Safety is a big deal in the construction industry. Good safety practices not only keep your workers safe, but also customers and their surrounding community as well. Most people in the industry know all about OSHA rules and regulations which cover everything from how to properly use a ladder to operating heavy equipment and many other things in between.
A few months ago, we were fortunate enough to be chosen to design and install a PV solar system for an international chemical company. To become a vendor for this client, we had to be certified by a third-party safety consultant. At GAI, we have always had a good safety record and thought that our practices were pretty all-encompassing.
However, we had never worked with anyone in the chemical industry before and we found that there were many things we had never considered when it came to safety. Fortunately, most of these scenarios are not things we would encounter in our day-to-day dealings, but we are a lot more aware now than we had been.
The company we worked with to become certified is ISNetworld. They were great to work with and provided helpful feedback on the safety procedures we had in place. They also helped us understand situations that we don’t normally encounter such as working in confined spaces or excavation areas where earthen walls need to be secured. I doubt we will ever work in such conditions, but we know what to look for in those instances if we need to give aid to someone in such a setting. Our experience with ISN was a positive one and it reminded me that there is always more to learn in this life.
So, if you are a business owner or a customer looking for a construction partner, remember that safety is an important factor to consider when doing business. Take the time to train employees properly and feel free to check out the safety record of those you might do business with on a project.
