• Job Hazard Analysis
• Site Specific Safety Plan Development
• Construction Safety Oversight
• Safety Inspections of Multiple Sites and Activities
Nicor Gas, serving over 2.2 million customers across most of northern Illinois, excluding Chicago, has embarked on a multi-billion-dollar project to replace its gas distribution system. NPL, contracted for this extensive effort, required rigorous safety audits to ensure worker and public safety throughout the construction process. Specialty Consulting, Inc. (SPC) was selected to provide these crucial safety compliance audit services.
SPC deployed Safety Auditors across various job sites in northern Illinois, with two full-time auditors for the 2016 construction season and six for 2017. These auditors played a vital role in ensuring personal safety and enhancing safe fieldwork performance by closely monitoring field activities, employee performance, and behavior. The auditing program covered all aspects of field activities, including personal safety behavior, slip, trip, and fall awareness, ergonomic tasks, work area protection, PPE usage, red zone safety, electrical safety, material handling safety, tool safety, excavation safety, vehicle safety, and equipment safety.
The auditors' responsibilities included ensuring the full and timely implementation of safety and quality policies and procedures. They motivated and coached leadership and the workforce towards a culture of personal responsibility, acting as change agents to achieve and sustain this mindset. SPC's Safety Inspection Program extended to all field activities such as gas main installation, service installation, pressure testing, general excavation, horizontal directional drilling, damage prevention, pipe joining, pipe storage and handling, and backfilling. This comprehensive approach ensured a high standard of safety and quality throughout the project.
