All in the Safety Chain
The September-October 2016 Telecom and Utility Construction supplement provided an excellent article on understanding the safety chain. The supplement is included with recent Crane Hotline and Lift & Access issues.
Written by Rachel Abel of Altec Inc., “All-in Safety,” contained several important reminders for everyone in the equipment chain, from the manufacturer to the work crew. Read the article in its entirety here.
She writes: “Products commonly accepted in the workplace are not always the best or safest way to accomplish a specific task.”
This idea is what prompted DICA’s start. Nearly 30 years ago, our founder, Dick Koberg was asked by a fleet manager, “can you build me a better outrigger pad?“. That began the process of working with a customer to understand the available wood outrigger pad options at that time, identifying the pros and cons of those pads, and working to design an engineered outrigger pad that provided better performance, reliability, and durability.
That history of innovation has continued in DICA and lead to the improvement of features on our outrigger pads like TuffGrip® handles and industrial grade safety texturing, to completely re-thinking the accepted product options in the crane pads and outrigger pad rack categories.
That kind of innovation has in turn, led to testimonials like these:
“If a proper cost-benefit analysis is completed, including longevity, functionality and safety considerations, the lifetime outrigger pad that DICA produces is a no brainer.” Mike Mosher, My Fleet Department
We hope you find the “All-in Safety” article helpful. If you’d like to experience the DICA difference, contact us today in the way that’s most convenient for you.
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Highlights from
“All-in Safety”
“Responsibility for safety ranges from the manufacturer to the buyers, site supervisors , and work crew.”
- Safety should always be the No. 1 priority on a jobsite. That mentality ensures each task is done in a way that is safe for the equipment operators and ground crews doing the work, and it safeguards anyone nearby.
- The responsibility for safety is often thought to fall most heavily on the equipment operator and work crew, but supervisors, equipment buyers and manufacturers also share the obligation.
- The safety mindset is critical to all – from the manufacturer, who designs and builds a quality product; to the buyer, who selects the best equipment for the job; the supervisor, who plans and oversees a safe work site; and the operator, who carries out safe work practices.
Responsibilities of the OEM
- Responsible manufacturers encourage their employees to think about safety as they design and build equipment. They consider the conditions on the jobsites where the equipment will work, the operators who will use it, and other factors with unique implications like weather and geography to make equipment that is as safe as reasonably possible. They also look to improve their products by innovating new equipment and technologies to make the jobsite safer.
- With safety in mind, manufacturers look to those intimate with the equipment to better understand the environment and how it is used. Fleet managers, operators, and foremen have a unique and important outlook on the work and the equipment required to get the job done. A little goes a long way in this regard, and many manufacturers see the value in approaching the task of equipment safety from different angles. In some cases, it is not a new technology that paves the way for developments in safety, but rather a new approach.
- Products commonly accepted in the workplace are not always the best or safest way to accomplish a specific task.
A buyer’s role in safety
- Buyers assume a tremendous amount of responsibility when purchasing…
- Choosing a larger crane may be more expensive, but it would provide an important safety margin that the smaller crane could not.
Crews also keep it safe
- Equipment safety depends on everyone in the chain. Manufacturers should create quality products, be it through advanced technology, new ways to accomplish old tasks, or understanding the rules and design standards.
- Employers are responsible for purchasing a purpose-built unit that fits their company’s work practices. And operators and crews should be well qualified and execute the highest level of safety on the jobsite.
- “Safety isn’t something that comes from others; it comes for all of us working together,” says Josh Chard of Altec Safety. “It’s a culture we create as a team with the goal of getting work done in the safest, most productive manner, In our industry, this requires high quality, innovative equipment, selected by people who understand the work, maintained and used by qualified workers, with all of us focused on our part in the safety chain.”