Workforce Sustainability

It is impossible today to have a conversation about waste and recycling without using or hearing the words “sustainability” or “sustainable principles.” The idea of sustainability has permeated our culture at every level from the elementary school classroom to the White House, and is spoken of in business conference rooms and family dinner tables. It is even starting to break into the world of health and safety on construction sites. But what is sustainability and why should this article be any different from the thousands that have come before it on the subject?

If you ask 10 people what they think sustainability means, you may get 10 different answers. You may hear about conserving electricity by turning off lights when they are not needed, or about fossil fuels and how we need to minimize their use and develop re-usable energy sources. Webster defines sustainability as “of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged.”
 

Safety and Sustainability
This relates to jobsite health and safety in that the resources we are trying to conserve are ourselves and our labor force onsite. This seems to be a new idea and a new relationship between the ideas of safety and sustainability, but I would disagree. The safety and protection of the employees on a jobsite has been a priority for companies long before the idea of sustainability became mainstream practice. Health and safety programs are inherently sustainable. They are implemented to conserve and protect our workforce through management of work hours, training initiatives, working conditions, and hazard protection, and are outlined in the health and safety plan (HASP).

The most obvious management tool used to protect the labor force from damage is the use of hazard identification and control. It is also at this point that you establish the Hierarchy of Controls. The Hierarchy of Controls is a system of hazard identification that is used to eliminate, mitigate or otherwise control all hazards. The general order goes something like this:

• elimination of the hazard;
• substitution;
• engineering controls;
• administrative controls; and
• personal protective equipment.

A Fresh Look
Elimination of the hazard seems simple enough, but we face hazards every day at the construction and demolition recycling job site. The idea of eliminating the hazard is not new, but many times the assumption is made that we cannot eliminate the hazard strictly by our past experience with similar operations. The old saying goes, when you assume you make…well, you know the rest. A fresh look must be taken at eliminating the hazard or are we not protecting the resource that is our workforce. The new perspective gained may also improve working conditions by reducing the amount of time that employees will be exposed to a hazard.

Substitution of hazardous chemicals used in demolition, decontamination or remediation is an area that has benefited from the sustainability push; many new products are taking the place of previously accepted and widely used chemicals. The new products are often reusable, recyclable and less harmful to the environment and workforce.

Engineering controls are used to keep employees away from the hazard using time distance and shielding as a primary means of protection. The industry has been a major factor in the innovations that have become mainstays in the performance of work. From the use of long-handled torches to high-reach demolition machines, the industry has been able to move the hazard and exposure away from the average worker. This has been integral in lowering the exposure to injury in the industry. The downside to the speed of innovation is the lag time in the corresponding safety rules and practices associated with these tools. With new tools come new hazards that must be addressed, and the industry is looking to trade associations and OEM manufactures to take the lead in providing this information to the industry. Employers must stay up to date with the latest guidance documents and technical bulletins to implement them into health and safety plans as they become available.
 

Taking Control
Administrative controls are the area where the largest impact for the well-being of your workforce—written policies and procedures that affect work rules, regulated areas, hours of work, supervision and training with the goal of reducing exposure to identified hazards. The focus of these principles should be in the training and professional development of the workforce. This will not only make the organizations we work for more sustainable, but also secure the sustainability of the industry going forward.

The use of personal protective equipment (PPE) is the last line of defense from the hazards that can be used. The key to being in compliance with PPE regulations is to perform an extensive evaluation of the hazard and to choose the appropriate equipment for all exposed personnel.

There are many decisions and tradeoffs to be made in this process. Employee fit and comfort are of utmost importance for the successful implementation and execution of the site HASP. The amount of additional waste that PPE will add to the project is another consideration to be made during the evaluation process. The reduced exposure to hazards due to the use of the Hierarchy of Controls will curtail the amount of time workers must spend in PPE, thus making them more comfortable and productive.

Hazard evaluation and the use of the Hierarchy of Controls to develop your HASP is not a new concept, and as we have shown it is a sustainability tool. Careful pre-planning and analysis of your job site will allow you to ensure your safety program will address the hazards to your employees. As well, sustainability decisions will positively contribute to the long-term success of your organization and the industry. 

The author is senior demolition/construction manager, Environmental Resources Management, Carmel, Ind., and a National Demolition Association board member. He can be reached at mike.casbon@erm.com.