DELTA COMPANIES SAFETY INITIATIVES
Although performance is measured with
numbers, the most important goal is the
health and safety of the most important asset:
employees. Delta completed the year 2013
with an overall recordable incident rate of 4.99
(as compared to 5.73 for 2012). The lost time
experience rate for Delta dropped from 1.72 in
2012 to 1.05 in 2013. The Colas Safety Index,
which consists of the number of lost work day
cases as well as the severity of those cases,
fell from 2.06 in 2012 to 0.21 in 2013. These
numbers show what a tremendous improvement
Delta has accomplished.
It is the goal of Delta to continue to improve and
drive these numbers down even further. Delta’s
2014 Safety Initiatives provide a solid base for effort in accident prevention. A
successful safety effort involves the entir e family. The entire Delta family should
know what steps are taken to promote safety.
In 2014, Delta will diligently continue to carry out the 4 Core Colas US initiatives:
1. Weekly Safety Meetings held with all employees on all job sites and in all
Delta Companies locations including all plants, shops, labs and offices
including the Corporate Office and all Regional Offices
2. Safety Orientations for all new employees
3. Joint Management/Employee Safety Committees in each Region
4. Plant and job site visits by our Senior Management team specifically to
discuss safety issues
SAFETY GUARDIAN
All hourly employees have the opportunity to be selected as their region’s Safety
Guardian for 2014.
Safety Guardians may be selected by the Regional Manager after having been
nominated by a supervisor. The selection is based on an employee’s display
of enthusiasm and a positive attitude in supporting safety related activities,
regularly making constructive suggestions to enhance the safety effort, always
insisting that every task be performed in the safest manner possible and always
setting the example in exhibiting safe behavior.
In addition to weekly safety meetings, hazards are discussed each day at the
start of the work shift in daily briefing with employees. June 16th – 20th has been
designated as Safety Awareness Week for all Colas companies throughout the
world. Each region will be supporting this effort with some special activity that
week. In an effort to further enhance Delta’s Safety Culture, every business
meeting held throughout the year within the company will begin with a “Safety
Minute” to remind everyone of the importance
of safety. In 2014, Delta will be launching
an online safety training program. The goal
is to increase the availability and quality of
safety training applicable to the tasks being
performed and the work being conducted.
Once again congratulations to all employees
for contributing to Delta’s accomplishments in
2013. Goal Zero continues to be Delta’s focus
in 2014 and beyond.
WHERE IS THAT SHOVEL?
I
n each issue of the Triangle there will be a hidden shovel
within one of the articles. If you find the shovel, send an
e-mail to [email protected] with the article title and
your address. Be the first to respond with the correct location
and receive a gift card!
Happy Digging!
2
Delta Triangle Newsletter 2014 | ISSUE 1
ARKANSAS CONTINUES TO LEAD
IN CONSTRUCTION WORK
At the start of the new year, Arkansas
Construction Region will be working
backlog due to the weather conditions the
past few months. Delta Asphalt of Arkansas
has been working the I-55 job for Koss
Construction (as weather allows) and
the job is approximately 50% complete.
The work will continue through the end of
March, concluding the job with 25,000 tons
of asphalt.
Focusing on new work, the Arkansas Construction Region has many
projects in the works. The asphalt job for the Paragould bypass (which will
complete two lanes between Highway 49 and Highway 412 in Paragould,
Arkansas) and the job in Blytheville for RL Persons (consisting of
approximately 18,000 tons of asphalt) are positive opportunities to begin
2014.
The upcoming lettings for the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation
Department (AHTD) look promising. The anticipated work includes: the
widening of Highway 65 in Bee Branch, the Portia bypass on Highway
412, and the Monette bypass on Highway 18. The Fayetteville Shale (FS)
jobs are expected to continue strong throughout 2014.
The stability of the Arkansas highway program has caught the eye of
many competitors. As competition emerges, Delta Asphalt of Arkansas’
focus will be continually improving the processes for defining cost and
work performance “as bid”. Entering the third year of implementation of
tracking job and plant tons per man hour (TN/MH), the daily (TN/MH)
sheet has evolved into a powerful tool that helps operations stay on track
with projections.
In an effort to help lower cost and maintain competitiveness, Delta Asphalt
of Arkansas is in the process of adding natural gas to the asphalt plants in
Paragould and Clinton. The Clinton Quarry looks forward to supplying the
Clinton Asphalt Plant, as well as providing aggregate material to Mobley
on the Highway 65 job in Clinton.
This year, the AHTD has adopted a new special provision that eliminates
the QA/QC bonus on overlays. Previously, Delta has done an outstanding
job earning the QA/QC bonuses. Now, a new testing method called
Percent within Limits (PWL) will be used on
some jobs. Daryl Masingale (QA/QC Manager)
will be broadening Delta’s knowledge base on
PWL as the year moves forward.
John Bennett, Regional Manager said,
“Congratulations to everyone for their effort
in safety in 2013. Delta Asphalt of Arkansas
finished the year with no lost time accidents!
Great job and a continued focus on safety will
be the goal through the 2014 season.”