In the sports world, what happens off the playing field can get as much attention as what happens on it.
This is especially true when it comes to safety of spectators at games or construction workers on the job. Whether it’s a fan who tragically falls over a railing, or a construction worker plunging to his or her death, the headlines speak to a sad outcome for all concerned.
One company, MAC Safety, is trying to eliminate those headlines with a holistic risk management approach that promotes safety. It has been taking that approach to other industries for decades and in recent years it has turned its attention to the sports facilities industry. We thought it would be an opportune time to interview Chris Miranda, the CEO of MAC Safety.
Question: Why is there a need for a company like MAC Safety?
Answer: There are many challenges to providing a safe and secure environment for the athletes, entertainers, spectators and other attendees using a sports stadium. This is why safety considerations must be prioritized among all other stadium operations. We created a stadium safety program that is customizable. It is important training for anyone responsible for delivering safe and secure events. Some of the most common mistakes made in stadium security include out-of-date security policies and subpar training of stadium staff.
Q: What does the program look like?
A: The program is built around four key components:
Management Commitment
Hazard Identification and Correction
Education and Training
Employee Involvement
Q: What are the most significant catastrophic events, involving construction workers that you see?
A: What we see are issues with workers on-site. Whether it be through inadequate training(s), fall protection, crane operations, etc. What we do is provide a system to help vetted contractors to ensure they are doing what they say in regard to safe work operations. I believe there is a mis-conception in the fact that stadiums, arenas are exempt from OSHA (sports fans), these places are no different than anything else, when construction starts it is a normal workplace, injuries can happen anywhere. We work to keep people injury free and our customers from receiving any negative publicity. Contractors not providing safety training, pre-job planning, is big and leads to other factors. We work with our customer(s) to ensure that they (contractors) have proper systems in place prior to starting their work.
Q: Who are your typical clients?
A: Our typical clients are the clients in need of oversight — who want to ensure the work is performed in a safe manner, whether new construction, construction to existing facility, or internal training(s), audits to ensure systems are in place.
The benefits of MAC Safety is that we apply the safety standards to the industry. No matter what the industry, safety applies, we customize our programs to meet the needs. Whether it is providing safety training, audit(s), assessments to ensure emergency plans are in place, to ensure event staff knows how to handle a situation, we can customize to meet the needs.
Q: When should a facility engage someone like your company?
A: We can provide services at any time for our customers, at the pre-planning stage, as the facility is being worked on at any time. We have helped provide expert testimony for clients with workplace injuries at stadiums, again, the profile of the customer allows for people to feel there is an endless supply of cash if there is an injury.
Q: Does the sports industry require a different approach?
A: The sports industry for us is no different than any other industry. Safety is safety; workplace injuries can happen anywhere. We provide a culture that allows for safe workplaces. We don’t interfere. We don’t make it harder. We allow for top oversight, without the added costs.
