Time and time again, the construction industry's injury and death rates are utilized in examples of poor safety practices. Companies such as PJ Dick, Trumbull and Lindy Paving are working to improve these statistics by “blending safety and project operations into a single function,” as demonstrated during the construction site tour at the 2016 Safety Leadership Conference in Pittsburgh.
Carnegie Mellon’s David Tepper Quadrangle, part of the university’s North Campus expansion, will measure at 305,000 sq. ft. with a 59,000 sq. ft. parking garage at completion. Aside from classroom space, a 600-seat auditorium, dining area, fitness center, welcome center and faculty/PHD offices will round out the building.
PJ Dick, which is heading up construction for this academic resource center, gave Safety Leadership Conference attendees an inside look at the job site and how safety serves as not just a priority but part of its core values.
The project, which broke ground in October 2015, is the company’s 4th OSHA partnership. Past partnerships include Consol Energy Center, UPMC East Hospital and The Tower at PNC Plaza. The collaboration includes quarterly meetings, open communication and progress reports with an emphasis on reducing incident rates. OSHA also inspects the construction site annually.
Safety plans for the Carnegie Mellon academic building began before any soil was lifted. PJ Dick conducted an Activity Hazard Analysis to pinpoint any hazards, potential or existing. This shaped the site-specific safety plan and has been integrated into daily safety plans, site checklists, toolbox talks, weekly meetings and observations and walkthroughs.
Subcontractors also are scrutinized on a safety level before the bidding process begins. A pre-qualification process looks at company incident rates, giving them a red, yellow or green indication, and from that PJ Dick decides if the subcontractor should move forward in the process.
The David Tepper Quadrangle, which will be the new home of Carnegie Mellon’s business school, is slated to be completed in time for the university’s Fall 2018 semester.
Use the arrows above to get an inside look at the tour.
