Deconstruction

Changing the behavior or mindsets of employees is one of the most challenging aspects of any workplace. That’s even more so in construction because a failure to change can lead to unsafe conditions and even injury. So, how can field safety leaders invoke change so that it sticks? VCC Safety Director Scott Anders shared his wisdom on the topic with host Tyler Kern on Deconstruction with VCC. Anders set the conversation by describing behavior change. “In construction, accidents happen because of human behavior. So, I want to know what causes it. Behavior change occurs when workers do the safe and right things without having to think about it.” What can drive a person to take a shortcut on a job? They may believe if they complete it faster, they’ll receive praise. However, if the result is injury, they cost the project time and money. Changing mindsets is a process that happens over time, and the best way to support it is positively. “Finding fault in what the person did isn’t going to change it. Understanding why they thought it was okay to do it gets at the root of the problem, which you can address,” Anders explained. While change is inevitable and usually for the best, the most significant challenge is making the change itself. “People do not like it. It’s a big hurdle, and the best approach is to be a positive influence on those I work with to take that big step,” Anders noted.

Construction job sites are full of hazards. That’s the nature of the industry; however, that doesn't mean that these risks are inevitable. Through task hazard analysis, construction leaders can be more proactive about safety and accident prevention. VCC Safety Director Scott Anders offers insights on this practice, who joined host Tyler Kern on Deconstruction with VCC. First, Anders described the process. “Task hazard analysis is taking every task and breaking it down into steps. Then identifying the potential hazards in those steps and making plans to mitigate them before they happen.” Since every task on a job site is inherently dangerous, there are no exceptions. Every task requires evaluation. Anders provided an example. “You may think a ground-level job of laying tile is simple, but there could be a crew two stories up working above you that could drop material on you. That’s a hazard.” In analyzing the dangers of a task, safety leaders always consider the environment, which can change daily. “That’s why the analysis is done every day on the job site. And they’re fluid and can change throughout the day,” Anders noted. One area of injury risk that also falls into this category is repetitive tasks. “Muscular skeletal injuries are common. The same motion all day every day require mitigation, which could be changing tools for a more comfortable grip or rotating positions,” Anders said. A final point that Anders made is on who should complete the process. “Task hazard analysis should be completed by the people doing the work in the field. They’ll notice the hazards and observe the risk.”

In any project or initiative, those leading it set the tone. When expectations are unclear, or leadership doesn’t set them, failures can happen. And that’s not what anyone wants on a job site. Talking about good field safety leadership, Deconstruction with VCC host Tyler Kern spoke with the company’s Safety Director Scott Anders. “Leadership needs to set expectations before any work even starts. Nothing is status quo because construction is inherently dangerous. Every conversation should include safety,” Anders shared. Keeping safety top of mind requires communication, training, and reiteration. Without these things, safety may seem secondary to other aspects of the project. Unfortunately, that mindset can derail safety and cause failures in the field, which could have significant consequences. For leaders managing projects, Anders counseled that safety has to remain a priority. “Leaders have to manage safety, production, and quality together. One cannot be put in front of another.” Rhetoric on the job site should always include policies, procedures, and regulations. Besides verbal reminders, Anders also recommended investing in field safety training. “It should be a high priority. We expect that someone can do the job they were hired to do, but we need to always get all workers up to speed on safety topics.” Such an investment in training isn’t just for the workers. Anders noted that leaders also need to refreshers on safety to continue to create a culture that places it at the forefront.

VCC Construction’s Taylor Marsalis, Director of Pre-construction, joined host Tyler Kern in the studio to dive into pre-construction processes. Everything from the pre-construction process to the various challenges and navigating current construction market conditions was up for discussion. “Pre-construction is the events that take place up to the actual groundbreaking of the construction part of the project,” Marsalis explained. “There are a few different phases associated with pre-construction. It’s the design of your project, conceptual through construction documents and permitting. It’s going to be your budgeting phase for the project as well as your planning. So, scheduling, site logistics, phasing some of those other components that go with it.” Pre-construction is a collaborative effort involving all parties of a project, and when done right, it’s a sure-fire way to guide a project to successful execution. The pre-construction process can help limit RFIs and other costly items that could emerge throughout the construction process. Marsalis said budgeting is the currently a big challenge in the pre-construction process, with material costs fluctuating and uncertain. “As most people know right now, we’re in a pretty tough construction market when it comes to material availability, lead times, cost escalation, and inflation, so it’s trying to navigate the headwinds we have right now in terms of those areas.” And it isn’t just material shortages and pricing fluctuations that impact the construction market; labor shortages continue to plague the industry. “A lot of our suppliers and their warehousing, they don’t have the labor to pump out the material, so that’s lengthened lead times, delayed projects, and caused a lot of project teams to shift their focus to different materials that are readily available,” Marsalis said.

On this inaugural episode of the VCC Construction podcast, host Ben Thomas and first-ever guest VCC CEO Derek Alley broke down the modern city center, what it takes to plan, build and maintain them, and how they’ve evolved from those of the past. VCC works on a variety of projects, including city centers. In the past, the term city center could’ve had a lot of different meanings, according to Alley. At one time, it probably meant something civic. “The transition from a city center to multiple community centers is almost the best way to describe it,” Alley said. “As we’ve urbanized as a country and world, as the population has gotten into more dense areas, you find yourself having to think of it as a community center.” When they’re thought of today, they’re approached from a public/private perspective and tailored to what the locals want to see. It comes down to having multiple connectivity aspects for the community – apartments, retail and civic. But, there isn’t any cookie-cutter approach to the modern city center. “The reason is there is no cookie-cutter solution, and you can’t rinse and repeat, even though it’s what we’d like to do and wish we could do,” Alley said. “One is the nature of changing patron interest and demand. People are changing what they want a lot more quickly than in the past.” Listen to the inaugural episode to hear more about contemporary urban centers.