Spotlight on Safety

A Star for Safety

Safety is a must on every project, but especially on one designed to eliminate chemical weapons. Good thing, then, that Bechtel has someone like Terry Wells (above) on the job in Pueblo, Colorado, where the company is building a plant to destroy hazardous mustard agent and munitions stored by the U.S. government since World War II.

In five years as Bechtel safety manager at the U.S. Department of Defense’s Pueblo Chemical Depot, Wells has produced a text-book case in how to develop a safety program. First, he hired a project nurse and contracted with local physicians who could address possible injuries. He hired a system safety engineer, then built and trained a diverse team from internal applicants, recent university graduates, and recruited professionals. He also set up a first-aid station, acquired equipment for hearing tests, established drug-testing protocols, and introduced the company’s fall protection and hand-injury prevention programs.

The interactive tools and worker training developed at Pueblo also have helped Bechtel improve safety processes at other sites it manages for the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy.

Under Wells’ leadership, Pueblo received the U.S. Department of Labor’s highest safety and health award during its first audit— the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) “Star” status. “During my 30-year career at Bechtel, there have been a lot of significant achievements,” said Wells. “However, my proudest moment was when this project was awarded VPP Star status.”

The Road to Zero Accidents

Modernizing a complex subway system like the London Underground can be a hazardous job. It involves renovating busy stations, laying heavy rail, and installing new signal systems—with much of the work taking place beneath the city in the dead of night.

So it was worth taking note in 2009 when Tube Lines chalked up a full year without losing any time to an injury or accident during track replacement work. “We believe it’s the first time that a track replacement team in the UK has achieved that milestone,” said Brian Sedar, Tube Lines’ director of projects.

As on all Bechtel projects, safety has been the top focus for Tube Lines, a Bechtel consortium renovating the Underground’s Jubilee, Northern, and Piccadilly lines. The effort has paid off:  From early 2004 to the middle of 2009, Tube Lines reduced the rate of project injuries resulting in more than three days’ absence to zero—and the rate of lost-time accidents to nearly zero.

How? Through innovation and safety education that pervades the project. For example:

• The project created a “Hazard School,” where employees are challenged to identify safety hazards in a simulated Underground environment, before moving onto the work site
• Weeklong programs for employees emphasize the importance of specific safety guidelines, such as regulations for working at heights and the use of personal protective equipment
• An innovative, proprietary indicator system helps eliminate the risk of team members contacting live electric current and moving trains
• Frequent safety events and tours promote closer working relationships among employees, contractors, and managers.

Absolute safety once was thought impossible in an environment such as the London Underground. But in less than five years, Bechtel has driven a seismic shift toward the company’s goal of zero accidents.