There are still dinosaurs in the construction, manufacturing and refining industries. How do I know? I've worked with some for years. There is a litmus test I use to evaluate whether to call them dinosaurs or not. By dinosaurs, I'm not referring to age; I am referring to mindset -- those who refuse to keep up with the times. If one is not accepting the use of the most modern tools available, they in all likelihood will be left behind; those are the ones I refer to as dinosaurs.
Traditional methods
There was a very young project manager where I once served as a safety director. His dad had an executive position within the same company. The young guy -- let's call him Eddie -- was a chip off the old block. I admired Eddie in many ways because he had gotten to work with his dad since he was in his early teens. However, since he had been around his dad for so long, he carried the baggage his dad had given him. I had the opportunity to observe them both during the planning and execution phases of projects. Both men could be digging trenches with a hand shovel and grading with a team of mules at the same time. I am not exaggerating when I say the dad literally could do hand calculations on a piece of note paper with a pencil -- no calculator needed. He would do his scheduling on the back of a grocery bag. For some reason, electronic devices were demons to the dad, even though they were almost a requirement for any position in construction. He refused to utilize new technology and continued to amaze those around him with his hardline position.
The young guy
Eddie was home-schooled, as the family followed the dad around the country from one construction job to another. By the time he finished his high school courses, Eddie was really sharp in math and reading but was handicapped by his dad's influence, which led him to believe traditional methods in construction were sufficient. By then, customers were utilizing modern tools such as Primavera⢠for planning and scheduling; Eddie was not. His dad's refusal to encourage Eddie to use the new tools left Eddie deficient; thus, he did not get the promotions that should have come his way.
Old school
We used to call entry-level constructors "young and dumb", meaning they were kids with limited skills. There is another level of employees who are not young but could be called old and dumb -- or old and stubborn. Don't get me wrong; in construction, some of the least educated people make some of the best craftsmen. Some can read a blueprint but not a book. Some can sketch isometric piping-spool drawings but not draw a stick horse. I'm amazed at the various great craft skill levels we have in the industry. But today, customers want each craftsman to have credentials from NCCER or similar certification to show they are qualified to do requisite craft skills. Any who don't have proper credentials are left behind and usually classified as lower craftsmen with lower wages.
My dad told me that if I was going into construction, I should expect to see lots of injuries. I have great respect for my dad, but I've since learned that people get hurt in all industries because of at-risk behaviors. It's not always the behavior of the injured employee that caused the injury. It's often the at-risk leadership of the supervisor. Workers can be blamed if they get hurt, but if one were to really investigate, it can often be traced back to a lack of or poor leadership.
An employee's age doesn't matter. Injury can strike any age, any time and any classification of worker at any company. Differences are made in fostering positive attitudes, believing injury is preventable and knowing that at-risk behavior is the enemy of safety. If we know and do these things, even the young guy with old-school thinking can be injury free and not left behind.
Although the book, TV series and movie "Left Behind" are fictional, getting left behind is real. Accepting advances in safety training and technology will leave the dinosaurs behind and will create a better workplace for us all.
For more information, contact HASC by visiting www.hasc.com.
