Safety is the most important part of the work you do, and the Daily Journal of Commerce is proud to recognize and tell your safety stories on the ensuing pages of today’s edition.

The 91��Ƶ Hard Hat Safety Awards honors companies for their continued, successful work keeping employees and the public safe. The following pages and virtual awards event honors companies, organizations and individuals for their continued, successful work keeping employees and the public safe.

This year’s group of honorees place a premium on safety and, most importantly, work hard to make sure their employees return home to their families at the end of the day. We’re proud to honor 15 companies that:

• Overcame safety obstacles that averted an accident;
• Overcame a particularly dangerous project where they implemented new safety measures;
• Found unique ways to make safety a primary part of their culture;
• Implemented the use of new design techniques or products that made a project safer for workers or the eventual occupants; and
• Have an individual, company or organization that has gone above and beyond in their efforts.

From all of us at the 91��Ƶ to the honorees, we thank you and offer our support for your continued commitment to safety and for the excellence you exhibit with your focus on safe practices. You have earned the well-deserved admiration of your peers in the industry as we all celebrate safety.

Nick Bjork
Publisher
91��Ƶ Oregon

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Ken Overton’s safety career began with an esteemed military career that included service as a field artillery battalion commander in Vietnam, where he trained soldiers to operate boom trucks.

“The last seven years of my 26 years was instrumental for my safety development because I was inspector general for Fort Lewis, Washington, and everyone knows the IG sticks his nose into everything,” Overton said.

He retired from the Army in 1977 as a lieutenant colonel and started Overton Safety Engineering in the early 1980s with his late wife, Bobbi, as a home-based business. His second son, Steven, was one of his first two employees, and the company specialized in training and certifying crane and forklift operators in Oregon, Washington and northern California.

“We started growing exponentially, so I had to put more people on and make sure they were trained in my techniques to make people safe,” Overton said, adding he has expanded his services into 26 states.

Overton said much of his success came from teaching safety from the top down.

“The people were phenomenal,” he said. “My students were hungry for learning how to do it correctly. Not only were they in there, but their supervisors were in the same classes and sometimes the owners were in the same classes.”

When Overton was diagnosed with prostate cancer in the early 2000s, Bobbi encouraged him to work less and take time to enjoy life. They were married for 63 years and Overton called her “the glue that kept it all together.” He asked his oldest son, Ron, to take over the business with his wife, Kim. They changed the name to Overton Safety Training.

Ken Overton semi-retired in 2004 and stayed active as a consultant before fully retiring in 2008. He estimates that he issued more than 53,000 licenses during his career.

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Walsh Construction Co. has a policy of “potholing” before excavating near utilities. That practice proved essential on a recent project in which its team had to bore underground in close proximity to a jet fuel line. Because it potholed to locate the line prior to beginning the boring, it avoided what could have potentially been a hazardous situation with serious safety and schedule implications.

During the remodel of an 18-story occupied building, the company believed it had a solid safety plan that included all potential hazards. It focused on public safety because the residents were remaining in the building while Walsh conducted the renovation.

“We did not plan with as much intensity, however, the potential impacts of residents on our own employee safety,” said Safety Manager Nate Ricker. “After a resident accidentally dropped a package eight floors onto a swing stage, we re-examined our safety plan to include precautions against these kinds of incidents. As a prevention, we installed window and overhead barricades to protect workers at the building exterior.”

On a 12-story new construction project, located on a tight urban site with high levels of pedestrian and vehicular traffic, safety also was a major concern. There were two buildings in close proximity to Walsh’s project, as well as two train lines directly adjacent to sidewalks. The superintendent immediately identified a high risk for falling objects. The construction team purchased speed fans and netting that went around the building to catch any debris that could be dropped or blown off the building.

“We also installed roof protection on the neighboring buildings and built canopy structures over the courtyard and exits to ensure the safety of the nearby residents,” Ricker said. “There were no traffic or pedestrian impacts from falling objects on the entire project throughout the course of construction.”

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Perlo Construction’s “Start the Conversation” campaign empowers all employees to report unsafe conditions or work practices and stop work in potentially dangerous situations. That is among several reasons the company has received the Associated General Contractors Oregon-Columbia Chapter PRIDE Award for commitment to safety for five consecutive years.

Perlo Construction’s leadership team, project managers, project engineers and superintendents are required to enroll in the OSHA 30 Training Program. All team members study and sign a comprehensive safety manual that outlines how the company operates within safety guidelines.

Led by Safety Manager Dennis Bonin, a team of field and office staff regularly visit all jobsites to assess potential dangers and provide ongoing education. The company’s “Toolbox Talks” keep all superintendents apprised of OSHA regulations and guidelines as well as first aid practices.

Every morning at each project, teams gather for a pre-shift safety huddle — now at a six-foot distance — to review how to protect against potential jobsite hazards. As part of its Superintendent Walk Project, each superintendent walks the jobsite at least three times a day. Other ongoing practices include weekly safety meetings, a site-specific safety plan, a job hazard analysis and a mandated daily clean-up.

In response to COVID-19, Perlo Construction implemented a strict alternating shift schedule to allow for social distancing in its corporate office and encouraged office staff to work from home. Its IT department rapidly deployed set-up and training for Zoom meetings, creating server logins and ensuring proper security.

“As demonstrated by ‘The Perlo Way,’ we work hard, we take care of our people and we always do what’s right,” Bonin said. “It’s this mission that keeps us grounded as we find our way in this unprecedented time. Our goal is to continue setting the highest standard for safety for our company, our industry and our community.”

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In addition to its regular safety tracking, R&H Construction recently rolled out “Near Miss Tracking,” which provides incentives for people to document occasions where an injury or incident could have happened but did not.

Led by Safety Manager Mike Jones, R&H created a form where the situation is described and a solution is presented. The forms are distributed companywide so that people on other jobsites can be mindful of similar situations and prevent injuries.

Rather than being a method for pointing out negative scenarios, the program has given all employees the empowerment and incentive to look for potential hazards and provide solutions that can benefit everyone. R&H reports that its subcontractors have gotten on board as well, and some have begun similar reporting in their own companies. R&H held a special safety seminar to roll out the program.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, R&H created and implemented an entirely new safety protocol in its office and on every jobsite. All but three office staff work remotely and the company implemented health screening questions for everyone entering the office, increased sanitation efforts and limited access during regular business hours. Its administrative team mixed up several batches of hand sanitizer for the office and jobsites.

R&H had social distancing T-shirts made and distributed to employees at its jobsites and there are signs at each jobsite explaining new procedures, including a health questionnaire for anyone entering the site and a designated person to manage all subs and visitors. It also adjusted scheduling to minimize the number of people onsite.

“We have been using Zoom for all meetings, and even used it for our first virtual social hour — which we normally do monthly in the office — to bring the field and office crews together for some updates and positivity,” said Project Administrator Rhiannon Safford.

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Lorentz Bruun Construction strives for zero injuries by providing the training and resources to ensure a safe work environment and empowering team members to ask questions and share suggestions, concerns and outcomes about safety.

“Taking good care of our people always comes first. If we haven’t gotten that right, nothing else matters,” said President Mark Bruun. “Safety is our company value and, three generations on, we’re still placing an emphasis on safety. Remembering what we value is how we got to be the best at what we do. This is why we do our work and why our clients trust that we will build their project safely and efficiently.”

In addition to selecting project partners who value safe operations, LBC analyzes safety data and trends to make better safe-work decisions. It also eliminates exposure to unsafe conditions by working to plan and choosing proper tools, equipment and materials.

As COVID-19 spread to the region, LBC ensured that each jobsite was stocked with personal protective equipment, cleaning and sanitizing equipment, handwashing stations, and disinfectant spray and wipes. Each person who enters a jobsite has their temperature taken, and private jobsite offices are provided for superintendent and project engineers. LBC created the position of “COVID-19 Czar,” tapping its marketing director to design informational signage and directions in English and Spanish for each of its jobsites. It also designated Social Distancing Officers to enforce spatial and PPE requirements, and educate employees about new policies and guidelines related to preventing infection on jobsites.

Just before the lockdown orders began, one of LBC’s health care clients reached out in need of PPE. LBC donated many of its N95 masks, keeping just enough for the jobs that required them and the limited times when its employees or subcontractors could not maintain social distancing.

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Earlier this year, as the coronavirus spread around the country, Tapani Inc. was faced with a difficult decision: Construction work was deemed nonessential in Washington, and many of the company’s 475 workers were temporarily laid off.

But in Oregon, work remained steady. The company decided to proceed on job sites in Oregon with the same standards that apply in Washington. Tapani was later praised by the Oregon Department of Transportation for implementing these extra precautions.

Ultimately, there were also a number of projects in Washington that were deemed essential, such as the Oak Grove K-12 school for Vancouver Public Schools.

As companies began to prepare for the “new normal,” a scramble began with the sourcing of thermometers and the productions of masks, the creation of signage and wash stations, and binders of protocols and logs.

Tapani had already begun taking extra steps to ensure worker safety and health, even before Washington Gov. Jay Inslee issued a lengthy list of requirements to keep workers on the job site safe from COVID-19.

The driving force behind these efforts is Logan Kysar, health and safety director at Tapani. Kysar is a registered nurse with extensive practice in a hospital, and he also holds a master’s of science degree in Clinical Systems Management and Health Care Administration. He has been credited with much of Tapani’s forward-thinking planning and execution of health practices on the job site.

Tapani, which has locations in Battle Ground and Richland, Washington, performs heavy civil, site construction and structural concrete services throughout the Pa-cific Northwest. Since the company was established in 1983, Tapani has grown significantly and often has more than 60 active projects, along with the capability to manage an individual project in excess of $100 million.

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For I&E Construction, the coronavirus pandemic presented safety challenges to every aspect of the company’s operations.

Day-to-day habits had to be altered overnight, and the company’s safety manager spent countless hours meeting with management at every level to implement the changes and enforce them.

Hand-washing stations were added to every job site, and each site now has a designated COVID-19 safety officer. This person is responsible for monitoring employees’ and subcontractors’ symptoms, regularly wiping down high-touch surfaces and making sure all personnel are aware of how to prevent the spread of the virus. Safety officers are also responsible for enforcing social distancing on site.

During the pandemic, employees were encouraged to stay home if they were sick, and I&E made changes to its leave policy, allowing new employees to access their paid time off before the 90-day wait period.

Nida Molodih, human resources and safety manager for I&E, said some of the changes implemented because of the pandemic will likely be permanent.

“Maintaining a clean work environment, especially in construction, has always been an afterthought,” she said. “Our new disinfecting/sanitizing procedures are definitely here to stay. There will always be other communicable disease. These procedures can help us stop workplace transmission of viruses and help keep our employees safe and healthy.”

These changes have quickly become routine for employees, Molodih said.

“Our quick action and deliverance of information and safety changes has helped these protocols become routine for our employees,” she said. “Each job site has a designated safety person who is making sure that information is being communicated regularly and that people continue to follow our protocols, but for the most part everyone is on the same page.

“From the beginning, our safety changes have been communicated on a company level,” Molodih added. “Mid-March, we already had safety signs made up, protocols posted at each job and a toolbox talk that went out to each crew. I think our quick action and transparency made it evident that we were taking it serious from the beginning.”

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To coin an old phrase: “Safety is Job 1.”

Speaking of coins, one of the unique ways that INLINE Commercial Construction incorporates safety into its culture is through the Safety Leader Challenge Coins program.

The company started the program in 2015, issuing coins to all of its workers, foremen, superintendents and project managers as a way of reminding them of the importance of safety on the jobsite.

INLINE, a full-service general contractor that was founded in Oregon in 1983, also has a detailed pre-task plan and program for each project. The team is trained to investigate existing conditions while planning their work for the day utilizing a form and a pre-task meeting.

That plan was put into place during a recent tenant improvement project in a high-end multi-use building. INLINE crews were performing locates and scanning of the slab, prior to saw cutting for new utilities. During this work, a small anomaly was found. There was nothing on the plans and nothing on the as-built drawings. The onsite superintendent was diligent in his pre-task plan and due to the fact that there were residential units above the space, he did not accept the initial report and brought in a second, more thorough scanning company.

During that scan, it uncovered more anomalies. INLINE worked with the owner to track down the initial contractor for the building, and found that there was a complete Methane Barrier system. Methane Barriers are extremely regulated, and cutting through them, or modifying them in any way, is dangerous, and a serious process.

Due to the firm’s safety plan and culture, the superintendent caught this existing condition, came up with a different plan for the utilities and completely avoided impacts altogether.

INLINE also takes a proactive approach to ensure its employees participate in continuing education and training through organizations such as the Associated General Contractors, Columbia River Healthcare Engineers Association, the Oregon Society of Healthcare Engineers, and the American Society of Healthcare Engineers. Both employees and subcontractors are required to perform inspections of tools, equipment and personal protective gear to ensure that all workers are furnished with adequate safeguards and PPE.

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MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions promotes its safety culture from Day 1, requiring all employees to attend a New Hire Safety Orientation where they receive a comprehensive summary of MMFS’s safety policies.

All foremen are required to take the OSHA 30 class and MMFS’s Foreman Safety 101 class. It also offers continuing education through MacTed, an acronym for MacMiller Training and Education. MacTed offers topics ranging from anti-harassment to defensive driving and Lean process management.

One of the main concepts of Lean is continuous improvement and MMFS’s employees are encouraged to share ideas to help the company improve. Not only are workers coming up with creative ideas to improve their workspaces in a productive manner, they also use the opportunity to point out potentially hazardous processes that need to be made safer.

“The safety department also works hard to get to know and earn the respect and trust of employees,” said Lee Pyfrom, director of safety. “We understand that if employees do not respect and trust us they will not bring up safety concerns. However, since the employees do trust us they are open and honest, which allows us to work proactively to address safety issues before we ever become exposed to hazards.”

In response to COVID-19, Pyfrom created an app to help track whether employees are experiencing symptoms or have been exposed to the virus. A fraction of its employees work in the office and must wear face coverings in common areas. Wayfinding signage directs foot traffic so people do not have to pass each other.
Crews in the field must participate in daily illness checks, wear face coverings and no longer share tools. They don’t work within six feet of each other unless absolutely necessary, and if they do they must wear a face shield.

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