Polk Nation Holds Construction Safety Education Meeting
On Friday, February 24th, 2017, hundreds of Polk Mechanical employees from the DFW area met together at the Arlington Improv theater for construction safety education presentations from several Polk Nation leaders. The day was filled with safety training, best practice reviews and open discussion about the impacts of safe and unsafe behavior to ourselves, our families and our company.
The day began with Michael Manry reviewing one of the Polk Best Practices known as the water containment policy and facilitating a discussion on improving the process. As a result of the hands on input from the crews on our job sites, this practice has been successful in preventing losses. This policy is designed to allow immediate response and rapid containment of water or other fluids in the event of an accidental spill on a job site. Every member of Polk Nation, from those in leadership positions to new employees, demonstrated their commitment to continuous improvement in water containment by re-educating themselves on this important policy and defining all means and methods that could minimize damage in case of emergency. As an organization, Polk Mechanical Company knows an important part of improving is refusing to let construction safety rules grow stale and be taken for granted.
Next, Polk leaders asked everyone in attendance to hold up their “Stop Work Cards” for everyone to see. Stop Work Cards serve as a reminder that all employees are empowered to prevent unsafe acts from becoming injuries. Every worker has been given the authority by company leadership to stop any situation in which they feel might be unsafe for them or those around them. Polk employees were reminded of how important safety is on a daily basis, especially with new employees joining our team every day. All employees were asked to stand if they were responsible for their own safety. This expression of solidarity reveals that Stop Work Cards are more than a reminder, they serve as a symbol of the responsibility and empowerment furnished to every single employee when it comes to job site safety for themselves, their coworkers, and the public.
Then, Ed Harrington went over Focus Four Training for Struck-By Hazards. He began with Struck-By Hazard Recognition and the several types of Struck-By Hazards: Falling, Flying, Swinging, Slipping, and Ground-Level. Next, he reviewed the prevention of Struck-By Hazards: Personal Protective Equipment, Proper Material Storage, Proper Materials Handling, and Work Zone Safety. All employees participated in an activity that involved identifying all of the ways sites might be unsafe in relation to Struck-By Hazards. Polk Nation calls OSHA standards the bare minimum, and strives to go above and beyond to keep all of their employees safe.
After some engaging safety videos meant to drive home the impact of safety on our families and those we care about, one featuring Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs, the DFW Polk Safety Meeting came to a close. In this short video, Mike Rowe drives home the dangers of letting safety measures fall from top-of-mind awareness. With complacency comes distractions, and as a result, injury. At Polk, we will never become complacent when it comes to the safety of our employees.