning stretching routine. In addition to warming us up and getting us physically prepared for work, it is a great mental transition into a safety mindset to carry you through the day.

– Paul Hartman, Egan Company Electrical Field Leader

At the start of 2016, Egan employees on all jobsites and in all offices signed a safety pledge – pledging to work and live safely. Additional safety resources were provided for employees to increase their knowledge throughout the year.

Highlights of these efforts include:

  • Increase in available online and hands-on safety courses like CPR/First Aid, OSHA 10, OSHA 30, and Defensive Driving
  • Modified new hire orientation to emphasize safety commitment, including a follow-up orientation for field/shop employees within 30 days of hire date
  • Project managers more actively involved in the Continuous Improvement Observation and Safety Lunch programs

Lastly, a photo contest was held – employees were encouraged to submit pictures depicting what makes them work safely and get home at the end of the day. With an overwhelming volume of
submissions, all photos were incorporated into jobsite posters to remind us all what motivates us to work safe.

Watch to see why we work safe (2.5 minutes)

With these added safety efforts, employees were given the tools and knowledge to feel comfortable speaking up. It also added some excitement and energy into the safety program.

“After recognizing the need to lower our incident rate, I’m proud to say Egan ended 2016 with an Incident Rate of 1.67 – our lowest in the history of the Company,” said Larry Hanson, Egan Company Safety Director. “We continue our commitment to safety, and are continually looking into new efforts that give our employees every opportunity to advance their knowledge to stay safe and work toward our goal of zero injuries.”

For 2017, Egan is continuing efforts to support safety advocacy, both at home and on the job. Safety benefits us all, and our focus will continue on safe driving, preventing soft tissue injuries, and increasing the safety knowledge with employees and their families.

Slow Down — Work Zone Ahead

Tuesday, April 11th, 2017

Spring has finally arrived and summer is just around the corner, which means one thing in Minnesota — orange cones and construction detours. As road crews hit the pavement, it’s important to remember that work zone safety is in YOUR hands.

This year, for National Work Zone Awareness Week (April 2-8), we asked some of Egan’s road field leaders to give first-hand insight, tips, and advice on how to drive safe in construction work zones.

Additional Resources: http://bit.ly/shouldnthappenatours  //  http://bit.ly/putdownthephonemn

Take a minute to check out their videos:

 

     

Safety Milestones – September 2016

Friday, September 30th, 2016

Safety - EHS leadership conference

Over the past few weeks Egan has celebrated a few safety milestones:

  • 10 years! Our Service Garage team recently celebrated 3,650 days injury free!
  • The Egan team on the Grand Casino-Mille Lacs expansion was recognized and selected as the Safety Crew of the month.
  • Matt Tembruell, Egan Company Plumbing Field Leader, was recognized as this month’s Safety Champion at the Grand Casino-Hinckley expansion.
  • Jason Lindula, Egan Company Safety Coordinator, spoke at the 2016 Safety Leadership Conference in Pittsburgh, PA. He shared tips and techniques on how companies can ensure a top-down leadership approach to safety.

Thank you, everyone, for continuing Egan’s safety commitment on all jobsites, in all shops, and in all offices!

Together, Safety Brings Us Home.

Training to Work and Live Safely

Sunday, June 7th, 2015

safetytrainingphotoSafety awareness is essential in construction, something Chuck Roberts, Egan Company Plumbing Foreman, learned quickly while on the Southdale Medical Office Building jobsite in Edina, Minn.

He noticed a woman with a seeing-eye dog struggling to navigate around the construction. Roberts went to her and asked her where she needed to go and safely walked her around to the other side of the block.

“She was confused and could have put herself in danger,” Roberts said. “Since this is our jobsite, I felt I had to do something to help keep her safe.”

Andy Forsberg, Superintendent at PCL Construction, was impressed that Roberts took the time to help this woman. “He is a very busy guy running the parking ramp, base building, and a build-out on level four,” Forsberg said. “The crew on this site has a great attitude toward safety.”

Jobsite Awareness

At Egan Company, we are committed to providing all employees with a safe and healthy place of employment. One of the ways we do this is by investing in safety training resources for employees.

“One way we empower our employees to ensure their own safety in the workplace is by providing all necessary skills and information through training,” said Larry Hanson, Egan Company Safety Director.

safetycpr (2)Egan has a full-time safety team that facilitates regular safety training for all employees. Training is provided through weekly jobsite toolbox talks, task specific training, and online courses offered for employees to gain safety knowledge and experience.

Many of these trainings are tailored for jobsite and construction site employees, such as OSHA 10 & 30, defensive driving, and boom, scissor, and fork lift operation.

However, many Egan employees have taken what they’ve learned in their safety trainings into their everyday lives.

Ashley Czichray, Egan Company Plumber, was recently leaving a jobsite and witnessed a pedestrian get struck by a taxi. She was forced to think quickly and recall what she had learned in her various safety trainings.

After calling 911, she made sure to not move the injured woman. She then covered the woman with coats to keep her warm and comfortable until the ambulance arrived.

Safety Awareness at Home

Administrative and office staff also take safety training classes, including CPR and First Aid, in order to be prepared in any situation, at work or at home.

Chris Jarombek, Egan Company Account Manager, utilized his CPR and First Aid education just three days after taking the class. While up at his family cabin in the Leech Lake area, he joined a group for dinner at a local restaurant, and one patron started to choke. He quickly grabbed him and asked if he was choking. Jarombek performed the Heimlich Maneuver until a piece of food was ejected.

“If I hadn’t attended the CPR/First Aid classes at Egan, I would not have known how to help someone in that terrible situation,” Jarombek said. “I’m not sure I would have had the confidence to immediately snap into action.”

Our company-wide goal is to ensure that any and all injuries be prevented. Any injury to our workers, subcontractors, or other involved parties is not acceptable.

“By providing our employees with the tools to react confidently and quickly, we hope to prevent as many injuries as possible, whether it is on a jobsite, at home, or in public,” Hanson said. 