Behavioral Safety Out of Control and The KFM Flu Confined Space
The Oakland Tribune has a series of articles about quality and safety problems with the new Bay Bridge construction project.
The first article is about the immaculate safety record of KFM Joint Venture and their lead firm Kiewit Pacific Co and addresses a problem we've discussed many times before: behavioral safety programs, or the system of giving workers awards for not reporting injuries, and penalizing them for reporting unsafe conditions and accidents. The contractor is also being investigated by the FBI for alleged management attempts to conceal widespread welding defects and overall quality concerns on the bridge project.
According to their records, the bridge project is five times safer than the average heavy construction project, 'even safer than your average flower shop.' But workers at the site say all is not as it seems.