Procedure 68 – SHORT SERVICE EMPLOYEE

1.0 PURPOSE

This Short Service Employee Procedure establishes Nitro Construction Services requirements for Short Service Employees serving our customers at our various work locations. This program will provide area managers, with the necessary tools to provide for the well-being, health, and safety of both the experienced and in-experienced Short Service Employees.

2.0 Application

This Procedure shall apply to specific customers, with whom Nitro Construction Services is employed and contractually obligated to complete a job and; requires that Nitro Electric/Mechanical manage the Short Service Employees employed by the Company or those of any Subcontractors working for Nitro Construction Services

3.0 Abbreviations and Definitions

3.1 Subcontractor – as mentioned throughout this Program, will mean any individual or business firm who is chosen by the Nitro Construction Services, or an affiliated company if applicable, to perform certain contractually prescribed services (tasks), or a specific portion, of a specified project for Nitro Construction Services.
3.2 Short Service Employee (SSE) – full-time or temporary employee(s) of Nitro Construction Services with less than three months’ employment with the Nitro Construction Services, whether experienced or inexperienced in classification. This is inclusive of all Nitro Construction Services Subcontractors and their employee(s).
3.3 SSE Mentor – a designated and experienced employee of Nitro Construction Services, or its Subcontractors who serve as a trusted Tutor or Guide to an SSE employee. The mentor will coach/train, experienced or non-experienced, SSE employee(s) to perform their assigned task about proper health, environmental, and safety policies, and regulations as well as specific work procedures of Nitro Construction Services, and its customer(s) and the necessity of adherence to both.
3.4 SSE Mentoring – a process of transferring, from one person to another, the skills, knowledge, and necessity of obedience in the practice and following of procedures and policy in a work environment.
3.5 Area Supervisor/Superintendent – is an employee of Nitro Construction Services who represents the Company and is assigned the responsibilities of management of the specific project(s) on behalf of Nitro Construction Services.
3.6 Owner – means the same as Nitro Construction Services, customer, or client, as used from time to time throughout the SSE Program.

3.0 RESPONSIBILITIES:

3.1 It is the responsibility of the Corporate Safety Director to develop training for the Short Service Employee (SSE). The Corporate Safety Director or their designee (field safety rep, immediate supervisor, foreman, etc..) will provide training or arrange for training with outside entities.

3.2 It is the responsibility of Project Management/Supervision to ensure that the SSE will not work alone at a job site or facility and that the SSE will be assigned an SSE Mentor. A work crew of fewer than 5 employees may not have more than one SSE.

3.2.1 Project Management/Supervision will serve as the primary contact person of the Company for each project assigned. The role of Project Management/Supervision, pertinent to the scope and purpose of the SSE Program, shall be as follows:

•  To review the Short Service Employee Form (App. A ), and to present to the Owner/Customer’s representative, if required, for approval of the use of an SSE;
• To complete remaining portions of said SSEF pertinent to the mentoring of the SSE including steps to be taken to manage or mitigate the SSE risk to an acceptable level.
• To designate and assign a Mentor to each SSE on each project in their area.
• Develops and communicates with an assigned Mentor: 1) the initial job assignment, and 2) when the job assignment changes.
• Ensure SSE Mentor maintains proper knowledge and skill in the job task assigned.
• Ensure SSE Mentor is adequately training the SSE.
• Ensure SSE is appropriately identified per this Program.
• Follow all safety rules and Company policies.
• Conduct an onsite orientation with the Foremen and Mentors before allowing the SSE to start work, setting performance goals for each SSE.
• Ensure that each subcontractor is compliant with the SSE Program requirements.
• To make a final evaluation of an SSE’s awareness and compliance with their responsibilities outlined in article 5.5 of the Program; And
• To notify the safety department, affirming an SSE’s satisfactory performance and compliance status and that the SSE’s hard hat identification has been removed and they are no longer to be recognized as an SSE.

3.3 It is the responsibility of the SSE Mentor to:

• To work with an SSE willingly and patiently, while guiding and teaching the SSE the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the assigned task safely and efficiently according to company and customer’s procedures.
• To communicate with the SSE appropriately to determine that the SSE is learning and retaining the knowledge being shared.
• Provide a positive Safety attitude, avoid criticism, and strive to build confidence and self-esteem in the SSE.
• Demonstrate a positive work ethic; And
•  Follow all Company and customer policies and work procedures.
• All Mentors of the Company, and applicable affiliates, or its Subcontractors must:
• Be familiar with the SSE employee’s job classification and assignment, including the responsibilities required, and the hazards associated with the job;
• Have current safety and orientation training;
• Be familiar with the site policies, work procedures, and any specialized actions required in the work to be performed;
• Exhibit the ability to recognize hazards and unsafe acts;

Be able and willing to challenge personnel on the worksite who do not comply with the site procedures, policies, or requirements and enforce the stop-work authority.

• 3.4 It is the responsibility of the Short Service Employee To
• Listen to the Mentor.
• Possess and maintain a positive attitude towards assigned job tasks.
• To gain the knowledge and skills, as transferred by the Mentor, for each job task, and to perform said tasks in a safe and environmentally sound manner.
• To stop work immediately when recognizing an unsafe act or condition and to report the unsafe act and /or conditions always.
• To participate in safety meetings; And,
• Follow all safety rules, policies, and work procedures of both the Company and Customer.

3.5 Subcontractors:

• All subcontractors who are performing work under a contractual agreement with Nitro Construction Services, Inc, and on projects which apply to the rules and requirements of this SSE Program are required to:
• Have and maintain, at a minimum, an SSE Program that is equal to the requirements and procedures as outlined in this SSE Program and must also receive approval of the Owner’s representative, if applicable.
• If a Subcontractor, or an applicable affiliated company, who has a contractual agreement with the Company to perform work for the Company on a project where an SSE Program is required, but does not have an SSE Program, then that Subcontractor or an applicable affiliated Company, must contractually agree to be bound to adopt, participate, and comply with the same requirements of Nitro Construction Services’ SSE Program.

4.0 REFERENCES

5.0 PROCEDURE

5.1 Upon being awarded a bid, and before any work commencing, project management shall notify Nitro Construction Services Safety to establish who will be working on the job and at that time determine as to who would fall within the implementation of this program.
5.2 Before starting work at a job site or facility, Nitro Construction Services shall ensure that the affected customer is notified of any SSE who may enter on-site before that employee begins any work for that customer. Approval will be secured from the customer’s management or EH&S department before the SSE initially enters the customer’s property.

5.3 A single-person crew cannot be an SSE and crew sizes of less than five shall have no more than one SSE. Project Management/Supervision will complete any required forms related to Short Service Employees. (See NCS Forms 045 – 052)

5.4 The SSE Mentor will give the SSE an orientation and tour of the customer’s facility. The tour will cover all work areas the SSE may encounter while working at the customer’s facility. At a minimum, the SSE Mentor will cover all Nitro Electric/Mechanical HS&E policies related to the customer’s facility in addition to any required by the customer. Topics to be included, but not limited to the following:

5.4.1 Proper Clothing and PPE
5.4.2 HAZCOM
5.4.3 Safe Work Permitting Procedures
5.4.4 LOTO Procedures
5.4.5 Environmental Concerns
5.4.6 Correct tool usage
5.4.7 Emergency Action Plan

5.5 The SSE Questionnaire (App. B) shall be completed by the SSE, and all New-Hire Orientation material shall be completed and retained.

5.6 After training, Project Management/Supervision will ensure the SSE has a clear understanding of the topics and skills necessary to perform his job safely and responsibly.

5.7 Project Management/Supervision will ensure the SSE receives training per this policy before starting work, and when:

5.7.1 The SSE is assigned to a new job
5.7.2 The SSE may be exposed to new substances, procedures, locations, and processes that may present new hazards to the SSE.

5.8 Project Management/Supervision and the SSE Mentor will provide close supervision and not permit the SSE to perform any task for which he has not been properly trained. Project Management/Supervision and the SSE Mentor will ensure that the SSE understands the tasks to be performed, the associated hazards and risks, and how to perform the job safely and responsibly. A performance review will be conducted within three months of being designated an SSE. Input will be submitted by the assigned SSE Mentor for consideration. At the end of the six-months, the SSE will have another performance review with input from the assigned SSE Mentor.

5.9 SSE Identification

5.9.1 The “Identification” of an SSE serves two functions: 1) to WARN, and 2) to ENCOURAGE. To WARN and alert all personnel on the job site that a new employee is working on the job and who may or may not have any prior experience in the task he or she is performing. Additionally, to ENCOURAGE everyone on the job site to participate in helping to “Be Your Brother’s Keeper” through observation of the SSE to ensure an unintentional unsafe act or work procedure is prevented. We encourage every eye especially when the SSE is performing work in critical and or high-risk situations.

5.9.2 A Highly Visible, Reflective, Elastic band; stating SSE, will be required to be worn by all SSE’s until they are removed from the program.

5.10 After 3 months, the SSE designation may be removed, or reasons are given for an extension. To remove an SSE from SSE status, the SSE must demonstrate to the Area Manager that he has a good working knowledge of both Nitro Construction Services, Inc, and the customer’s health, safety, and environmental policies, demonstrated a familiarity with the safety and environmental concerns on customer’s property and has demonstrated safe and environmentally responsible work for the past three (3) months. Only after Satisfactory completion of all the SSE Evaluation forms; (App. C through G) shall the SSE be removed from the program.

5.11 All Subcontractors working for Nitro Construction Services shall adhere to the guidelines outlined in this document, in managing the Subcontractor’s at-risk Short Service Employees

5.12 Regarding compliance with the normal requirements of the SSE program addressing full time or temporary experienced employees of Nitro Construction Services, including all Nitro Construction Services affiliates, may be amended as follows:

5.12.1 When and where affiliated Nitro Construction Services employees, which are members of a trades union (i.e., Operating Engineers or Labor Unions, Pipefitters, Electricians, etc.…) whose employees are experienced and considered professionally skilled in their classifications are utilized on Nitro Construction Services projects then the exception will be exercised accordingly.

5.12.2 When Skilled Trades Union employees, who are repeatedly called out of a highly recognized skilled trades union, as referenced in article 4.2, and utilized by Nitro Construction Services throughout a year, and with less than 12 months’ gap in service with the Nitro Construction Services, then that person shall not be deemed as a new employee or a non-experienced employee.

5.12.3 Employees, being of exempt status, as qualified under paragraph 5.12.1, shall be first approved by Nitro Construction Services Safety Department before being sent to the job site. The Safety Department, as the Gate Keeper of the SSE Program, shall request confirmation from the Human Resource Department affirming the employment status of all such exempt classified union employees as to their skilled craft and period of employment with the Company.

6.0 RECORDS, REVIEW, RETENTION

6.1 Safety Orientation Documentation, as well as SSE Questionnaire, Evaluation Forms, and Checklists; shall be retained at the job location as well as a copy submitted to the Corporate Safety Director. The Short Service Employee shall be reviewed to determine their safety compliance and performance at the following intervals; 10 days post-hire, 30 days post-hire, 60 days post-hire, and 90 days post-hire. After the 90-day mark, the SSE may be authorized to graduate from the SSE program.

7.0 APPENDICES/TABLES
7.1 NCS Form 045 – Short Service Employee Form
7.2 NCS Form 046 – Short Service Employee Questionnaire
7.3 NCS Form 047 – Short Service Employee Evaluation Form – 10 Day
7.4 NCS Form 048 – Short Service Employee Evaluation Form – 30 Day
7.5 NCS Form 049 – Short Service Employee Evaluation Form – 60 Day
7.6 NCS Form 050 – Short Service Employee Evaluation Form – 90 Day
7.7 NCS Form 051 – Short Service Employee Checklist
7.8 NCS Form 052 – Short Service Employee Program Procedure