Last week, the industry celebrated Safety Week. Sundt did as well, but with an added element: our jobsites hosted STCKY week. We developed the S#*! That Can Kill You (STCKY) concept after evaluating how our industry measures safety.
Since OSHA was created in the 1970s, the construction industry has been in pursuit of “zero injuries.” Disappointingly, we continue to experience the most fatalities of any industry, with fatalities reaching a plateau over the last 10 years. Why are industry fatalities remaining constant while the OSHA Recordable Injury Rate continues to go down? We believe this is due to a measuring system that counts a minor cut, a broken leg, and a fatality as exactly the same in the recordability data.
These data raise some important questions:
– Does measuring injuries alone capture the entire picture of safety?
– Is the pursuit of “zero injuries” the best philosophy and goal to pursue?
– Does a world-class RIR hide the seriousness of other incidents?
We believe the industry’s emphasis on RIR and EMR data does not provide a full view of safety on the jobsite. We absolutely need to focus on the real S#*! That Can Kill You (STCKY).
Several drop tests were conducted during the SDIA Airport Support Facilities project’s STCKY week to raise awareness of dropped/falling object hazards.
During last week’s events and trainings, Sundt employee-owners and trade partners learned important lessons on the biggest threats to jobsite safety.
The S#*! That Can Kill You (STCKY) program focuses on the fatal hazards on a jobsite, known as the Fatal 8. These hazards are:
S#*! that
– is built at heights
– is underground
– moves
– lifts
– shocks
– is hazardous
– pinches or crushes
– has stored energy
We’re redefining our beliefs about safety at Sundt. We will continue to have a daily goal of zero injuries, but with a focus on a jobsite’s most dangerous activities.
Let’s Stop the STCKY!
Paul Levin, Director of Health, Safety & Environment