3-4-08 Little Miami: Safety is a Main Concern

With construction projects underway all around the Little Miami School District, safety remains a top priority.

With a 65,000 square foot addition to Little Miami High School, two entirely new buildings for Junior High and Intermediate school students and renovations in every school across the district, Little Miami prides itself in the efforts it has taken towards construction worker, student, community member, and faculty safety.

"Our main objective is to create a sense of awareness of potential hazards of the site and prevent mistakes," explained Safety Specialist Chris Macintosh with Shield Safety, a nonprofit organization in Middletown providing safety and health services to Little Miami during the construction program.

Every construction worker on the campuses is required to undergo a background check and complete site-specific safety training. No sexual predators are allowed to work on the sites, and training includes proper etiquette with students and staff. To further ensure the legitimacy of each construction worker, "each worker is given two stickers for their hard hats — one indicating completion of the safety orientation and a second with an individual number to identify workers," said Justin Koenes, project manager with Quandel/ Dugan and Meyers.

Additionally separate construction parking lots have been created to segregate contractor vehicles from student and staff vehicles. Temporary fencing has been erected around each construction zone for the safety of staff, students and the public. Revised egress plans have been reviewed and approved by the Fire Marshall.

With the preventative measures taken to ensure the safety at each site, Mr. Macintosh said, "Little Miami Schools are head and shoulders above the rest."