Table of Contents
Recently, we caught up with Mike Prencavage Jr., owner, The Family Plumber, Los Alamitos, Calif., for a quick conversation regarding jobsite safety. Employees should be a top priority in any business, especially the trades.
Safety should be top priority for every business, especially in the trades. Can you provide a some of your company’s protocols, which may consist of safety meetings, reporting, etc.?
Prencavage Jr.: I would encourage companies to make safety learning fun, yet impactful. Every week, we host an all-hands-on company meeting to ensure that all team members are properly trained on hazards in the workplace. Our shop foreman is responsible for providing detailed examples and often real-world situations that can occur to which protocols must be adhered. Most companies believe or expect common sense to prevail when it comes to protecting employees; however, safety on any jobsite big or small needs to be trained on and re-enforced. Random jobsite visits from project managers are a must to ensure that all team members are performing work safely as to not endanger themselves or homeowners.
Artificial Intelligence
MH: How can the implementation of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology help with safety protocols?
Prencavage Jr.: AI in different forms can help with developing, implementing or enforcing proper protocols within your business. The biggest examples of these are utilizing AI to create situational poster boards for your office or breakroom. Setting meeting reminders or technician meeting periods to review and train on safety standards. Also, companies that use passive integrated driving devices that record and score drivers’ safety behind the wheel.
Age & Tenure
MH: Does age or tenure play into increases jobsite accidents?
Prencavage Jr.: Most senior employees understand or have experienced the result of cutting corners with safety standards. Receive a cut, bruise or worse once in your life and it changes the way you think about approaching certain risky situations. Age plays a factor because more often than not; you don’t know what you don’t know. Youthfulness is great, but certainly doesn’t put a bulletproof vest around you. It’s best practice if you share the worst-case scenarios with younger employees as much as possible with the hope that if they encounter something similar, they are well prepared to the take the right steps for safety.
The Insurance Factor
MH: Finally, in terms of insurance, why should safety be prioritized?
Prencavage Jr.: Insurance is already one of the highest expenditures on a P&L for most construction trade businesses. The last thing a company would want is file claims against a policy that increases those rates, not to mention possible revocation. Insurance companies are looking for potential hazards all of the time, and in doing so, they can often perform random standard compliance checks on companies. It’s best to always have your company compliance ready as to not have a policy canceled.
Check out The Family Plumber, https://thefamilyplumber.com
Sign up for the Mechanical Hub weekly newsletter, https://mechanical-hub.com/enewsletter/
