From:      Kent Lytle, Construction Safety Committee
To:          House Leaders
Subject:  Work Site Safety Process

Since we do not often have access to the volunteers prior to their scheduled work period, we are usually unable to provide general safety training. We address the need to raise the awareness of the volunteers about work site safety issues by identifying the hazards associated with the day’s planned work prior to the arrival of the volunteers. These safety issues are then discussed with the volunteers during the Morning Safety Huddle.

Each site is supported by someone from the sponsoring organization that serves as a Site Safety Observer throughout the scheduled work period. While the Site Safety Observers perform construction tasks on the site with the other volunteers, their principle responsibility is maintaining an awareness of safety conditions on the work site and interacting with the volunteers about these safety issues.

Attached are some materials that will aid the Site Safety Observer:

• Role of the Site Safety Observer - this group of documents fully describes the role of the SSO and the HFHSL safety premise. It will be helpful to the SSO to look this material over prior to arriving at the site.

• Project Building Team - this document describes the various roles on the building team and shows how the Site Safety Observer role is integrated

• A laminated copy of the HFHSL Work Site Safety Checklist to be posted on the site where it will be available to the SSO and other volunteers

• A laminated copy of a poster that encourages the volunteers to take a proactive role in raising each other's safety awareness

The endorsement and support of this safety process by the House Leader will influence everyone on the work site to take an active interest in work site safety and will improve the climate of the work site.

We value the views of the House Leaders about how we can continue to develop our safety process. Please share your ideas with us about how we can improve the integration of work site safety awareness into our HFHSL building process.