D. C. Taylor Co. Participates in 2022 National Safety Stand-Down
D. C. Taylor Co. crews from it’s four offices participated in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA’s) National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction, the week of May 2-6, 2022. The week kicked off with a toolbox talk led by the safety department over Microsoft Teams. The discussion focused on identifying fall hazards, strategies to prevent injuries, and personal fall arrest systems (and other equipment) that protect workers.
During the week, crews also performed equipment and PPE inspections. “Manufacturers require at least one annual competent person inspection on all personal fall arrest system,” explains Kirk Dighton, Safety Manager, D. C. Taylor Co., Cedar Rapids, IA. “We live in our harnesses and lanyards. They’re used everyday, so we inspect twice a year.” These biannual inspections are documented electronically with the serial number and inspected on/by information. Inspections covered the following:
- Harnesses
- Lanyards
- Self-retracting lifelines
- Mobile fall protection carts
- Single-point anchors
Quarterly authorized rescue training also coincided with the National Safety Stand-Down week. Crew members practiced use of the rescue ladder and rescue pole. “The 18-foot rescue ladder is used in case an individual goes over the edge of the roof. We hook it up to an anchor and throw it over the edge so it rests right next to the individual. They can stand on it to release pressure on their legs or climb up it,” explains Dighton. Alternately, the rescue pole can hook through the D-ring on an individual’s harness to pull them back up to safety.
“We’re not rescuers. We’re roofers, but we may be forced to perform these responsibilities,” he says. All crew members must know how to perform each task during a rescue. “We take safety seriously,” concludes Dighton.
About D. C. Taylor Co.
D. C. Taylor Co. is a Cedar Rapids, IA-based roofing contractor with 70 years of experience installing, repairing, and maintaining roofs at commercial, institutional, and industrial facilities. With service centers in four states and 30 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.