Safety
The D.A. Collins family of companies places as its highest priority the safety of its employees, clients and other stakeholders. We treat our employees like family as they represent the heart and soul of our business. To create this injury free culture we use a zero tolerance, uncompromising approach that meets and exceeds all safety guidelines set by regulating agencies granting us acceptance into OSHA’s VPP or Voluntary Protection Program. The foundation of our safety program is a combination of: Planning, Training and Zero Tolerance.
Planning
At D.A. Collins we believe that safety is everyone’s responsibility and one of the keys to a safe and productive work site is through extensive proper planning. Before any employee steps onto a job site, D.A. Collins’ safety experts along side of the site superintendents begin a job safety analysis to review potential site hazards and evaluate the necessary equipment and procedures to complete the project safely and efficiently. These meetings are followed up by routine audits conducted by the safety department and daily safety and planning meetings conducted by all personal in the field.
Training
Every DAC employee is responsible for creating and maintaining a safe work environment. Despite the number of years on the job each employee receives eight hours of safety training on top of any required refresher courses. Additionally our safety program requires weekly and daily safety meetings (Tailgate Safety Meetings) be conducted by project superintendents and foremen on all job sites.
At the completion of projects, an analysis of lessons learned is conducted to communicate relevant issues to employees. This evaluation enables D.A. Collins to avoid future injuries and damage by developing standard operating safety procedures.
Our annual safety reviews are comprehensive and thorough, including an evaluation of safety guidelines and protocols; an investigation of accidents and safety incidents that have occurred in the industry; changes in facilities or operations that could present new risks; and one-on-one task training.
ZeroTolerance
Once in the field, DAC’s experienced project supervisors immediately address activities that could result in a safety incident. As part of our safety program daily inspections of equipment and vehicles are conducted to identify problems and prevent potential failures. If anything is found to be deficient the equipment is Red Tagged and removed from the field. Every employee is expected to identify any potential risks and raise their concern with the site supervisor. As part of our corporate commitment to safety we have established a safety committee made up of a variety of employees including our Safety Director to discuss any current safety issues and air any issues heard from fellow employees. Providing a safe work environment is a priority and adherence to safety policies is a condition of employment.
Staff
The DA Collins Safety staff consists of seven highly qualified team members. Our Safety Director Robert Gilchrist who is not only a Certified Safety Professional (CSP) but also a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) leads our team. Our Assistant Safety Director is a certified trainer for various safety programs including OSHA 10 and 30-hour for Construction. Additionally a Safety Office Administrator, a Quarry Safety Manager, two Sr. Field Inspectors and an on-site safety representative support our team.