Safety is one of the most important aspects of the water and wastewater operations and maintenance (O&M) business. The City of Bridgeport, Conn. (the City), turned to Inframark to help them get on the proper track to proving a safe environment for all their wastewater staff. Prior to Inframark operating and managing the project, there were frequent safety incidents that resulted in lost-time and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recordable events. We were faced with the challenge of changing the safety culture for the 100 employees there (including 87 union employees). During the first year of operation, there was an average of one OSHA recordable per month.
Our Total Recordables Dropped to Zero in the Span of Four Years.
We leveraged a new suite of tools and reorganized how we approached product cycles to create efficiencies and streamline our processes to great effect.
As soon as we began operating their facilities, Inframark began implementing its health and safety program. This program focuses on continuous training, personal protective equipment (PPE) review, weekly tailgates, root cause analysis and creation of a safety committee. Additionally, a dedicated health and safety manager was assigned to the project. Top management further infused the importance of safety through dialogue and adjusting our standard health and safety program to meet the specific needs of the project. For example, certain work groups at the project benefited more from hands-on training classes vs. computer-based training.
The consistent emphasis regarding employee safety has drastically improved throughout the contract, with the project just completing its first year without an OSHA recordable or lost-time incident. This is something we can provide to any potential client as long as the client is willing to align themselves with our mindset regarding health and safety.