Ajax Building Corporation Receives SHARP Renewal

Ajax Building Corporation has a steadfast commitment to safety. In fact, the safety philosophy for the Midway-based building construction management firm is “no job is so important and no service so urgent that we cannot take time to perform our work safely." For Ajax this means consistently going above and beyond the minimum OSHA requirements to protect the men and women working on their projects. Marc Reeves, corporate safety director, says Ajax's health and safety management system involves all levels of employees and management to "aggressively address safety issues."

This is Ajax's third SHARP certification. Because the company has jobsites throughout Florida, each building project has its own job-specific health and safety plan. Reeves says the detailed plans outline health and safety responsibilities assigned to the project team members as well as sub-contractors. "Sub-contractor compliance is written into the contract, and task-specific safety issues are listed in the scope of work to be performed."

Another Ajax safety implementation is their Job Site Recognition Program, an award bestowed bi-annually to construction sites demonstrating the best safety practices. According to Reeves, the recognition program "helps maintain safety awareness and stimulates employee participation in the company's safety management program."

Ajax Building Corporation believes "all accidents are preventable," and its goal "to send every employee home whole and healthy every day" represents their unwavering dedication to keeping safety a core value.

What's Wrong With This Picture?
Photographs are a learning tool of how accidents can be prevented. Thank you to Keith Brown, our "What's Wrong With This Picture" USF SafetyFlorida contributor for June.

Violation(s): 29 CFR 1910.212(a)(1). Types of guarding. One or more methods of machine guarding shall be provided to protect the operator and other employees in the machine area from hazards such as those created by point of operation, ingoing nip points, rotating parts, flying chips and sparks. Examples of guarding methods are barrier guards, two-hand tripping devices, electronic safety devices, etc.

Consequences: Worker(s) are exposed to crushing and amputation hazards as a result of an inadequate/ improperly adjusted guard. The guard on the shear is not properly adjusted to prevent workers from placing fingers under the material “hold-downs” and from reaching into the point of operation where the shearing action occurs.

Actions: Provide a guard that adjusts to the thickness of material being sheared and prevent access to the material hold-downs and point of operation. Train personnel on the purpose and proper adjustment of the guard.

Consultant's Corner: Chemicals Put Workers at Risk



Luis Pieretti
Safety and Health Consultant

In our May Consultant's Corner, Mark Leon discussed the importance of machine guarding and the different types of guards available.

This month, Luis Pieretti writes about the responsibility to communicate hazards associated with the handling and use of chemicals used at work.

Remember, employees have a right to know any hazards associated with chemicals used in their workplace. The hazard communication standard is OSHA's most frequently cited standard for general industry for 20091. The standard applies to any chemical used in the workplace that employees may be exposed to under normal use or in a foreseeable emergency.* (Read more...)

Is there a safety topic you'd like to see in our Consultant's Corner? Send us an e-mail to eletter@usfsafetyflorida.com.

Q: What are some characteristics of a great safety manager?

A:: Your question reminds me of Jim Collins's book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Other's Don’t. In it, Collins and his team of researchers analyzed 1,435 companies that made significant improvements in their performance over time, finally settling on 11 firms and the common traits among them.

In some respects, you can do the same with safety managers. Our consultation program has been at the University of South Florida for the last 10 years and, during that time, we've worked with thousands of safety managers. What sets great safety managers apart? First and foremost, their commitment to safety. As one Boca Raton safety manager put it, it takes "leadership to foster and promote safe work practices." But rather than an authoritarian management approach, this safety manager--and other effective safety managers--encourages employees to become actively engaged with him in the company's safety culture. "All of our employees have an opportunity to participate through a number of initiatives, including process improvements, our safety committee, daily meetings and recommending changes or improvements," he says. This safety management style of empowerment creates a team or family type of atmosphere so that employees feel their best interests are being looked after.

Another characteristic of great safety managers is their ability to sharpen the saw. By that, I mean they consistently look to improve or enhance their workplace safety management system. This mentality does not allow for complacency or mediocrity, regardless of the economy. Regular safety training, routine safety inspections and frequent on-site consultation are methods great managers use to ensure their company continually performs better at safety. "Even in these economic times, we are reviewing and implementing new safety procedures and policies for our employees," said one Pompano Beach safety manager. Another safety manager in Tavares put it this way: "Our team chose to set the bar to a higher level. We are committed to continual improvement."

Good safety managers are just that--good. But great safety managers look ahead to see how they can improve their workplace safety system for the future. They engage management and employees to take an active and participatory role in safety, and they aspire to be great at all times. If your current safety system is good, let us help it become great. Our worksite safety consultants offer an extra set of eyes that can help you see things in a new and fresh way. And the best part is the consultation is confidential and at no cost to your company. Call us today at 1-866-273-1105 or visit us online at www.usfsafetyflorida.com.


Charlene D. Vespi, MS. Ed., CWCP
Program Director
USF SafetyFlorida

Let us know: How does your company use technology with its safety management system? Computer-generated safety plans and newsletters for employees, spreadsheets to trend incident data, e-mail accounts to report safety issues, online safety training? Send us your feedback and you could be included in a future e-newsletter.

OSHA News: Before working or volunteering with the Gulf Coast oil spill clean-up effort, remember safety first. OSHA requires cleanup workers to be trained before they can be hired and has published safety guides and fact sheets in several languages so workers can easily access the information and stay safe on the job. For more information, click here.

Disaster Site Worker Train-the-Trainer Courses Now Available: The USF OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Center will offer its OTI 5600 course June 21-24 (Fort Myers), August 30-September 2 (Orlando) and December 13-16 (Jacksonville). If you are already a disaster site trainer and need an update, the OTI 5602 course is scheduled July 23 (Wesley Chapel) and August 23 (Coconut Grove).

Hurricane Planning Course: If you are a hurricane planner for your office or agency, consider registering for the USF OTI Center's Hurricane Planning Course June 28-July 1. The course is designed for public and private sector safety personnel, risk management personnel, EOC logistics personnel, HR managers and agency planning personnel. Courses are held at the education center's Tampa office and cost $600. Continuing education units available. Click here for more information and to register.

Safety Week: The USF OTI Center is offering a Construction Safety Week June 14-18 in Ft. Lauderdale. Cost is $550 and includes four classes: the OTI 7415, 7400, 7500 and 7105. The next Construction Safety Week is scheduled August 30-September 3 in Tampa. Click here for more information and to register, or contact Diane Ray at dray@health.usf.edu or 813-994-1195.

Don't forget: USF OTI Center registrants receive a 30% discount on all regularly-priced courses when they use the code "SafetyFlorida." Discount does not apply to Safety Weeks. For a complete schedule of USF OTI Center courses, click here.