Randy Dombrowski says security has been just about his entire life.
With greater than 30 years targeted on hazard mitigation and safety, it’s clear why. At present, Dombrowski is the director of security companies for Stevens Level, Wisconsin-based enterprise insurance coverage firm Sentry Insurance coverage’s West area.
Right here, Dombrowski talks with Development Dive on what main components to concentrate to in communication round security, the right way to prioritize sending staff dwelling safely and the way in which the business measures success.
The next has been edited for brevity and readability.
CONSTRUCTION DIVE: Why can or not it’s onerous for a contractor to get follow-through on security practices?
RANDY DOMBROWSKI: I feel there are three key components to why this occurs.
The primary one is knowing that the crews work collectively six or seven days per week. They construct superior bonds — friendships — and the very last thing that they need to be known as is “whistleblower.” So, they’re very cautious of what they do and the way they strategy security due to their relationships.
Randy Dombrowski
Permission granted by Sentry Insurance coverage
However they’ve to understand the one means they will maintain their buddy in a probably harmful state of affairs is to name it out. They do not need to run proper to the superintendent, however what they should do is to cease that harmful train proper there and guarantee that they’re looking for one another if one thing is missed.
One other one is the labor scarcity. Staff know their expert labor is extremely sought inside the business. Your strategy on how you’re employed with them proactively with security measures and the way you tackle issues amongst the staff makes a distinction. What they need is assist, proper?
I’ve skilled this firsthand during the last couple of years the place firm leaders are simply drilling their crew members. Only a destructive message. They’re targeted on the issues they had been doing mistaken. Inside 5 minutes, the whole crew is glazed over. No person was listening anymore.
And that is what we by no means need to do with security. We at all times need to take a proactive, optimistic strategy. I’ve seen the opposite facet of that too, the place the leaders begin complimenting and recognizing what they’re doing nicely, after which possibly result in a message of, “Here is areas of enchancment we have to give attention to.” However you enable it to be interactive throughout these conferences.
Then there’s mission timelines. The mission timeline can actually impression security. I’ve seen it the place a mission supervisor exhibits up on the jobsite upset as a result of they are not going to make their timeline, and every thing turns into a rush. So, when that occurs, security goes to the wayside. It is unhappy to see, however that point administration turns into a precedence over security.
So, how can a contractor stroll that line between empowering everyone to talk up, taking the time to do issues safely and guaranteeing a mission is delivered on time?
I’d simply say a setback with an accident or an damage on a jobsite goes to increase that mission time even additional down the street. As a result of now you might have an entire different space that it’s essential give attention to. That point administration concern remains to be going to be there, however everybody’s middle of focus goes to be round what occurred and what occurred.
I feel one of many main contributing components is the period of time that you must spend money on security to do it proper. So for instance that activity or that mission is just gonna take me quarter-hour, however it will take me hours to arrange that trench field. What do you suppose they will do?
It is time administration, it is mission time. They should get to that subsequent mission within the afternoon. That is the place our middle of focus must be. We must be aware of that point ingredient. The mission has a timeline. Everyone understands what we have to meet, however security comes first. As a result of if we do it unsafely, like I stated, that accident or damage goes to price extra time and extra issues for them ending on time than the rest will.
Are measurements round security altering for the higher?
I feel that is what rounds out a extremely good security program if they’ve that ingredient or that piece to it. They’re measuring what their developments are and what success they’re seeing out of it. I feel generally after we have a look at the work being carried out, was it accomplished safely? What’s that observe document of that firm and the way nicely are they doing? And I feel a nicely oiled machine is monitoring that. It is not having a security plan that’s gathering mud, it is revisiting that security plan and that different ingredient of how secure are we, what’s our incident price? What’s our observe document?
Once I’m out on a mission website or I am presenting at a security assembly, that is considered one of my conversations. Are you aware what your organization’s observe document is? Are you aware how secure you guys are? And that is actually based mostly in your loss expertise and declare expertise, proper? Nicely, what’s driving losses?
You’ll be able to solely be fortunate so lengthy earlier than accidents and accidents begin to floor. And they will floor. As a result of luck runs out. And that is the place these superior security applications and insurance policies and reinforcement make a giant distinction. These conversations ought to be occurring. And if they are not, we’re on the market having these conversations with our clients to teach them as a result of there is not any secret there that that is what makes the fame of the corporate. Staff know who the secure contractors are and who they must be cautious with.
What can smaller companies do to enhance?
That small firm that is having these optimistic security conversations on the finish of the day goes to face out. There’s many jobsites that I walked out on the mission website and there wasn’t a superintendent, there wasn’t a jobsite foreman, however there was at all times somebody there that stepped up into that management security function. The particular person the employees knew who they might go to for security if the enterprise proprietor wasn’t there. And I feel chief and firm acknowledges and must adapt when they should, no matter measurement.
