Creating a Culture of Safety

Worksite Diaries – Episode 4

Though zero risk doesn’t exist, it’s a priority on a construction site.

In this new episode of our Worksite Diaries on the Institute’s Residences, team leader Kenny Mirambeau explains the measures put in place to ensure everyone’s safety.

“Site safety is collective protection, and it’s a major daily concern on a big site like this,” explains Kenny, a carpenter by trade who has worked on major civil engineering sites in the Toulouse region. He joined the Institute’s Residences project in May 2023.

On a day-to-day basis, it’s all about establishing “a culture of safety,” says Kenny. “Because we’re on a large-scale site, on uneven terrain. Everyone has their share of risk to manage, and it’s everyone’s business to be aware of and report any risks.”

When a project is conceived, a specific health and safety protection plan, a mandatory document, lists all interventions, risks and preventive measures to be taken into account. This plan is fixed for the duration of the project, but amendments can be added as it evolves.

Kenny explains that many accidents are due to poor site management. “You can see here, there’s nothing lying around anywhere. On the site, a net separates a pedestrian path above from a path for machines below. All steel spikes are covered with caps. Scaffolding is checked daily. Ground fault circuit interrupters have been installed to ensure the safe distribution of electricity.

Every two weeks, the safety quarter-hour takes place—a meeting that serves as a reminder to the entire team of a dozen or so people, with topics such as wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), handling machines, or how to move around when a 20-ton machine is on the site… “Every stage has its own risks, and we have to be aware of them. The aim is to limit them as much as possible, to anticipate any new situations that may arise as the site moves ahead,” explains Kenny. “For example, there’s a  digger coming back soon, and we’ve been going over how to move around when there’s a machine on the site.”

In addition, half a day each week is devoted to reviewing the entire safety plan. “It’s a time- and material-intensive job,” says Kenny. Mandatory checks are regularly carried out by a safety expert on assignment. “It’s also a support function,” explains Kenny, ”because the expert can provide advice, recommendations or clarification on situations that may arise during the course of the project.”

After two years on the site, Kenny takes satisfaction in seeing that the team has integrated a culture of safety. “Plus, it’s an adventure in interpersonal relations, because we’ve been here for two years together, and we’ve grown with the project.”

Be part of this project:

Building Dhagpo Kagyu Ling happens together. You can participate in this project in different ways:

• make a donation (non-eligible for tax deduction)
• loan funds
• donate construction materials or share your skills to carry out the project
• acquire a blue box containing definitions from The Entry to the State of a Pandita (available at the library or at Dhagpo’s reception)

Keep informed and be part of this project.

For further information, don’t hesitate to contact us: dkl.donateurs@dhagpo.org

If you wish to support this ambitious project, it is possible to make a donation:

• By bank transfer or check

Download the generosity form in PDF format

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