D. C. Taylor Co. Roofing Crews Take Safety Personally
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA (June 2, 2014) – As a commercial and industrial roofing contractor with more than 60 years of experience, D. C. Taylor Co. recognizes just how dangerous roofing can be. The company’s field personnel collectively spend more than 2,000 hours in training each year. In return for D. C. Taylor Co.’s classroom and on-the-job instruction, the company expects employees to be committed to their individual safety as well as the safety of others.
Vigilance begins on day one of an individual’s employment with D. C. Taylor Co. Along with company and safety orientation, all new employees are asked to read and sign a safety agreement and field personnel are provided a Personal Safety Card. The wallet-sized cards are issued by the designated human resources representative in each of D. C. Taylor Co.’s five offices. “The card is a personal commitment to safety in conjunction with our zero tolerance policy,” explains Philip J. Suess, Senior Vice President, Treasurer, and Corporate Secretary, D. C. Taylor Co., Cedar Rapids, IA.
Six training areas are noted on every Personal Safety Card, a few of which are only available to Project Supervisors. As training in one area is completed, the card is punched. “Each time I do a training, the guys run up to me and say, ‘Punch my card,’ or ‘Where’s my card?’. It provides a sense of accomplishment and is a source of pride,” says Brad Richardson, CSP, Director Environmental Health and Safety, D. C. Taylor Co., Phoenix, AZ.
The cards are meant to empower individuals to take responsibility for their safety and use their training; they also ensure that as a laborer works under a new Supervisor, he isn’t asked to perform tasks for which he has not been trained. “Each employee is asked to carry their Personal Safety Card at all times,” says Wielka Cosgrove, Human Resources Generalist, D. C. Taylor Co., Cedar Rapids, IA. “Sometimes our customers even ask to see them.”
D. C. Taylor Co. has been issuing Personal Safety Cards to laborers since 2003. “This was process improvement, before it was called process improvement,” says Suess. The cards are just one aspect of an already aggressive safety program, which also includes recertifying individuals every three years on OSHA 10 Hour and running Supervisors through a full-scale mock-up for deck replacement training.
About D. C. Taylor Co.
D. C. Taylor Co. is a Cedar Rapids, IA-based roofing contractor with more than 60 years of experience installing, repairing, and maintaining roofs at commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. With service centers in six states and more than 60 service and roofing crews, D. C. Taylor Co. is poised to respond to customer needs quickly and efficiently. For more information on D. C. Taylor Co., visit www.dctaylorco.com.
Previous