Confidential Mountain View Client Case Study: Safety Evacuation

At Dome, safety is our top priority. We take pride in ensuring that all safety protocols are thought out, communicated, and adhered to to ensure everyone on the job site is safe. To better understand the importance of a well-thought-out and effectively implemented safety plan has on the workplace, we interviewed the team members of our Confidential Mountain View Client, who recently put their planning to the test during an emergency safety evacuation.

Working in the Construction industry has its challenges, and our teams must be prepared for the unexpected. During this recent project, the Dome team showcased their ability to think on their feet when PG&E upgraded transformers near the Dome job site and accidentally broke a gas line. The Dome team, led by Group Superintendent Mike Gonzales, and Project Manager Robert Deen, quickly reacted to ensure that more than 90 people were safely evacuated from our Confidential Client building.

“It was just another day on the job site,” Mike Gonzales said, “when I received a call from the foreman of a neighboring project site letting me know that PG&E had broken a gas line and gas was heading our way, we knew we had to evacuate half the building.” Upon hearing the news, Mike followed their safety plan to evacuate 90 people from the building promptly. “Once I received the call to evacuate the building, I had to immediately instruct each trade supervisor to calmly stop work, shut down equipment (to eliminate potential ignition sources that might trigger a fire or explosion from the gas leak), and evacuate to the designated meeting area,” Mike went on to explain.

Every job site is subject to adhere to OSHA (Occupational Safety Health Department) requirements. Ensuring job sites have their detailed Company IIPP (Injury and Illness Prevention Program) plan, clear and designated paths of travel to and from work locations, first-aid kits, access to emergency medical services at the job site or nearby clinic or hospital, and a posted written plan for emergency response. Every person who works on the project site needs to go through a site-specific safety orientation to understand the evacuation plan and unique job site hazards. Communication is vital to keep safety top of mind. “It is essential to do daily huddles with the trade foremen to discuss daily activities, current risk areas, and keep an accurate personnel count on-site,” Mike stated.

Having these safety measures and a comprehensive evacuation plan is a testament to Mike and the team’s commitment to keeping their job site safe. When asked about Mike’s prompt response to the emergency, Robert stated, “I’m proud of Mike. Nobody was hurt; the job site remained safe because of how well Mike handled the situation and all of the pre-planning that went into this job, and every Dome project.”

The Confidential Mountain View Client team has proven that preparedness is critical when setting up a job site. At any given time, unique challenges arise, and how the team overcomes them and mitigates the risk for their teams is crucial. Over the course of the project, there have been multiple activities ongoing at various locations simultaneously, which always requires special attention. The team identified chokepoints for egress, trench protection, underground piping stubbed out of a slab (proper protection), and overhead work. To safely complete these tasks concurrently, Mike and the team made sure to add signage to locations, identify, and mark safe paths of travel, and maintain awareness to deter complacency. With all the preparation and planning that took place before any work started, coupled with the constant communication to create alignment with everyone on-site, the project continues to run smoothly.

Thank you to our Project and Safety Team Contributors