All of us at STV are part of a larger team. Whether we work primarily in an office environment or directly in the field at a construction site, we are all fulfilling a common goal to deliver the best solutions for our clients. During this Construction Safety Week – and throughout the entire year – I like to keep that team perspective in mind as I approach my role in prioritizing the safety and health of all our employees.
To that end, as anyone who’s ever played a team sport knows, good sportsmanship extends to all players on the field – if a player gets hurt, the game stops. The consequences are higher on an active worksite, but the team mentality and the concept of good sportsmanship is the same. We are all on the same team, connected by a common bond and supportive of our teammates to remain focused on their job as we score the ultimate goal of returning home safely every day.
Despite advances in safety equipment, technology and training, construction can still be a dangerous industry and there are still too many workers who are hurt or killed. Roughly 20% of worker deaths in the United States are in construction, ranking it the third most dangerous industry. More than a third of all the construction-related deaths were attributable to falls with electrocutions, struck by equipment and getting caught between objects rounding out the “fatal four.” In 2020 alone, more than 1,000 construction workers died on the job and another 174,000 were injured.
The numbers are sobering. That’s why we must remain vigilant as an organization and an industry and continue to safely and effectively execute our health and safety plans everywhere our people work.
The focus of this year’s Construction Safety Week is being connected, supported and safe. Being connected provides us with the necessary strength to work together and build a safe, supportive environment for our staff and the people around us. At STV, this is accomplished through a strong commitment from our leadership who make safety and health a fundamental part of our business by providing all the resources and personnel needed for an effective program. This includes the highly skilled members of my own safety and health team who have decades of experience. This also includes easily accessed informational resources, and well-designed health and wellness initiatives that prioritize keeping our people connected and supported.
Our STV team members are involved in every aspect of the safety and health program with a common vision and goal to perform all work incident and injury free and incorporating safety into every decision we make. Our comprehensive Safety Training Curriculum is designed to emphasize that job safety is paramount and non-negotiable in all situations. Combined with our standardized Health & Safety Plan and Job Hazard Analysis processes, our team has the tools to identify, eliminate and/or control potential hazards. Our daily safety moments and toolbox talks are intended to keep our fundamental safety values fresh and always top of mind as we approach new tasks.
Each of us has a duty to ourselves and our STV team members to constantly be in the moment, executing flawlessly, and aware of potentially hazardous conditions. By thinking of ourselves as part of a larger team, we are empowered to call each other out and question an approach or any activity that jeopardizes the safety of anyone on the site. This means continuously assessing risks and speaking up loudly and continuously whenever imminent hazards are recognized.
I hope you all will join me and our team of safety experts this week to recommit, reengage and recharge yourself in helping to make our industry safer for everyone.
Robert J. Romance Jr. MS, CSP, CHST is STV’s Director of Safety & Health. He has over 30 years of environmental health and safety experience in developing and integrating health and safety systems, processes, and programs across multiple industries. Romance holds a master’s degree in safety sciences, is a certified safety professional (CSP) and a Certified American Red Cross First Responder Training Instructor. He is also a member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers.