Clark Delivers Safety Message to Inova Construction Team

Fairfax, VA – Construction efforts are in full swing on the Inova Women's Hospital & Children's Hospital—the largest phase of Inova Health System's capital improvement program. The $215 million contract is part of Inova Health System’s multi-year effort to upgrade its Fairfax campus to a world-class environment for patient care, education, and research.

Nearly 15 months after breaking ground, the project is just two months shy of topping out. The current installation of the building's architectural precast marked a major milestone for the project team. With construction activities increasing daily on the 665,000 square-foot medical facility, Clark stopped work to remind the entire workforce of the importance of safety vigilance, especially during the holiday season.

As part of this exercise, commonly referred to as a Safety Stand Down, the team conducted an emergency evacuation drill to ensure that the nearly 400 workers located on site were aware of the proper evacuation procedures. Following the drill, Clark’s field and safety leaders addressed the group, reiterating the importance of personal responsibility, looking out for one another, and speaking up if an unsafe act occurs. The team also took the opportunity to publicly recognize eight members of the construction workforce for their exceptional safety performance over the past month. Clark concluded the Stand Down with a discussion surrounding upcoming construction activities, and a review of critical safety and cold weather hazards.

Safety Stand Downs are just one of many measures Clark takes to instill a strong safety culture on our jobsites. Safety Stand Downs serve as a forum for focused safety discussions amongst the entire project team. The meetings also afford craftworkers the opportunity to review Clark’s safety policies and expectations, as well as project-specific safety goals.