“The more growth a company has, the more susceptible a company can be to an injury,” commented Trott Hunt, HGA President. “HGA has grown 12% in man-hours over the past year, and with that growth, we needed additional emphasis on safety as a top priority.”
Our safety motto: ‘Safety is no Accident. It’s a Culture’ has been a direct influence to the last recordable injury (to-date): January 31st, 2013. “We would not have been as successful without the support from the Management group at HGA and especially from those in the field demonstrating safety initiatives to others,” commented Tony Stark, HGA Safety Manager.
Training is important to keep HGA employees aware and knowledgeable of safety hazards. Safety preparation varies from employee to employee; office to office. HGA’s onboarding system includes generic safety training and additional trainings to those on-site or in the field. Additional training is given to those in high hazard environments.
Because of an active field presence, HGA’s Pipeline, Engineering, and Staffing personnel go through higher levels of safety training than other employees. The Pipeline Services (PLS) group is regularly in the field, making safety a key component. “This makes them the most vulnerable to an injury,” mentioned Tony. “A large success of our man hour accomplishment is credited to the PLS group and their utilization of our robust safety program.”
HGA is highly involved in the Oil & Gas and Chemical industries. “These are the most hazardous environments for our employees and it is important for them to have the right training and to be prepared,” commented Tony.
The pipeline management team has done a great job over the past few years in making employees aware and in-tune with safety hazards. ‘Toolbox Trainings’ are developed and shipped to on-site employees every two weeks with 1-2 pages of relevant exercises to keep employees up to date and informed on current topics. HGA has also developed Safety Action Plans that strategically set goals, identify steps, and list mandatory and recommended trainings.
Many clients utilize Safety Grading Organizations such as ISNetworld, Veriforce, and PEC for their safety requirements. Tony commented: “Each project is different and we try our best to be prepared for safety requirements and are competitive with our qualifications and certifications. Safety is also a high priority for our clients and many require specific and high level credentials. We are a member of the National Safety Council and utilize OSHA, American Society of Safety Engineers, and other organizations for training our employees. If we don’t already have a program, it’s my responsibility to get exempt from it – or to write a program to be qualified.”
Tony stated: “I encourage our employees to be cautious and aware not only at work but at home as well. Being safe is a behavior that we build at home as well as at work – it is not a behavior that can be turned on or off whenever we step foot on a work site.”
In closing, Trott commented: “This is a great accomplishment for our group. We are proud to make the one million hours without an injury and look forward to continued success for everyone at HGA.”