The Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) has called on AECOM to help deliver its first expansion project in over a century. The project, known as East Side Access (ESA), will link LIRR services to Grand Central Terminal.
As construction manager, our role is to oversee the work of the general contractor and consultants to manage and administer the project. This includes responsibilities such as quality assurance, environmental performance and safety during construction, as well as contractor documentation.
Our employees in the field are regularly subjected to a high-risk environment that includes coordinating work with railroad activities, handling multiple rigging and overhead operations — such as falling debris or equipment — to keep ground personnel safe and protect workers at heights.
Safety Solutions
All our field personnel have been through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 10-hour construction safety training as required by the client. We recommended offering OSHA’s 30-hour course to all management and inspectors who are interested in completing it. Frequent safety recognition and rewards such as team dinners reinforce our emphasis on safety as our top priority.
Achievements and Outcomes
The project has had more than two years without a recordable incident involving our employees or AECOM-managed subcontractors.
During the project safety review visit for 2016, many excellent components of a robust health and safety program were evident. We earned a score of 87 percent and presented concrete recommendations that included immediate training and utilization of the AECOM Task Hazard Assessment Tool.