The massive soar of incidents in the last year is extremely alarming to everyone. In this opinion article, we will touch on many potential factors. I don’t think any single one is to blame but rather a point in time where all these small factors are converging into a climax which is going to affect the industry in the future. Navigating all these small changes 1 by 1 will help companies not only survive these challenges but also anticipate what is to come.
Factor 1 - The thrill is gone
What does this mean? There's this idea of tradespeople that some like to be “dangerous” and are adrenaline junkies. A picture comes to mind of all those iron workers sitting on a steel beam high in the air eating lunch, making you realize being an ironworker isn't for someone with a weak stomach.
I'm thrilled the industry has come so far in making sure we are all safe but some of the safety regulations take the adrenaline out of the trades. The bi-product of taking out the joy in danger is a more complacent workplace. Fighting to keep the jobs exciting, invigorating and interesting is what will drive future engagement in the industry
Factor 2 - Police mindset
A lot of construction companies are moving into the 3rd generation of construction leadership. The past couple of generations have forged construction superpowers with safety usually at the forefront. Due to the consequences of time, everyone truly knows how safe these big job sites are expected to be. In my 10 years on large projects (spent mostly as a sub-trade) I do not remember a time that I felt unsafe or that the companies were out to get the job done at all costs. For a sub-trade like myself at the time it was always refreshing knowing I was going to a safe job site leaving my family with a sense of peace.
But with every positive comes the equal negative. The negative of establishing an elite safety culture is people begin (on purpose or by mistake) not taking care of their safety issues and well-being. What I mean by this is that people start walking by real safety issues and not addressing them because they think the big companies are all over it, they must already know about this, they have already taken care of the safety side of things so this must be okay by them so they continue to work.
Another mindset from the workers is they wait to “be pulled over” by someone like the safety guy. Similar to speeding and getting pulled over once in a while, people are waiting for themselves to get “pulled over” and told to change the way they are working by these large contractors. In a small way, they have started eliminating independent thinking.
There's a great touch on this idea from Mike Rowe in his video “Safety Third.” The reason people are getting complacent is because they have this weird idea that someone else is looking out for them rather than themselves. In the video, Mike remembers taking some safety concerns to his captain on a boat at sea. The captain chuckles and says to Mike “I’m not here to keep you safe, I’m here to make you rich! If you want to be safe, that's on you.” Highly recommend watching this as it's eye-opening to the current reality large construction now wrestles with. In contrast, if you step on a site where safety isn't taken as seriously you better believe that the workers have their wits about them as they never know if the scaffold has been properly set up, proper lockout procedures have been followed or any other high-risk activity.
Factor 3 - Generational success
We already know big construction is in its 3rd generation of success. But how and where did this all come from? Typically in companies, the third generation is a bust or a massive success. We are at the point in our lifetime where this generation will choose (whether they are aware or not) how far these big companies will continue to go. What I mean by this is the following: Typically the first generation of any company are visionaries. They come up with the big ideas, the big plans, the big jobs. They are very conscious about what they spend their time, energy and money on. They are extreme success stories that inspire the next generation. The second generation comes along and they are the protectors. This can be their fault. They protect the company and come up with new ideas and processes but at a much slower pace as they don't like big risks. Typically this is because a family member becomes a successor to the first generation and they feel a responsibility to keep the family business thriving. If a company succeeds in the second generation they have likely grown large and will have continued success but then the third generation comes along and they have two choices:
See the sacrifices of the first two generations and realize the potential in the future is within them and the company now possesses the resources to do amazing things, will you be a part of them?
Sit back and let everything happen the way it will happen (including safety.) This laid-back approach affects profits, efficiencies and safety incidents. The toxic mindset is almost unavoidable with such a large-scale company. People take advantage and can slide under the radar for most of their careers.
Factor 4 - Mental health
HSE- Health, safety, environment. Staples on our job sites aren’t they? But what about off the site? When I was a young guy in construction my boss told me when I was roofing one time “You’re fired before you hit the ground kid,” and he chuckled a little bit, and so did I. This is not the case though, and I’m glad for it. Our goal is not to just get the guys through the gate at the end of the day and off the clock so they are not our liability. In a way, this makes the most sense but what happens at home is undeniably intertwined with the performance that happens at work. Keeping this in mind we need to have a certain level of awareness of what people are bringing to work and whether or not they should be put into dangerous situations. Men’s loneliness is at epidemic levels and then throw in the job satisfaction that has been taken away because they have to abide by every safety rule out there and it's a perfect storm for complacency and an incident brewery. Let them do what they are good at, support them at work and push them to be better at home.
Factor 5 - Unstable economy
There’s no doubt about it, times are tough for the working class everywhere. An aggressive hourly rate no longer can support a household, or be able to make outrageous bill payments. People bring these stresses to work- it’s directly related to the incidents you see. People are on the brink, wondering why they signed that mortgage, why they bought that new Jeep, or how they are going to afford the heating bill starting up this winter season. The stressors of 9% interest on a vehicle loan are real. The stressors at home are coming to work and they are real! Because of this, it is our responsibility to have wellness conversations with our workforce to make sure they are fit to work.
Factor 6 - Unqualified leadership
You know what the most insulting thing to do is? Tell someone how to do their job. Think about it for a second, if you saw a dirty worker telling you how to manage finances on the project would you be just a little salty about it? Think of it in the reverse: a worker sees a polished superintendent that comes over and tells them how to dig a hole without a speck of dirt on his pants, we know exactly how the worker will respond.
The industry is getting saturated with people just coming out of school with a great school background and great school marks but having experience doing the actual work is a different story altogether. When learning the ins and outs of a project rather than jumping to conclusions with workers, ask questions to understand why they are doing it a certain way rather than just assuming they are all too dumb to figure it out.
Another take on unqualified leadership is the manpower shortage. We used to have 5 seasoned veterans training 1 new apprentice, but now it's changing into 5 apprentices being trained by 1 journey-person, we can see the problems with this. Supervisors are now younger, and less experienced and therefore could be a contributing factor to the rise in incidents.
In conclusion, there is an overwhelming amount of work to do. With so many problems, there is so much opportunity. I challenge you this week to think about the issues within the company you find yourself working for. Is there something small you can start doing that might have a positive impact moving forward?
Let me know in the comments below!
See you in the pit!
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