ARLINGTON, Va., Oct. 22, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lean construction techniques and Building Information Modeling (BIM) are critical trends these days but not often recognized as methods to advance job site safety. A multi-year Lean initiative by Gilbane Building Company to improve jobsite safety was the focus of a recent presentation given to the Lean Construction Institute by William J. Gilbane, Jr., Gilbane president and chief operating officer; Sue Klawans, Gilbane director of operational excellence and planning; and Rick Kelliher, Gilbane senior project manager.
"What started as a cultural shift in how we view safety in our profession and on our job sites has become part of our mission to maximize value on projects," said Mr. Gilbane. "Safety is a Lean enterprise initiative of ours and it matters because of the people on our jobs each day, their families and their loved ones. The discipline and effort it takes to make a project safe is intertwined with the discipline and effort it takes to plan, schedule and put in place quality work. Fully integrating BIM into these efforts just makes sense from a safety planning perspective."
The presentation drew on Gilbane's decision in 2007 to make a leap forward in terms of safety, which resulted in a behavioral and cultural transformation of the company's safety approach called Gilbane Cares. A long-time champion of Lean philosophies, Gilbane applied the principles of continuous improvement, minimal waste and increased value to the company's safety program. The transformation included leadership engagement, proactive task reviews and planning, increased communication and worker input, flex and stretch, and more.
With proven strategies employed at Gilbane projects around the country, Kelliher drove home the benefit of using Lean process improvement techniques as well as BIM and pre-fabrication to reduce the amount of time workers spend on site and make the onsite manhours safer. He demonstrated techniques that resulted in fewer accidents, more efficient schedules and better logistics planning. The presentation team shared specific components of a Lean safety approach including:
- Planning for pre-fabrication to reduce hours worked onsite
- Using new materials and equipment to make work safer
- Applying a Lean philosophy to all construction efforts
Gilbane, Klawans, and Kelliher emphasized that safety is a part of 'optimizing the whole.'
"There is a tight relationship between safety, quality assurance, and schedule and budget reliability," said Ms. Klawans. "Improving safety in turn results in improved planning and higher quality. Improving planning improves safety, and so on. We'll continue to push the limits on new and innovative approaches to making job sites safer. We will not be satisfied until we get to zero incidents."
Click here to download the slides from this presentation or visit: www.gilbaneco.com/commitmenttosafety.aspx
About Gilbane
Gilbane Building Company provides a full slate of construction and facilities-related services – from sustainable building to the latest in construction technology – for clients across various markets. Founded in 1873 and still a privately held, family-run company, Gilbane has more than 60 office locations around the world.
For more information, visit www.gilbaneco.com.