Every day we communicate with our team. This is many times in person, via a telephone call, text, or email. So many interactions rely on clear communication for success. One great example in our daily routine is the necessary communication between an equipment operator and a spotter. Poor communication or lack of communication in these scenarios can result in damaged customer or company-owned equipment or worse, an injury. Poor communication happens at all levels from field employees to upper management, and the truth is no one person is more susceptible than another. The following three key items we would like to share to help provide guidance to successful communication… 

Communicate with Intent 

Understand what it is that you are trying to communicate. If you are trying to back a trailer into the site, don’t start your conversation by trying to explain how an internal combustion engine works. Communicate with intent and get to the point. Failure to do so leads to a lack of engagement in the conversation at hand. Proper communication is a skill set that requires practice and if not utilized properly, it will lead to property damage, delays, and in some cases, injuries. We need to use the correct vocabulary and proper sequencing of events to effectively give direction, instruction, or otherwise communicate the actions in a clear way. Establishing good eye contact, when possible, always ask for confirmation that the individual or individuals understand the information. Simply ask, “Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns?” Remember we might need to adjust our description or instruction to provide clarity.  

Know your Audience 

Are you ever part of a conversation and walk away and ask yourself, “What the heck did we just talk about?” Hopefully, this call isn’t one of those cases. If you find yourself asking this question, this is probably because the message was delivered in a way that wasn’t easy to understand. In other words, the message wasn’t delivered in the proper context. This can also be a result of a language barrier. Perhaps the individual that you are trying to communicate with doesn’t speak the language you are speaking very well. All of which can lead to potential issues in the field or in the office. The most well-articulated directions or instructions mean absolutely nothing if the individual receiving the communication is not focused on receiving the communication or they don’t take an active role in responding to the context of the conversation. In the delivery of effective communications, whether it’s a request, management orders, or a client decision, we need to focus on the audience’s ability to confirm the “how, what, when, where” to ensure that the mission is establish with trust and confidence. Taking the time to write back or say back the detail in your own words helps the brain establish better memory pathways.  

Take Ownership 

Naturally, we all want to have success at what we are doing or at least do what is expected to be done. In some cases, we execute what we think needs to be done very well but totally miss the target. Ownership of communication is the establishment of a partnership. In this partnership, we want to repeat back the message that was delivered to help make sure we understand the task. Paraphrasing back what someone says is also a way to acknowledge that you’re listening to them. If you are the person delivering the message, ask to have the individual repeat what was said. When we give direction or instruction, we must own the situation just as much as the person you entrusted the orders or request to. We must be thorough and accurate because if we say the incorrect item or we don’t provide the correct directions or instructions, we fail our teammates. 

If you want more information on those topics, reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of. 

In our line of work we utilize fleet trucks and trailers each day traveling miles and miles to serve our customers and deliver a quality and timely product. DOT compliance is of the utmost importance to safety and operations. The (FMCSA) defines a commercial motor vehicle as ANY vehicle or combination of vehicles with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (or actual weight) of 10,001 pounds or greater that is operated on a public roadway in commerce. With the GVWR of most ¾ ton pickup trucks now exceeding 10,001 pounds, fleet vehicles and drivers will likely be regulated by Section 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Ontivity takes this as one of our highest priorities and we have equipped our fleet trucks with with Motive devices, which work in unison with the Motive App, to help facilitate our DOT compliance. It is part of the Ontivity culture to stay DOT compliant just as we do with conducting a JHA or inspecting our PPE prior to use. We encourage everyone to make this part of your daily inspections as well. Here are two key points that help keep you operating within DOT Compliance.

1. Conduct Pre-Trip and Post Trip Inspections
2. Maintain and Monitor your Hours of Service

Conduct Pre-Trip and Post Trip Inspections

Driver vehicle inspections are an important part of the overall safe operation of a vehicle. A quality pre-trip inspection can identify defective equipment before it fails. Repairing a flat tire at your office results in a much faster and less expensive repair vs. having the tire repaired at an interstate weigh station. A proper pre-trip inspection will help you avoid being placed out of service during a DOT roadside inspection. This inspection is meant to be a thorough check of the truck, trailer, and any equipment or load that you are carrying. The inspection is to ensure that everything is in correct working order, prior to the truck and driver departing on a trip. This inspection should only take about 10 -15 minutes depending on whether you have a truck, trailer, or any loaded equipment or material. During the inspection, this is a great opportunity to ensure you have roadside triangles or flares, fire extinguisher, first aid kit, and spare fuses. Ontivity uses the Motive App which allows us to streamline this process and easily conduct our vehicle inspections.

Maintain and monitor your Hours of Service

The primary reason for hours-of-service regulations is safety. The goal of the regulations is to keep fatigued drivers off the road. Hours of Service regulations focus on when and how long a driver is allowed to drive by placing specific limits on the amount of time a driver drives a commercial motor vehicle and how many total hours can be worked before the driver is no longer permitted to drive a commercial motor vehicle. The three maximum duty limits are 14-hour duty limit, 11-hour driving limit, and a 70-hour duty limit in an 8-day period. Law enforcement officials are focusing on HOS violations both on the roadside and in back-office audits (i.e., compliance reviews). In the event of a traffic enforcement or roadside inspection, law enforcement will review the HOS records of drivers and issue violations and/or citations for any violations discovered. In some severe cases, they will also place the driver out of service until they have enough hours to proceed. If the motor carrier is selected for an audit, Hours of Service violations are double-weighted compared to other compliance factors. This means that if an inspector discovers a pattern of HOS violations, the carrier is more likely to receive a conditional or unsatisfactory rating, which, in extreme cases, can result in the carrier losing its authority to operate. Remember, it is up to each individual driver to monitor their logs to ensure we stay in compliance.

If you want more information on those topics, reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of. 

With the new year comes new beginnings. Many of us set goals, both personally as well as professionally, that we aim to achieve in the year to come. Ontivity and our member companies all have one common goal that is rooted deep within our culture and that is that we always aim to work SAFE. We believe in this so much that we made Safety our #1 Core Value. Safety first. Production second.  

One of our customers shared a great reminder of what SAFE stands for and we’d like to pass that on…

The ”S” stands for – Stop work when unsafe conditions or behaviors have been identified

The “A” stands for – Assess the job

The “F” stands for – Formulate a plan

And the “E” stands for – Execute the plan

Stop work when unsafe conditions or behaviors have been identified

Stop Work Authority is the ability for any member of our team to call a time out or stop work should they feel in danger, or see something that is likely to cause harm to themselves, someone else, or company or customer-owned equipment or property. Everyone, regardless of tenure, has the ability to stop work for safety concerns.  

Assess the job

It is within the OSHA regulations that each job shall be assessed for items that are hazardous based on the scope of work that is being completed. This is not only a requirement that is bestowed upon the employer but also the employees and is key to creating a safe work environment for all employees. No matter how significant or insignificant the hazard is, we must identify it and mitigate it which brings us to our next key point.

Formulate a plan

By formulating a plan, we are mitigating an identified hazard by way of what OSHA refers to as the heiarchy of controls. The heiarchy of controls consist of eliminating the hazard, substituting the task for a safer task, engineering (i.e., machine guarding), administrative controls, and last but not least, the use of PPE. Once there is a suitable plan in place, all we have left is to put it into action.

Execute the plan

Everything up to this point is useless if we don’t execute the plan. We have covered Stop Work Authority, the importance of assessing the job for hazards, and how to mitigate the hazards. All of which is accomplished via the JHA process that is to be completed at the beginning of each job, each day and reviewed with all parties on site and ensuring that the plan is being followed.

Everything that we have discussed is very basic in nature. Oftentimes, we tend to overcomplicate safety when in its most basic form, we can accomplish everything we need by implementing the above four points: Stop work when unsafe conditions or behaviors have been identified, Assess the job, Formulate a plan, and then Execute the plan.

So for 2023, We challenge everyone to work SAFE.

If you want more information on those topics, reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of. 

Our industry suffered a tragic loss on December 15^th.  While the incident is still under investigation, the root cause appears to be related to a failed hoisting grip.  We discussed the topic back in November but we thought it important to come back to this subject. The three key points from our previous discussion were to always to secure the hoisting grip, install additional hoisting grips every 200 feet and when possible and support the line back to the structure prior to derigging. Today, we will reinforce one of those key points and discuss a couple of new ones. 

1. Never raise or lower a hybrid via the hoisting grip
2. Inspect hoisting grips prior to loading
3. When possible, support the hybrid to the structure prior to derigging 

Never raise or lower a hybrid via the hoisting grip without a secondary safety

Hoisting grips are one of the worst-named items in our industry that is used on a regular basis.  The practice of using hoisting grips to raise or lower cables has time and time again proven to be dangerous.  When lifting or raising cables, a combination of properly rated slings, shackles, and other rigging components must be the method of choice to bear the weight of the cable.  Some cables can weigh in excess of 4 lbs. per foot and putting static forces solely on a hoisting grip just isn’t the right thing to do. 

Inspect hoisting grips prior to loading

In recent months, we have started to see hybrid cables delivered with hoisting grips pre-installed by the manufacturer.  Simply put, we just can’t trust that the grips are good to go.  You should always inspect these grips for proper installation and good quality before you actually fly the cable.  Keep in mind that someone in a warehouse who might be new on the job, having a bad day, or maybe just isn’t good at it could have installed those grips.  Now you’re probably thinking that the manufacturer’s QC process should catch errors but isn’t another look and a couple minutes worth your safety?  This extra step is a good one for any item that comes pre-installed from the manufacturer.

When possible, support the hybrid to the structure prior to derigging

There is no doubt that it is best practice to secure a certain percentage of the line back to the structure (i.e., waveguide) prior to derigging the line. This is a failsafe or redundancy in the event something unexpected happens. For coax lines, the general rule of thumb is to support 30% and for hybrid lines, the general rule is to support 75%. Once again, this is best practice. In the event you have bad weather move in, you don’t have to worry about the lines injuring someone, striking the tower, becoming dislodged or getting damaged. 

The combination of using properly rated rigging equipment, taking our time, securing cables before derigging, and double-checking our work will lower the chances of something awful occurring on one of our projects.  A few months ago, the Ontivity safety and training teams developed a method of procedure that utilizes industry best practices for crews assigned the task of decommissioning or installing new lines on a tower. If you would like more information on this method please reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com.  Safety is our core value, and we always choose our safety over production.  The extra time it takes to do the job right ensures you go home at the end of the day the same way you left in the morning.  

If you want more information on those topics, reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of. 

When we speak of crane safety, there are several leading causes of incidents and fatalities. Some of the most common causes are exceeding the load chart or rated capacity of the crane, coming in contact with power lines, and improper use or placement of outriggers. Proper pre-job planning and a crane pre-lift meeting help eliminate potential hazards that may exist on-site and reduce the likelihood of human error. We would like to discuss the proper use and placement of crane outriggers. Here are three key points to remember when it comes to outrigger use and placement…

Always make sure to fully extend the outriggers

It is best practice to always extend the crane outriggers to full span when possible. This ensures that the crane has added stability should it be needed. However, certain cranes can operate with the outriggers at a short span or just straight down, but it is at a fraction of the load capacity and should be avoided at all costs. You should always pin the outriggers if the crane is equipped, once they are at full span. In order for the outriggers to have full effect, the tires must be clear of the ground with the suspension fully decompressed. As a side note, I have yet to hear of a crane incident or fatality taking place as a result of having the outriggers fully extended or due to the use of counterweights. The point is if you have it and it will make your job safer, use it!

Use proper outrigger matting and placement

Always place the crane outriggers on adequate matting to insure the crane’s stability. Regulating standards (ASME B30.5-3.2.1.5.i) state that matting should have sufficient strength to prevent crushing, bending, or shear failure. Matting must have the appropriate thickness, width, and length, as to completely support the float, transmit the load to the supporting surface, and prevent shifting, toppling, or excessive settlement under load. When considering this, crew members should also assess the soil to see if it there are any signs of disrupted soil indicating that underground work may have been performed. Always use outrigger matting made of steel, wood, or hard plastic. It is a good rule of thumb to perform a test pick so that you can see if the crane is positioned correctly and that the outriggers don’t try to settle or shift.

Install caution tape between the outriggers identifying the swing radius

Once the crane is completely set up you must install caution tape or safety chains between the outriggers. This serves as a visual barrier and lets the workers know exactly where the swing radius area is and to stay clear. Everyone on site must be aware of their surroundings while a pick is being made. Remember if something doesn’t look right – STOP work and ask the question or make the call.

If you would like more information on those topics, please reach out to the Ontivity safety team at safety@ontivity.com, and we will get you taken care of.