A few days after a fire struck one of his friendly competitors' jobsites, Tom Gilday held an emergency safety meeting for his 24 field personnel. An outcome of the meeting was a brilliantly simple tool for preventing a similar catastrophe from striking his company, Gilday Renovations of Silver Spring, Md.
Jobsite boxes contain essentials for preventing disaster.
The tool is a “job box” for every jobsite: a trunk-size, transparent plastic box (available from retailers such as The Container Store) that holds smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, a first-aid kit, a fire extinguisher for every floor being remodeled, and a set of approved plans.
Each box: arrives on site before work begins, to ensure that detectors and extinguishers are mounted on new framing; is stored in a safe, accessible spot, such as the garage; and is transparent, so anyone walking by can see what's in it and what's missing.
Gilday says the job boxes have made safety a top priority for his crew. They've also impressed outsiders; an insurance adjustor praised the idea on a recent jobsite visit.