How to Build Contractor and Subcontractor Safety Partnerships with Tim Rich | Episode 146

"If we have an injury, that's our injury. That is a combined shared injury between us. We get together shoulder to shoulder, we roll up our sleeves and we look at what systems, what behaviors led us to that. We don't look at it as you failed. We share the fault, we share the responsibility and we share the action to fix it." This week Dr. Logan F. Martin, PhD, MBA, PMP, CIH, CSP, CHMM and James Junkin, DOSH(c), CSP, MSP, SMP, ASP, CSHO welcome Tim Rich, Construction Safety Manager at Boardwalk Pipelines, to discuss what contractor and subcontractor safety management looks like beyond the pre-qualification portal. Tim shares how he builds and maintains alliance contractor relationships across large-scale pipeline construction projects, what their annual Contractor Alliance Summit delivers, and how they approach incident response as a shared responsibility between operator and contractor. KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚠️ A strong pre-qualification score tells part of the story. The superintendent on site tells the rest. Tim explains why Boardwalk Pipelines puts boots on the ground with contractors regardless of their Veriforce score, and what they are actually looking for when they get there. ⚠️ Contractors are employers. The operator is not their safety mom and dad. James Junkin has spent nearly 30 years hearing the same phrase post-incident: the operator did not tell me I had to do it. OSHA responsibility is non-delegable. Hiring clients can transfer liability in some cases but they cannot transfer the contractor's obligation to know the hazards and protect their workers. ⚠️ When a contractor has an incident, treat it as your injury too. Boardwalk Pipelines conducts root cause analysis shoulder to shoulder with their alliance contractors, focuses on sustainable corrective actions over emotionally driven ones, and is building toward a model where contractors share off-project incidents proactively so both parties can prevent similar events. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction and Current Events 03:09 Understanding Subcontractor Management 05:56 Building Partnerships with Contractors 09:09 The Importance of Safety and Quality 12:03 Addressing Workforce Challenges 14:46 Ensuring Worker Qualifications 17:57 Handling Incidents and Failures 20:46 Creating a Culture of Trust 23:51 The Role of Communication in Safety 27:02 Continuous Improvement in Contractor Relationships 29:53 Conclusion and Future Directions ABOUT THE GUEST Tim Rich is Construction Safety Manager at Boardwalk Pipelines, where he oversees safety and compliance on multiple large-scale construction projects throughout the United States. An award-winning safety professional with over 25 years of experience in oil and gas, manufacturing, and mining, Tim has led cross-functional teams to drive culture change toward sustainable zero-injury work environments. He holds a BS from Louisiana Tech University and is currently pursuing his MBA from LSU. Tim's LinkedIn:   / tim-rich-741238253   THE RISK MATRIX PODCAST Hosted by two of the most credentialed voices in safety: James Junkin, DOSH(c), CSP, MSP, SMP, ASP, CSHO - Trainer of 40,000+ safety professionals, ASSP's 2024 Safety Professional of the Year Dr. Logan F. Martin, PhD, MBA, PMP, CIH, CSP, CHMM - 32-year veteran, Board of Global EHS Credentialing Impact Award winner Every Tuesday: The tough conversations safety managers need to have. Critical insights from safety experts. Real-world strategies. Actionable solutions. The Risk Matrix Podcast is powered by Veriforce: Bringing workers home safe from high-hazard jobs. Learn more at www.veriforce.com LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE: 📺 YouTube:    / @veriforce   🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1eurirP... 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... 📖 Substack: https://theriskmatrixpodcast.substack... CONNECT WITH US: The Risk Matrix Podcast:   / the-risk-matrix-podcast   Veriforce:   / veriforce-llc   Dr. Martin:   / drmartinsafety   James:   / james-junkin-ms-csp-msp-smp-asp-csho-494a0046   #contractormanagement #workplacesafety #safetyleadership #pipelinesafety #subcontractor #safetymanagement #ehs #safetyprofessionals #occupationalsafety #riskmanagement #riskmatrixpodcast #riskmatrixpodcast