Shawmut recently celebrated its fifth annual “Safety Week” across seven offices nationwide. An industry leader in safety practices, Shawmut uses “Safety Week” as an opportunity to remind and train its staff and the public about the importance of never taking personal safety for granted. Since beginning “Safety Week” training, Shawmut has experienced a 33% reduction in accidents and incidents on the job.
Throughout the week, almost 7,000 professionals participated in training exercises at active job sites across the country including Louis Vuitton in Los Angeles, Le Bernardin in New York City and Dudley Square Municipal Center and The Boston Conservatory in Boston. Training sessions included “Toolbox Talks” that outlined several safety issues pertinent to specific projects including fall protection and asbestos abatement, while daily briefings outlined daily safety topics, training sessions, and activities.
The theme of this year’s Safety Week was “Know Safety. No Accidents.” The message resonated with Shawmut employees and subcontractors alike. “Every year I am proud of the participation of our staff in Safety Week activities,” said Les Hiscoe, president and COO of Shawmut Design and Construction. “We take these trainings very seriously. Our goal with these sessions is to make sure at the end of the day, all of our workers get to go home safely.”
Shawmut’s “Safety Week” also included mandatory evacuation drills, which simulated an emergency egress, and specialized training sessions on CPR, aerial lifts, ladder safety, four high hazards training, arc flash hazard awareness, and fire extinguishers.
“Throughout the years, Shawmut has supported our efforts to get the word out that falls can kill construction workers,” said John Frowd, CAS, United States Department of Labor. “Shawmut’s job site safety talks have made a real impact on workers and have helped reduce injuries―even deaths—in the field.”