Training to Work and Live Safely

June 7, 2015

Safety awareness is essential in construction, something Chuck Roberts, Egan Company Plumbing Foreman, learned quickly while on the Southdale Medical Office Building jobsite in Edina, Minn.

He noticed a woman with a seeing-eye dog struggling to navigate around the construction. Roberts went to her and asked her where she needed to go and safely walked her around to the other side of the block.

“She was confused and could have put herself in danger,” Roberts said. “Since this is our jobsite, I felt I had to do something to help keep her safe.”

Andy Forsberg, Superintendent at PCL Construction, was impressed that Roberts took the time to help this woman. “He is a very busy guy running the parking ramp, base building, and a build-out on level four,” Forsberg said. “The crew on this site has a great attitude toward safety.”

Jobsite Awareness

At Egan Company, we are committed to providing all employees with a safe and healthy place of employment. One of the ways we do this is by investing in safety training resources for employees.

“One way we empower our employees to ensure their own safety in the workplace is by providing all necessary skills and information through training,” said Larry Hanson, Egan Company Safety Director.

Egan has a full-time safety team that facilitates regular safety training for all employees. Training is provided through weekly jobsite toolbox talks, task specific training, and online courses offered for employees to gain safety knowledge and experience.

Many of these trainings are tailored for jobsite and construction site employees, such as OSHA 10 & 30, defensive driving, and boom, scissor, and fork lift operation.

However, many Egan employees have taken what they’ve learned in their safety trainings into their everyday lives.

Ashley Czichray, Egan Company Plumber, was recently leaving a jobsite and witnessed a pedestrian get struck by a taxi. She was forced to think quickly and recall what she had learned in her various safety trainings.

After calling 911, she made sure to not move the injured woman. She then covered the woman with coats to keep her warm and comfortable until the ambulance arrived.

Safety Awareness at Home

Administrative and office staff also take safety training classes, including CPR and First Aid, in order to be prepared in any situation, at work or at home.

Chris Jarombek, Egan Company Account Manager, utilized his CPR and First Aid education just three days after taking the class. While up at his family cabin in the Leech Lake area, he joined a group for dinner at a local restaurant, and one patron started to choke. He quickly grabbed him and asked if he was choking. Jarombek performed the Heimlich Maneuver until a piece of food was ejected.

“If I hadn’t attended the CPR/First Aid classes at Egan, I would not have known how to help someone in that terrible situation,” Jarombek said. “I’m not sure I would have had the confidence to immediately snap into action.”

Our company-wide goal is to ensure that any and all injuries be prevented. Any injury to our workers, subcontractors, or other involved parties is not acceptable.

“By providing our employees with the tools to react confidently and quickly, we hope to prevent as many injuries as possible, whether it is on a jobsite, at home, or in public,” Hanson said. 