Several months ago an NLCSA staff member wrote an article for the March/April 2015 issue of the St. John’s Board of Trade’s Business News magazine. The article, titled “What are we Building?”, references Lego and uses a bridge as an analogy in looking at the difference between building a positive, effective safety culture or a flawed culture.
The following excerpt is taken from that article….
‘Even as young children there is an inherent desire to create and build. And although the materials, planning and skill required in the real life construction industry are all far more advanced then it was when we were playing with Lego® as kids, the sense of satisfaction and pride when it’s finished is much the same.
In Newfoundland & Labrador we’ve experienced an unprecedented level of activity, both through public infrastructure and private construction projects. We’re used to seeing cycles of wax and wane, and the downturn in the economy may impact the level of construction activity in the short term. But we’ll continue to build roads, bridges, sewer systems, offshore oil platforms, hydro electric dams, mines, hospitals, schools, homes, office towers, and shopping malls. But there’s something else that we’re building. In addition to these tangible things, we’re building a safety culture.
A building can be powerful, add local value, and equal its intended purpose. Or it can be structurally unsound, a blot on the landscape and fail in function. A safety culture is much the same. We assume that a safety culture will be positive, but whether it develops as positive or negative depends largely on the mix of materials, skill, environment, planning, leadership and oversight – the very same ingredients that can make or break any construction project.’
To read the entrie article click here.
