I recently completed my annual Field and Safety Training at Mead & Hunt. This is a two-hour training led by our Safety Director Zac Elliott, and is required on a yearly basis for all Mead & Hunt team members that go out on jobsites or make client site visits.
Our Field and Safety Training covers a range of topics, including:
- Working around heavy equipment and open traffic
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Open trench and excavation awareness
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Electrical, chemical, and equipment hazards
- Environmental exposures and natural hazards such as heat, sun, hazardous weather, hazardous plants, and wildlife
- Driving safety and distracted driving
- Various other safety related topics and scenarios
In addition to the yearly training, Mead & Hunt hosts weekly safety trainings open to all employees that cover topics applicable to both the work and non-work environment. The company’s Safety Team works across all aspects of Mead & Hunt’s areas of expertise, including providing specialized training for niche situations when required and having employees fill out a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) tool before heading out into the field or onto a construction site.
Creating a culture of safety
As we have recently crossed the midpoint of the calendar year, which coincidently coincides with the midpoint of the construction season in the upper Midwest, a “Safety at Airports” discussion seemed appropriate and timely, allowing all aviation professionals a refresh.
Regardless of your work experience or project intensity, here are 12 steps you can take to create a safety mindset surrounding aviation projects:
- Have a Safety Moment as the first agenda item in meetings.
- Plan for and complete the airport’s safety, drivers, and other construction related training.
- Follow your company’s safety program.
- Review the contractor’s site safety plan.
- Wear the proper PPE for when and where you are working.
- Review the project’s Construction Safety and Phasing Plan (CSPP) and the contractor’s Safety Plan Compliance Document (SPCD) if on an airfield, or the traffic control and phasing plans if outside of an airfield.
- Work with the airport to communicate phase changes.
- Inspect and ensure your vehicle is in good working order.
- Inspect and monitor traffic control measures.
- Be aware of your environment and how it can change day by day and hour by hour.
- Let those you are working with know if you have any allergies.
- If working solo or remotely, let a colleague know where you are working.
Other Safety Considerations
If you are a seasoned engineering and/or aviation professional, be sure to support your team members who may be new to the construction industry. We all have had our first project, and sharing your lessons learned and challenges faced can boost safety and working relationships on the jobsite. As always, look out for your coworkers regardless of their experience level.
Additionally, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has a great online resource for drivers that will be operating on the Airport Operations Area (AOA). The FAA Guide to Ground Vehicle Operations document is a comprehensive guide that covers the airport environment on all types and sizes of airports. This guide is a great resource for those that are new to working in the airport environment as well as a refresher for those of us that are seasoned. There are documents, videos, and animations related to Construction Notices/Notice Diagrams, Airfield Drivers Best Practices, Airport Hotspots, Airport Diagrams, Runway and Taxiway Construction, related FAA Advisory Circulars, and a Winter Operations Video, serving as beneficial information for airfield drivers working in any season.
As they say, if you have seen one airport, you have seen one airport, and if you have seen one project, you have seen one project. This is especially true as you work at airports of different sizes, work in different seasons and climates, work on varied project types, or work across regions of the US. If you are new to a project, take the time to get familiar with the overall environment you will be working in and ask questions of those who have worked there before you arrive. Remember, no task or environment is the same when it comes to safety, even if you’re working on a routine project at your most tenured airport.
Finally, debrief with your immediate construction project team after project completion. You can discuss lessons learned and what went well or what could be improved. Make sure key information is communicated back to the design team as well. Having a culture of continuous improvement related to safety in the design and construction process, as well all aspects of our work, is a key way we take care people at Mead & Hunt.
I am grateful and thankful for the Safety Team, safety focus, and safety culture at Mead & Hunt!
