Author Archive
ECI Installs Temporary Bridge for Failed Culvert on Key South Burlington – Williston Artery
ECI was contracted with the City of South Burlington to install a temporary bridge over the failed culvert conveying the Muddy Brook under Kimball Avenue (Marshall Avenue on the Williston side). The Muddy Brook is at the town line between Williston and South Burlington. The municipalities jointly own the 16-ft multiplate culvert embedded in the 30-ft-high road embankment. The culvert failed on April 7th during a high water event. ECI responded that day to stabilize the site and barricade off the road.
ECI was subsequently contracted on April 11th to install the temporary bridge to allow the road to reopen to the traveling public. The road closure had a significant impact on local traffic which was worsened from the impact of other local roadway projects.
The replacement bridge consists of a 150-ft pre-engineered modular steel truss bridge manufactured by Mabey Universal Bridge. The bridge is owned by VTrans. ECI’s scope of work involved design and construction of the bridge substructure, assembly and installation of the modular truss superstructure, paving of the deck and approaches, and final restoration to allow for traffic.
The bridge substructure consisted of a shallow footing abutment with a concrete waste block backwalls. The bridge was assembled at the east abutment and rolled towards the west as the modular sections were installed.
The bridge was re-opened to the public on April 26th and will remain in service while the municipalities design and construct a new culvert.
Safety Focus of the Week: The Jobsite Hazard Assessment (Revisited)
The essence of a safe job site is to assess and eliminate hazards. Our daily jobsite hazard assessment (JHA) serves as a hazard risk assessment form for the work to be performed for the day.
The process involved in performing the hazard risk assessment with the Daily JHA Form includes:
- Describe the project and work conditions
- Identify potential hazards
- Eliminate or reduce hazards.
- Select PPE
- Select measures to protect the workers, the public, and private property.
- Identify the emergency contact numbers, local hospitals, and health care providers.
JHA Form: ECI Document Library
Of particular concern is the potential for the process to become too mundane, particularly on an on-going project with similar daily activities. To address this potential, the following measures can be taken:
- Mix it up. Start the list from the bottom.
- Focus on a particular hazard each day. Make that item the Focus of the Day.
- Pass it Around. Assign the duty to fill out and present the Tailboard to others.
- Ask for Help. Ask for Matt to come to the morning safety meeting and have them prepare the Tailboard for a new perspective.
- Revisit the JHA throughout the day to see if the crew is compliant with the plan.
ECI Safety Focus of the Week: Incident Response
Our newly revised Safety Program Manual contains a section on Incident Response:
Safety Focus of the Week: Steel-Toe Boots (Revisited)
Protective footwear is required whenever there is a risk of foot injury from falling heavy objects. Working in the shops, pile driving, drilling, railroad work, and many other work tasks involve this risk and require protective footwear.
A consideration when purchasing boots is whether to go with steel or composite. Both meet the ANSI Z41-1999 requirements for protective footwear. Some users claim that composite can be more comfortable in cold weather. Other commentary I have seen indicates that the steel toes are superior for certain occupations, like for users of chain saws. However, several boot manufactures offer logger boots with composite toes – so it doesn’t seem like there is a significant increase in risk of toe injury.
Lastly, urban legend has included myths about workers who lost their toes because a heavy object dropped on their foot caused the toes to be severed (ouch!). However, this urban myth is generally considered false and was even proved false on the Discovery TV show Mythbusters.
ECI Releases New “Safety Program Manual”
ECI recently released a new version of its Corporate Safety Manual. Unlike past versions focused on safety compliance, this new version is appropriately named the “ECI Safety Program Manual” to reflect ECI’s view of creating a safe workplace through a holistic approach that focuses on leadership and corporate culture.
As summarized by Kenneth Pidgeon, PE, president of ECI:
“ECI strives to maintain a corporate culture of safe work practices to protect our workers, the public, and the environment.”
The highlights of the Safety Program Manual include:
- Leadership
- Technical training
- Professional behavior
- Project planning
- Risk Assessment
- Standardized safety practices
- Strong communication, documentation, and attention to details.
Please check out our document: ECI – Safety Program Manual V2.0
Safety Focus of the Week: Employee/Employer Obligations in Safety
ECI is formally rolling out its new Corporate Safety Program Manual. A key part is a description of the obligations of the Employee and the Employer relative to safety.
Obligations of the Employer
Providing a safe workplace which is managed and controlled in accordance with all applicable regulations and standards is an essential obligation of all Employers. ECI achieves this by providing:
- Education and training specific to an employee’s role and assigned work tasks
- Supervision and council from experienced and trained working professionals
- Perform risk assessment
- Personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Hazardous condition measuring instruments
- Fit for purpose safety systems and equipment
- Compliance monitoring by dedicated Health and Safety staff
- Executive leadership
- Developing and maintaining a company-wide safety culture that includes an appreciation of:
- Engineering and science associated with our work and the safety practices.
- Use of risk assessment to identify and mitigate hazards.
- Sense of pride for quality work and safe work practices.
- The Code of Conduct items, particularly regarding safe driving, respectful behavior, and environmental conscientious work practices.
In addition to worker safety, ECI has a duty to protect the public near and around the work. This is particularly important as many of ECI’s projects and tasks take place within public rights-of-way.
Obligations of the Employee
All ECI employees are provided with the following responsibilities with respect to the Safety Program:
- Acknowledge and understand the content within the Safety Program Manual
- Understand and follow all applicable health and safety policies and procedures
- Adhere to fit-for-duty physical and mental requirements
- Maintain licensure for operating motor vehicles and other equipment as required
- Proper use and maintenance of assigned equipment and personal protective gear
- Recognize hazards and implement adequate measures to control hazards
- Ask for assistance if uncertain about a specific hazard or potentially hazardous situation
- Look out for fellow workers and the public traveling through ECI jobsites
- Acknowledge and appreciate general engineering principals as they relate to personal safety
- Attend and participate in Jobsite Hazard Assessment discussions and Weekly Safety Meetings
- Report safety incidences in accordance with reporting procedures
- Comply with the ECI Substance Abuse Policy
- Follow the ECI Code of Conduct
All employees have the authority to stop work under the following conditions:
- If you see an unsafe act taking place or about to take place
- If you believe conditions are unsafe and not fit for the task(s) at hand
- If there is confusion with regards to the work plan
Employees are encouraged to speak up if they have a suggestion to make the jobsite or activity safer. When we share the responsibility in the workplace, everyone wins.
ECI Presents at ACEC-VTrans Transportation Technical Workshop
Safety Focus of the Week: ECI’s New Safety Program Manual
As indicated previously, ECI has been in the process of revising its corporate Safety Program Manual to reflect the evolution of our safety program.
Two main aspects of ECI’s program include:
Behavioral Based Safety – The effect of a worker’s behavior on safety. Behavioral issues may include complacency, distractions, exhaustion, and overconfidence. ECI’s focus to address the behavior effect on safety is primarily:
a) the management of these conditions (recognize, contain, and respond to behavioral issues), and
b) to develop and maintain a corporate culture focused on safety and appreciation of practical engineering principles related to safety.
Compliance Based Safety – Working within Safety Regulations specific to the type of work. On ECI jobsites, these regulations typically include OSHA, FRA, MSHA, and FMCSA. ECI’s focus for achieving compliance based safety is to provide the workers with appropriate training and resources to perform a risk assessment to be safe and compliant.
We look forward to the rollout of the new ECI Safety Program Manual which will be available on our website.
Safety Focus of the Week: Corporate Safety Program
ECI is updating its corporate health and safety program which will contain the following sections:
Section 1 – Safety Program Summary
1.2 Purpose of the Safety Program Manual
1.3 ECI’s Fundamental Approach to Health and Safety
1.4 Obligations of the Employer
1.6 Subcontractor Requirements
1.7 Corporate Health and Safety Team and Facilities
Section 2 – ECI Health and Safety Systems
2.1 Employee Management Systems
2.3 Jobsite Safety Planning Systems
2.4 Jobsite Safety Surveillance System
2.5 Incident Management Systems (Internal and External)
Section 3 – Safety Training Program
3.1 Safety Qualifications and Certifications
3.4 General Safety Awareness Training
Section 4- Additional Health and Safety Resources
4 Jobsite Hazards Assessment Form
5 Site Safety Inspection Forms
7 Preferred Personal Injury Health Providers