Environmental Health and Safety—Amplifying the Voice of Safety

Manson is boosting its Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) program with the nationwide launch of the Communicate the Concern (CTC) program. This program empowers personnel to create safe environments at all Manson locations, from the jobsite to the office.

The mission of the CTC program is to foster a culture of safety and recognition by promoting various methods to identify hazards and concerns—including employee involvement, supervisor responsibility, and open communication. The cornerstone of the program is a postcard-size form that employees fill out and return to a dropbox.

“Safety comes in a ton of different layers and conditions,” EHS Training Manager Douglas Boehm says. “One of our challenges as humans is having to juggle and balance multiple tasks and concerns at once. The program is about having an additional means of voicing and addressing safety concerns at the ground level.

The CTC cards are designed for simplicity. Any employee can use them to identify concerns and report them, whether self-identified or anonymously. The filled-out cards are then submitted to a designated drop-off area for management to retrieve and review. Once reviewed and discussed, the concerns are addressed during safety meetings.

Foreman Kenny Dyer discussing Communicate the Concern cards with the crew during a safety meeting. (L-R): Kenny; Laborer Edwin Moreno; Crane Operator Chris Tart; and Welder Julie Ramey.

“When a crew member sees something that’s unsafe or an opportunity to suggest a safer way to do the work, the Communicate the Concern box is there to get the message out,” says Robbie Stalcup, superintendent at Manson’s 18th Avenue North Ocean Outfall Project in North Myrtle Beach, SC. “Anyone can step in and participate.”

An active jobsite can introduce unsafe conditions, which promote teaching moments for management and crew to communicate through the CTC Program. While the program can be thought of as a safety signifier to improve site conditions for employees, it can also be used to champion personnel who are doing their part in working safely and efficiently, according to EHS Specialist Ryan Richoux.

“The CTC program is not only about keeping people in the loop about work hazards, but it can also be used to recognize people who show up to work every day wearing all their PPE and doing their jobs safely,” Ryan explains. “The program reinforces Manson’s safety culture.” Understanding the program’s benefits and the focus on making it as simple as possible for Manson employees to communicate, the EHS department also set up a digital CTC card available via a QR code.

The concept is the same: employees scan the QR code and are instantly directed to a digital version of the CTC card and follow the same instructions as filling out the physical form.

“The physical and digital CTC cards offer a step up in communication and, if needed, anonymity for employees,” Doug says. “The program helps people think about safety in a different way. It is essentially another tool for individuals and project teams to help identify gaps in safety and, most importantly, celebrate wins.

EHS Specialist Ryan Richoux presented Manson shirts and hats to the Communicate Your Concern card winners from the Stabilize Alcatraz Wharf project in San Francisco, CA. (L-R): Ryan; Operator Rigoberto Reyes; Pile driver Joe Karinen; Pile driver Apprentice Christine Vertiz, and Field Engineer Samantha Ramirez.