Safety and training
An excellent track record and a team you can trust – that’s what you find at Lake Mechanical. Safe workplace practices, a passionate belief in the training of its team and the education of future craftsmen are just some of Lake Mechanical’s most important core values.
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) has kindly recognized our safety and training efforts on several occasions with its Training, Education And Management (TEAM) Awards and platinum- and gold-level Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) Awards – some of the industry’s highest accolades for best workplace practices. Learn more about the awards we’ve received for our industry-leading safety and training programs.
Safety
Lake Mechanical is committed to the goal of zero workplace injuries. Whether you are a field manager or an installer on the job site, safety is a universal responsibility. We adhere to critical U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Florida Right-To-Know-Act standards. Jan Prakke, our director of safety and training, is charged with ensuring those standards are met, among others outlined in our dedicated safety manual, including the following practices:
- Proactive safety committee chaired by the safety director who leads team members in job site inspections and monthly meetings to ensure all OSHA requirements are met and exceeded.
- Hazardous communications program designed to implement proper labeling and identification of hazardous materials and proper handling procedures.
- Consistently updated safety bulletins to effectively communicate all safety-related matters.
- Weekly job site “tool box” talks with all team members covering various safety, health and environmental topics.
- New-hire safety training to ensure complete knowledge of all job safety expectations.
- First-aid training completed during employee orientation and periodically through tool box talks and multimedia trainings.
- Drug-free workplace policy including pre-hire drug/alcohol testing, and testing and education throughout the year.
Jan has been part of the Lake Mechanical family for more than 15 years and has been certified as a master trainer by the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCR). Jan has completed OSHA 500 training, which allows him to train Lake Mechanical teams in OSHA’s construction safety standards. He is medical gas certified and also certified by the Crane Inspection & Certification Bureau (CICB) to train others in the use of crane and rigging equipment.
From the time they are hired, all of Lake Mechanical’s employees go through OSHA 10 training, and all of our field managers receive OSHA 30 training.
Our current Experience Modification Rate (EMR) score is .86, meaning we have a clean record and are a safe place to work.
Training
In order to maintain high standards, Lake Mechanical employees receive continuous training to further hone their skills. The way we see it, an investment in our team is an investment in the future of the Lake Mechanical family and our award-winning work.
Training and continuing-education opportunities for our team include:
- Vendor training seminars for our craftsmen;
- Advanced project management and superintendent training at Clemson University, where our aspiring managers and seasoned foremen join this acclaimed program for learning critical management skills, including problem-solving, scheduling and resource control;
- Employee tuition reimbursement, safety training and skills upgrading; and,
- Training for field and project managers at the annual ABC Education Conference, the nation’s premier gathering of construction industry professionals, featuring numerous professional development education sessions – from Safety Training and Evaluation Process academies to field productivity courses.
Future Craftsmen
Lake Mechanical also seeks to forge the industry’s next generation of craftsmen through participation in Associated Builders and Contractors apprenticeship programs ... a cause that has been spearheaded by and is near and dear to our chairman/CEO John Smith’s heart.
John has made a personal and financial commitment to the training of tomorrow’s workforce, as former president and now trustee of ABC’s Construction Education Foundation. John has also been a member of ABC’s National Education Committee and played an important role in the development of a construction curriculum that has become the backbone of the National Center for Construction Education and Research.
Additionally, as a founding member of the Academy of Construction Technologies (ACT), a Central Florida apprenticeship program for high school students, Lake Mechanical encourages young adults to learn the field, offering students a chance for hands-on training. ACT graduates are guaranteed a job with their sponsoring firm, thus ensuring a strong future for our field.