Report: Perini project safety lacking

Nov 27, 2008 (Las Vegas Review-Journal - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- PCR | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- A vast majority of workers surveyed at the CityCenter and Cosmopolitan construction sites believe Perini Building Co. and its subcontractors think workplace safety is not as high of a priority as meeting construction deadlines, a workplace safety analysis group concluded in a preliminary report on safety issues at the two worksites.

The Center for Construction Research and Training, a union-affiliated group that was hired to conduct a workplace safety review of the two construction sites following a string of eight fatal accidents, concluded in its preliminary report that "65 percent of the workers believe that safety is not as high a priority as work schedules."

A review of the results from the 37 individual questions, however, reveal a majority of workers on site believe safety is still a priority.

When asked whether Perini "thinks job safety is more important than job schedules," 11 percent strongly agreed, 27 percent agreed and 25 percent somewhat agreed, leaving 33 percent in disagreement.

When the question was presented as "Perini thinks safety is more important than productivity," 11 percent strongly agreed, 24 percent agreed, 28 percent somewhat agreed with 32 percent disagreeing at various levels.

The survey's final question also suggested most workers weren't concerned about suffering a major injury. Asked whether they were confident they would not suffer a lost-time injury, 26 percent strongly agreed, 32 percent agreed and 18 percent somewhat agreed. Only 4 percent strongly disagreed.

Officials for Perini Corp., the general contractor on both projects, however, agreed that the results suggest the company and its subcontractors still need to do more to boost safety consciousness on the project sites.

"I'm not totally happy because of the results, but I feel it's a solid report," said J. Norman Jones, vice president of safety for Perini Corp., parent company of Perini Building Corp. "This is what we'll use to make our program better."

"[Perini Building Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Craig Shaw] made the comment that if people thought safety was not first for Perini, that was a major concern for him," Jones said. "We think we're safe, but we have a different perception. We don't want to walk around thinking we're safe and the employee walking around thinking we're not safe."

Jones, who has been a member of the national Building Trades for 40 years, said, "The survey was to communicate independently and secretively with the work force so they can answer a survey without repercussions. We want to get straight answers."

Pete Stafford, executive director of the center and an author of the report, added: "The purpose of interviewing various craft workers was to hear first hand their opinions, experiences, attitudes and perceptions about safety and health on the job site."

Stafford is also the safety director for the AFL-CIO Building and Construction Trades Department.

The survey by the center was part of the agreement reached between Perini and the Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council during a one-day union walkout over site safety.

Workers at both construction sites walked off the job in reaction to eight workers' deaths at the two sites between February 2007 and May 2008.

The workers returned after Perini agreed to several terms, including allowing the center to conduct a safety review of the two work sites.

The voluntary initial survey was filled out by 1,623 of the 1,904 workers who attended Occupational Safety and Health Administration 10-hour training classes between July 8 and Aug. 26.

The class is given to new workers at the $9.1 billion CityCenter site and the neighboring $3.9 billion Cosmopolitan project, as well as workers who have been on site and not yet received the training.

The final report, which includes a survey of approximately 3,000 more workers, is due in December.

The mandatory OSHA 10 training was also part of the agreement between Perini and the unions.

The preliminary survey results also suggest there are problems between some of the different trades working the site and with some individual workers taking shortcuts.

When asked if "sometimes I can't do my job safely because other trades are in the way," 14 percent strongly agreed, 24 percent agreed and 17 percent somewhat agreed.

Building Trades spokesman Steve Redlinger said the group and its 17 affiliated construction unions are withholding comment until the final report is issued.

Jones said Perini is not waiting for the final report to act on the survey's findings. Even before the initial report was delivered, Perini executives conducted exit interviews with workers who were surveyed by the center so the company could correct safety issues immediately, he said.

Jones hopes the center's survey and other audits will help.

"Anytime you can communicate the safety message, you get the best results," Jones said. "No matter how you communicate it. If you drive up and down a roadway with a bullhorn, you need to keep communicating continuously. So anytime we can get the message before the people to keep their mind on their personal safety, the better result we get. There's no magic bullet for this is how you do it."

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