Field personnel must combine good safety and quality practices into their work, however most construction companies manage quality and safety as two independent programs. Integrating quality and safety into a single program can streamline operations and create synergies that improve results.
From a management and control perspective, there are similarities between quality and safety programs. Both programs ensure work is done the right way from their viewpoint. Each program has a system of performance standards, verifications, and corrective actions. There is an opportunity to capitalize on these similarities.
"We believe in producing a quality product and producing it safely," says Craig Steele, president of Schuck and Sons, a Phoenix framing contractor. "We have a safety system that has earned national recognition. We also have a quality system based on ISO 9000 principles, one of the first to be certified by the NAHB Research Center. Now, as we evolve, the next horizon is to include safety in our quality system."
Adjustments are necessary to create a single system that serves both quality and safety. Start by specifying materials, equipment, work procedures, and job rules that lead to quality and safety. Related training can present employees with the right way to work that addresses both quality and safety.
Quality inspection procedures can be expanded to encompass safety concerns. Existing inspection procedures can be adjusted to track and record the presence of trained personnel, the use of safety equipment, compliance with worksite rules, and work conditions.
As inspections uncover safety problem areas, preventing recurrence draws from the strength of the quality improvement processes. First, quality methods are used to uncover root causes and plan changes that prevent recurrence of the issue. This could involve changing equipment, materials, construction methods, work rules, or company policy. Regular toolbox talks can communicate changes to field personnel.
"We have toolbox talks every week with every crew," says Hank Zolkiewicz, Manager of Del Webb Contracting Services, Sun City West, AZ. "Our safety and quality topics reinforce the safety procedures and construction details. When hotspots come up they go on the list and we talk about them too."
When quality and safety are combined management and employees can identify with a much simpler plan. For management there is only one system to manage that fully integrates quality and safety into the business operations of the company and continuously improves performance. For employees, it is easier to work within a management framework that presents a single message about the right way to work.