Our highlight of Construction Inclusion Week continues with Day Four’s theme of Workplace Culture. At W. M. Jordan Company we know how important workplace culture can be to not only team morale but also team safety.
We have adopted a Zero Harm, Zero Injuries, Zero Losses culture where every worker’s voice carries value. Safety is always the first priority at each of our projects. We talked with W. M. Jordan Safety Manager James Kiegel about what our team does to establish a culture of safety where everyone’s voice has a value.
“Our safety team works with trade partners on each job to ensure each of their workers have gone through a W. M. Jordan safety orientation lead by the project’s Safety Manager and Superintendent,” said Kiegel. “This allows us to go over any safety rules particular to the client, as well as educate them on W. M. Jordan Safety standards and practices.”
The W. M. Jordan safety team also works with our project managers to plan for any extra necessary safety certifications a job may require and ensures those are in place well before they are needed. If members of a trade partner team lack necessary safety certifications or training, our safety managers will work with them to get them qualified to be on a W. M. Jordan jobsite.
“We are big on making sure people have the proper training. Whether its fall training or equipment specific safety training, our goal is to work to keep everyone safe. Education is one of our biggest tools in safety,” said Kiegel.
Our jobsites also encourage our trade partners to voice any safety concerns they see, or they may have. An anonymous safety reporting tool referred to as a ‘Near Miss/Near Hitt’ QR code that is visible across every W. M. Jordan office and jobsite ensures workers can voice their concerns without repercussion.
We are also happy to work with clients to help with their safety program and certifications. At a recent project at a large hospital, our safety team learned many of their maintenance workers did not have forklift operation certifications. James and his fellow Safety Manager Bernie Taylor worked to provide training to the maintenance workers, helping them get their certifications.
“Our team’s goal is safety first. Always,” said James. “By empowering and educating the people we work with on our projects, we give them the tools to do their job and go home at the end of each day. I am proud to help build a culture where everyone is included in a safe workplan.”