Focusing on Personal Responsibility This Construction Safety Week 2024

This week is Construction Safety Week 2024 in North America. It is the 10^th anniversary of the annual event, which serves as an opportunity for companies in the construction industry to “celebrate safety…and demonstrate [their] continued commitment to building a stronger, safer industry.”

A commitment to safety is fundamental at Vantage Data Centers and our employees. We have long prioritized the safety and security of our construction and operations workforce, in addition to our contractors. We reaffirmed that commitment when we launched our Vision Zero health and safety strategy in late 2022, dedicated to reducing environmental health and safety incidents across our construction sites and operational data centers to zero.

With the health and safety of our employees always a top priority at Vantage, we’re excited to offer a full schedule of safety-focused events and programming for our employees and contractors.

This year, Vantage is focusing our Construction Safety Week ideas and activities on the responsibility to workplace safety that each employee shares. As part of that shared responsibility, we’re focusing on the personal ownership that employees all have for fostering and maintaining a safe workplace environment – one where all safety protocols are followed, and employees are empowered to stop work if they see an incident where protocols are violated.

If every individual within the company is responsible for safety, then they all need to feel empowered and heard when it comes to safety issues. This is why Vantage is also focusing this Construction Safety Week on embracing every voice within the organization and ensuring that every safety suggestion is considered, regardless of role or experience. We’ll accomplish this by encouraging all team members to propose innovative ideas to enhance safety protocols.

We also recognize that each employee and contractor can only be responsible for workplace safety if they’ve been properly trained and equipped to work in a safe and secure manner. This is why Vantage is featuring training this Construction Safety Week on a number of critical topics. These include avoiding heat exhaustion and heat stress, fall protection, the proper use of tool tethers to prevent drop-related injuries and safe ladder practices.

In addition, Vantage is partnering with associations to bring tailored instruction from industry leaders to our teams. For example, Vantage is partnering with the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) for trainings on how safety is a shared responsibility between employers, employees and customers. These presentations focus on the role of electrical contractors on the job site in providing and maintaining temporary power to keep everyone safe. They will also focus on the policies and procedure that need to be followed to ensure those who work with electricity on the job site do so safely.

Vantage understands that health and safety extend beyond the physical workplace. The health and safety of employees is contingent on fostering a positive work environment where everyone feels valued and included. For this reason, we are continuing to strengthen our culture of inclusivity and mutual respect. This includes fostering a workplace of psychological safety where everyone is responsible and empowered to contribute to safety goals. Use Construction Safety Week as an opportunity to encourage your teams to collaborate on addressing and solving safety issues!

To learn more about Vantage’s safety program, visit www.vantage-dc.com.