A Century of Safety First
As we celebrate 100 years of partnership with the Tampa Bay community this year, many are asking about our “secrets” to longevity and success. How does a civil construction and demolition company not only survive, but also grow and prosper, for that long?
Our secret ingredient – safety first!
It may sound cliché, but every member of the Kimmins team places the safety of the person that they’re working next to as their first and foremost responsibility. Before production goals, before profits, before getting home on time, safety must come first.
As a result, Kimmins has created a decades-long, award-winning safety program that relies on the latest, most advanced training modules and regular recertification requirements, coupled with the highest-caliber and most experienced instructors to keep everyone on or around the job site safe.
To demonstrate our commitment to safety, let’s look at the training requirements for a new hire.
Kimmins Training Modules and Certification
All new hires must complete a four-hour safety training before they can start work on a project. Then, within 90 days, they must attend and pass an additional eight-hour company safety class. Upon completion of the eight-hour training, they must register for a 10-hour OSHA safety training that must be completed and passed within 180 days.
Every field employee also must meet the above minimum safety training, no exceptions!
The second training phase includes either task- or equipment-oriented classes ranging from two to four hours each. This phase covers modules for these areas:
Confined spaces
Flagging
Torch cutting and hot work
Rigging
Forklift operation
Fall protection
Aerial lifts
Overhead cranes
Scaffolding
Respirators
Crane signaling
These are the most common modules, but there are an additional 15-20 training categories available. Some modules are OSHA-required, and the rest based on industry best practices, as well as our 100 years of experience with similar projects.
Supervisors must also complete the following safety modules:
OSHA 30-hour safety class
First aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AED)
Temporary traffic control
Excavation competency
Rigging competency
Cut-off saw certification
All certifications must be renewed every five years.
Qualified and Experienced Instructors
In support of its commitment to safety, Kimmins also employs a full-time safety training and compliance staff that is OSHA-outreach-certified. Our safety team represents over 80 years of boots-on-the-ground safety experience, led by Tom Worischeck, who has been Safety Director for the last 18 years.
When safety team members aren’t training, you’ll find them closely monitoring Kimmins’ civil construction projects across the Tampa Bay area, keeping nearly 200 employees and dozens of subcontractors safe.
And that’s how we’ve accomplished a century of safety first.
Kimmins is always looking for reliable, hard-working tradespeople to join our team. If you think you would be a good fit with our safety-first working environment, please visit the Kimmins Career Page to learn more about our available positions.
