Companies have a duty to protect their employees, and the moment they fail, they become subject to the law.
In the case of a recent settlement in Morgantown, West Virginia, the law demanded a fine — to the tune of $46.5 million.
Massey Energy, purchased last summer by Alpha Natural Resources, was found accountable for 29 wrongful deaths; all stemming from a single, preventable incident.
You just might get burned.
Hiring contractors without pre-qualifiying them is hazardous for everyone. In the strain of a down economy, many companies are steadily increasing their contractor workforce.
As a result, contractor safety is becoming an increasingly hot topic.
In a recent lawsuit, the Department of Labor ordered two San Francisco contractors to pay $91,000 in fines and back wages. Maximum penalties were assessed after investigations revealed six deaths and serious injuries resulted from unsafe employee transportation. (Click Here to Read the Full Article) [1].
“I’m looking for a solution.”
“We have too much paperwork to get a vendor qualified to work for us, and I have to constantly answer questions from co-workers about if a vendor is qualified.”
“Can you help me?”
The view over the Shell Refinery in Anacortes, WA was breathtaking. It was a picture perfect setting for the final Regional MCS: Managing Contractor Safety Meeting of the year, held on December 6th, 2011.
More than 53 contractors, and operators: Shell, Tesoro, BP Cherry Point, and ConocoPhillips attended. The day was split into two sessions, with the operator forum held in the morning, followed by a contractor session in the afternoon.
The operators session was an open forum, with operators sharing best practices on how they used PICS to manage contractor safety. Our host, Tommy Braaten, also shared his perspective on how PICS works at Shell Puget Sound.
The contractor session was geared toward providing contractors tools to quickly navigate the PICS system, and tips and tricks for increasing business. Contractors were then able to share their thoughts and feedback on audits, as well as on the prequalification process.
Want more? Click on the Operator Session, Part 1: Contractor Session, or Part 2: Contractor Session to see more on the information shared at each meeting.
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