The New Safety Dance
As anyone knows, going an entire quarter without a mishap is a pretty big deal (we can't even avoid papercuts every few days). Skanska's greater Philly office was able to achieve zero lost-time incidents at its area projects in Q1, like its $15M renovation of the Sterling Apartment Complex on JFK Boulevard. At its sixth annual Injury-Free Environment Subcontractor Outreach event last week at Drexel, it brought together more than 65 regional contractors to discuss best practices for preventing accidents at construction sites. Here, Skanska EVP Ed Szwarc (second from left) and Philly safety director Frank Baxter (right) join Component Assembly Systems’ John McTear, Battaglia Electric’s Phil Immediato, Degli Obizzi & Sons’ Ralph Degli, and Cippco Contracting’s Mercedes Cippolloni.
No, a pesky Asian tiger mosquito didn't get loose in the room. They're doing what Skanska calls “stretch and flex,” which Ed tells us is performed at all of its job sites and offices before work, part of what allowed them to be accident free. Ed says that safety begins with regular communication with workers (he visits at least one job site every week) and by instilling it as a new way of life that’s not just exclusive to the job. At the Sterling Apartment Complex, pedestrian safety is at the top of the list, he says, as the building’s lobby, retail spaces, fitness center, and rooftop pool are renovated and upgraded.
