Safety Policy
J.M. Thompson Company’s Safety Director is a co-owner in the company and therefore, takes the Safety Program, very seriously. This Safety Program includes the following:
- Regular Job-Site Safety Inspections
- Safety Orientation for New Employees
- Weekly “Toolbox” Talk Safety Meetings
- Quarterly Safety Meetings for Job Superintendents
- Written Hazardous Materials Communications Programs
Some of the Awards that J.M. Thompson Company (JMT) has received in past years associated with its Safety Program are as follows:
- The Durham Chamber of Commerce 1995 “Excellence in the Workplace” Award.
- The Associated General Contractors of America Certificate, commemorating the fact that J.M. Thompson Company had zero (0) lost days due to accident or injury in 1994, 1995, and 1997, and a Certificate of Commendation for less than 25% of the National Average Accidents in 1996, 1998, and 1999.
- The North Carolina Department of Labor Safety Award for five (5) consecutive years of outstanding safety performance from 1994-1999.
- The Carolinas AGC presidential Award in 1997 for zero (0) lost time due to injury.
- The Carolinas AGC Award of Excellence in 1998 for at least 75% below the national average of injuries.
The major components of the Safety and Accident Prevention Program are listed below. Please click to read more information on each of the major compenents.
- Safety and Accident Prevention
- Subcontractor Safety Program
- Inspections Policy
- Project Level Safety Policy
- Project Site Requirements
- Drug and Alcohol Policy
Safety and Accident Prevention
J.M. Thompson Company prides itself on maintaining safe worksites and making accident prevention part of its company policy. The management of this company considers no phase of its operation or administration to be of greater importance than safety. For this reason, JMT established a policy to take all practical steps to safeguard employees and the general public from accidents and to maintain an effective safety organization at all times.
J.M. Thompson Company’s safety policy is to:
- Recognize and accept its management responsibility to establish the guidelines and the framework within which a good accident prevention program can operate.
- Emphasize to all supervisors that they have a personal responsibility to enforce safe working procedures and conditions with their employees.
- Comply with OSHA and the regulations under this Act.
- Comply with all State and Local laws pertaining to safety and health matters.
- Conduct an ongoing safety program with appropriate documentation as evidence of our interest in our employees and our desire to control unnecessary losses.
In subcontracting any part of our work to another company, J.M. Thompson Company imposes a contractual obligation on that company to comply with existing safety regulations. Our subcontract agreement contains a clause that the subcontractor must comply with OSHA requirements, including all standards and regulations that have been or shall be promulgated by the agencies administering such acts. We require compliance by the subcontractor agents, employees, material suppliers, and subcontractors of any tier.
J.M. Thompson Company recognizes that, according to OSHA, every contractor is responsible for safety compliance. Our policy is to insist on safe performance by our subcontractors. It is JMT’s belief that stronger contractor/subcontractor relationships are established when safety requirements are discussed and agreed upon prior to the of execution of the contract documents.
Since a large percentage of specialty contractors are relatively small and do not have a well-defined safety program, our project managers, superintendents, as well as corporate management are dedicated to providing guidance in most instances. On-site subcontractor supervisors must attend each scheduled job progress meeting, at which time they are required to report on their safety performance.
In the event that there is a failure to show good faith in cooperation with safety requirements by any subcontractor, J.M. Thompson Company has a progressive enforcement policy, including removal of this subcontractor from the project. THIS COMPANY DOES NOT TOLERATE FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH APPLICABLE SAFETY REGULATIONS.
J.M. Thompson Company’s Safety Director is responsible for the conduct and performance of a Safety Inspection Program for all jobsites. The inspection methods and goals are:
- Plan the inspection. Identify the work activities being performed and their associated safety issues.
- Keep a written record of all findings, including all unsatisfactory conditions. This file includes correspondence relating to safety issues.
- Be thorough. Ensure that each inspection is complete with respect to all known hazards.
- Take corrective actions at once. Especially in the case of serious and dangerous conditions, which could cause injury, the inspector shall take all appropriate actions to reduce the possibility of loss.
- Perform timely follow-up inspections as necessary to ensure that corrective actions are made.
- Engage additional outside expertise to address safety issues that might require additional expertise or more detailed inspections.
J.M. Thompson Company directs its on-site supervisors on each project to assume full responsibility for conducting the daily safety activities on each project.
Safety responsibility of the Safety Director and project supervisors include:
- Public Protection
- Fire Prevention
- Providing Safety Equipment
- Posting Planning and Job Start-Up Safety
- Public Emergency Telephone Numbers
- Indoctrination and Training New Employees
- Conducting Safety Meetings
- Enforcing Project Safety Rules
- Providing and Staffing First Aid Facilities
- Accident Reporting (OSHA and State)
- Conducting Inspections
- Complying With OSHA Regulations
- Maintaining the Project Bulletin Board
- Working With the Client and the Client’s Insurance Agent to Ensure Specific Site Conditions are Reviewed
A pre-job safety meeting of key personnel is held to determine the specific safety requirements for that project and to identify required safety equipment.
During the course of work, the J.M. Thompson Company Safety Director, Project Manager and Superintendent shall conduct a review of safety issues, problems and conditions on the project, as well as accidents (if required) to ensure appropriate attention to safety matters in a continuing process.
J.M. Thompson Company’s Safety Director shall conduct periodic inspections of all worksites for compliance with OSHA regulations.
All applicable governmental regulations are considered in the pre-project planning process. The following areas are considered, at a minimum:
- First Aid and Medical Facilities
- Location of Men, Materials and Equipment
- Work Areas and Surfaces
- Housekeeping and Sanitation
- Mechanical Equipment and Guarding
- Movement of Supplies, Equipment and Vehicles
- Fire Protection and Control
- Machinery and Equipment Maintenance
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Electrical Safety
- Protection of the Public
- Occupational Disease Protection
- Hand Tools and Power Tools
- Storage Facilities
J.M. Thompson Company maintains a firm commitment to provide a safe and healthy work environment for its employees, which includes a freedom from the effects of drugs and alcohol. Our policy includes a pre-employment drug screening, random drug screening of employees during the course of employment, and semi-annual drug screening of all equipment operators and truck drivers.
This commitment is particularly important where the jobsite is in close proximity to our customer’s ongoing operations. We are dedicated to removing all dangers from our jobsites, both to our client and to our employees, associated with drug abuse.
Working closely with the Center for a Drug Free Workplace, we have developed a coordinated substance abuse program that includes training of our employees on the dangers of substance abuse, testing, and counseling for qualified employees.
Our program has produced beneficial results in the workplace and has received letters of recognition from responsible agencies.



