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Steve Hudson

Thousands Participate in Georgia Branch, AGC Safety Stand Down
August 21, 2008

Safety – especially crane safety – is on the mind of lots of folks in construction these days. The recent spate of crane-related accidents have prompted many to stand up and say “When is somebody going to do something about the problem?”

Well, in Georgia, somebody has. On a recent Friday, at 7:00 a.m., for one hour, 65 commercial contractors representing 400 jobsites across the state simultaneously shut down work to participate in the industry's first statewide and industry-wide Safety Stand Down.

The event was sponsored by Georgia Branch, AGC, OSHA and CompTrustAGC Mutual Captive Insurance Company (MCIC). Including contractor and subcontractor personnel, as well as company safety directors, managers and CEOs, the Safety Stand Down day message reached more than 26,000 people.

“To positively impact the construction industry and this many people in one hour’s time is a testament to the quality of construction leaders in Georgia who made it a priority for their firm to participate,” Georgia Branch, AGC noted.

The materials presented during the Safety Stand Down were organized and prepared by Georgia Branch, AGC Director of Safety, Education and Workforce Development Cherri Watson and members of the chapter’s Safety and Health Committee.

“The opportunity to introduce best practices in crane safety to the construction community reinforces how contractors in Georgia are being proactive in protecting the wellbeing and safety of their workforce, any other visitors on the jobsite and especially the public at large,” Georgia Branch, AGC noted. “Many of the jobsites participating in this Stand Down aren’t using a crane at the present time. This speaks to contractors’ dedication to making sure employees are forward thinking and prepared for the day they may work on a site with a crane.”

Future safety stand downs will focus on other key safety topics in keeping with OSHA regulations.

“Our first Safety Stand Down exceeded our expectations in the way of support from contractors all over the state and is a real credit to the caliber of construction professionals who are leading these organizations,” Watson said.

For info on future Georgia Branch, AGC safety-related activities, visit www.agcga.org.

Posted by Steve Hudson on August 21, 2008 | Comments (0)