Safety in Excavation: A Mindset as Much as a Plan

When most people think of construction site safety, they picture a bright yellow helmet. But you can’t maintain a first-rate safety record in this environment with PPE alone.

To have confidence in the safety processes of an excavation partner, you have to look for more than personal protective equipment, or even a “safety program.” You need a safety mindset and a track record that shows it’s working.

As John Keno & Co. Construction Coordinator Jasmine Scott explains, safety must be the top priority on every project. “Safety is built into the culture at JKC,” she said. “We only work with people who align with our core values on safety.”

Those core values encompass safety ingrained into every step of our work, along with ongoing safety training, certifications and internal processes designed to ensure that safety is at the forefront of everything we do. Our track record of maintaining an EMR below 1.0 is not something we take for granted. It requires a diligent commitment to safety, a clear understanding of the risks and safety processes that begin well before you get to the job site. Here’s an overview:

Daily Safety Planning

As an excavation partner to many of Chicago’s top general contractors for decades, JKC has deep expertise in the safe completion of excavation and earthworks, demolition and shoreline development projects. When it comes to safety, every site and every project is different. The specifics of each job must be reflected in pre-job and task specific safety planning.

Our day begins with a daily “toolbox talk” to go over plans for the day. That includes a review of the site-specific safety program written for every job, identifying potential safety issues and hazards for employees, and a review of the logistics and changed conditions. Separate policies and procedures for working in confined space, with impacted soils, engineered excavations and other safety concerns are followed to the letter by specifically trained personnel. Equipment operators work through an individual equipment inspection checklist daily before work begins.

From trench boxes and shoring to the placement of ladders for accessible egress, daily walk-throughs of the job site ensure that nothing has been overlooked. Our processes for locating and planning for underground utilities and other hazards are meticulous – we never go into a project without thorough preparation and readiness to manage any complications that arise.

Weekly PPE Checks

A weekly inventory of personal protective equipment including vests, gloves, hard hats, safety goggles and noise protection, ensures both the supply and the good working condition of critical PPE.

Safety Training & Certifications

Every new hire orientation includes the details of our comprehensive General Safety Program. Team members also attend client orientations, undertake regular site specific safety program training and complete annual safety trainings. Most employees must complete OSHA 10-hour General Construction Safety courses and have extensive training in other critical industry safety requirements, including:

• Confined space training
• Trenching and shoring
• Excavation competency
• CPR / First Aid
• Hazard Communication
• Lockout/tagout procedures
• Traffic and pedestrian safety procedures
• And more

All JKC superintendents and foremen maintain current OSHA 30-hour cards with CPR and First Aid certification.

Safety Innovation

Even with a track record like ours, there is always room for improvement and innovation.

We recently implemented an additional way to keep Safety Data Sheets (SDS) easily accessible on the job site by adding stickers to hard hats that include a QR code anyone can scan for immediate access to the information needed to safely manage hazardous chemicals.

JKC Core Values

Safety is integral to the core values we adhere to at JKC: integrity, innovation and teamwork. By incorporating a commitment to safety in all that we do, we protect our team members, minimize risk for our clients and keep projects running smoothly and on time. There are a lot of reasons why we count organizations like the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, O’Hare International Airport and the Argonne National Laboratory among our list of clients, but our ability to maintain strict safety protocols is high on the list.

To learn more about our track record of safe, timely and high-quality excavation, demolition, utility construction and shoreline, bluff and ravine restoration, contact one of our team members.