Gryphon started this year on the right foot by sponsoring CHASE’s (Construction Health and Safety Excellence Committee) first independent Safety Expo. The goal was to get as many construction workers trained as possible. At the end of the day, 300 workers (English and Spanish) were exposed to some form of training. Mark Inhoof and Jonathan Jaramillo co-facilitated the electrical awareness class. The feedback coming from workers who attended their class was very positive. Some actually stated that they were the most informative of all the trainers. The department was very proud to have them both representing Gryphon.

In addition to the training were events and contests including of course the “Best Safety Idea” – Robert Strong, Mark Inhoof and Jonathan Jaramillo each presented noteworthy ideas and the contest was a success. One of the results of the contest was an idea the department hopes to incorporate on all Gryphon projects. The system involves installing a net within the deck before the concrete pour over any penetration greater than 12” x 12”. The traditional cover would still be utilized, but the netting would serve as the secondary method to prevent anyone from falling to a lower level. We need to strive each day to come up with new ways to keep our projects hazard-free.

- By Robert Coleman, Director of Safety and Loss Control