Safety in Every Project We Do

Safety is not only one of the core values at Spec Engineering, but also a way of life for the team members whether in the office, the manufacturing shop, customer sites, or jobsites. With a goal to make sure that everyone goes home safe at the end of each day, it is imperative that the entire Spec team understands how important safety is for both themselves and their coworkers. Safety is truly a personal and team commitment.

The Gray Safety 7 is a driving force for the safety program, along with a safety committee that evaluates all projects from a safety aspect. Team members are empowered to thoroughly think through all projects so safety and quality of life can be prioritized.

safety in the shop

Spec team members utilized the Spec Safety Analysis (SSA) project safety planning sheet to proactively plan safe area set-up, secure a panel in place, and then test a six-foot tall, double door, 150-amp, multi-VFD power panel in Spec’s Plainfield shop.

This required our qualified/trained employee to perform lockout/tagout (LOTO) of the shop’s power feed, then use the arc flash PPE suit to briefly test the exposed panel circuits with the power energized.

Safety in the field

Spec completed the relocation of three large silos from a decommissioned plant in Berwyn, IL to a newly constructed plant in Wolcott, IN. This effort involved simultaneous maneuvers with a main vertical lift crane and a trailer crane to swing each silo bottom out and onto separate flatbeds for safe transport to the new plant site. The silos then got all new anchor hardware during the careful crane placements on their new site concrete pads. Proper planning ensured everyone involved in the project was on the same page and avoided any mishaps.

Safety and innovation

This year, Spec introduced the LOTO Training Module that is a portable unit that can be used for training teams, especially those working with electrical equipment. The unit is designed for use in an office setting, making accessibility to the training easier. An interactive video comes with the unit to properly train a trainer, who can then pass the knowledge on to the team.

The purpose of the LOTO unit is to establish the minimum requirements for the LOTO of all energy sources. It is used to ensure that conductors and circuit parts are disconnected from sources of energy, properly locked/tagged, and tested before work begins where employees could be exposed to dangerous conditions. Sources of stored energy, such as capacitors or springs, shall be relieved of their energy, and a mechanism shall be engaged to prevent the re-accumulation of energy.