Walton Construction Safety Summit 2007 Focuses on Accident Prevention
December 5, 2007 • “You don't have to love safety, but you have to respect it,” said David Miguel, safety director for GW Van Keppel, at the kick off of last week's Walton Construction Safety Summit 2007.
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Dennis Burks, CSP, uses a crane model to demonstrate the effects of a power line contact.
The first-ever safety event, hosted by Walton Construction Co. LLC and insurance broker Lockton Companies, was held at the Sheraton Kansas City Sports Complex Hotel. Safety managers representing regional subcontractors, construction superintendents, Walton project managers, and insurance professionals were the bulk of the attendees.
Walton's inaugural Construction Safety Summit focused on excavation and aerial lift safety, fall protection, and electrical safety and fire protection. Speakers included
David Miguel; Gary Riley, president of Telehandler and Aerial Lift Training and Consulting; Mark Damon, territory manager for Process Marketing Group; and Dennis Burks, CSP. Preventing accidents while maintaining productivity, understanding the difference between real and fabricated safety bulletins, reviewing the benefits of fall protection, and learning how electricity affects equipment on the job were highlights of the event.
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Safety professional Gary Riley reiterated the differences between an email advisory and a real safety bulletin.
Dan Williams, safety director of Walton Construction, said the company was looking at developing a safety manager workshop. “Whatever we do in our business, safety is No. 1,” he said.
The idea behind the workshop eventually became the Walton Construction Safety Summit, which Williams said was designed to “inspire people to communicate.” In the future, the company will look at hosting the event in another part of the country. Williams said he hopes to hold the event every two years.
