As of 2024, Holder Construction is ranked the 26th largest general contractor in the United States and is responsible for widely recognizable construction projects like Salt Lake City Airport and Mercedez-Benz Stadium.

When managing projects as large as these, safety directors like Marco Chantres of Project Red may have anywhere from 500-700 employees that they are responsible for on a given day. As the size and complexity of the site increase, the number of risk factors that need to be taken into account also increases.

The primary weather factors affecting work schedules at Project Red

Aside from making sure employees are wearing the proper PPE, ensuring contractors have the correct permits, and making sure personnel is properly trained, there are also a number of weather factors that safety managers are concerned with.

Lightning, extreme heat, high winds and rain can not only halt the progress of construction but also pose a significant risk to the health and safety of workers if not properly handled. Holder chose to get Perry Weather to simplify their weather safety operations and reduce the time it takes to communicate with their employees. This not only increased safety around the site but also took a significant amount of workload off.

Reducing workloads on EH&S managers

EHS staff no longer have to play the role of weathermen in order to make calls when it comes to weather emergencies. Perry Weather makes the decision for them based on Holder’s preset policies, based on federal OSHA. It then alerts everyone, letting them know what actions are needed to stay safe. 

Increasing safety with advanced lightning detection and alerts

In Texas, storms can roll in quickly, bringing with them lightning which can pose a significant threat to workers and any equipment with a tall mast such as cranes. 

Perry Weather keeps Holder personnel and any contract employees on the site safe from lightning in the area by accurately detecting lightning strikes and alerting employees when lightning is in the area.

Perry Weather’s lightning detection network

Perry Weather detects lightning using the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN). The NLDN is the largest and most reliable lightning detection network in the US and is trusted by organizations such as NASA and the US Coast Guard.

Lightning Alerts & Stand-down Timer

Once Perry Weather detects lightning near a construction site, it alerts Holder in multiple ways:

• Lightning Notifications – Perry Weather sends a text message or mobile push notification to all users letting them know to cab up or shack up and wait out the storm. 
• Lightning Stand-down timer – The timer enables them to know exactly when its safe to resume work. It starts counting down from 20 minutes after the first strike is detected. Once the system detects no more lightning in the area, it will give an all-clear signal.
• Outdoor warning system – Perry Weather sounds a loud siren and a custom PA message, letting everyone know to seek shelter when lightning is in the area. Short-term contract personnel who may not be directly reachable by radio will still know exactly what they need to do to stay safe no matter where they are on site.

Using on-site weather data to reduce heat illnesses

Texas heat can even often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit, making it a challenging environment to work in regardless of the level of PPE required for the type of work. Perry Weather measures the heat index using an on-site weather station, unlike free weather apps which ensures that no heat-related incidents are caused due to inaccurate information.

“By having the system on-site you know where the weather is being tracked from…it’s not being tracked from 25 miles from your working location. So it is very accurate and that has also been a key factor in reducing the amount of heat illnesses on site.”

Marco Chantres, Safety Director at Holder Construction

How Holder uses heat stress alerts

Holder has set up a heat stress warning at a heat index of 82 degrees. When the heat index rises to unsafe levels, Perry Weather notifies Holder to remind employees to take water breaks and seek shade through text or push notification. EHS staff can then remind the rest of the crew to take water breaks or seek shade either through the PA system or radio.

Ensuring safe operation of equipment with high wind notifications

At Project Red, high wind speeds can affect times that equipment such as forklifts and cranes are safely operated. Perry Weather helps with this by notifying employees when the wind conditions may delay work.

• Accurate on-site wind speed data – Perry Weather monitors the wind speed on site ensuring accuracy
• Predictive high wind warnings –  When Perry Weather expects that wind will rise above safe levels

Excessive rain: preventing delays and reducing risk

Aside from lightning, storm cells can bring with them a large amount of rain which can delay work progress and cause slips, trips and falls. Perry Weather helps with this in a few ways:

• On-site rain gauge – An onsite weather station tracks the amount of rain that Holder gets on site, letting them know when excessive rain may halt progress 
• Live radar – Users can monitor past and future radar up to 48 hours in the future to estimate when a storm may blow over
• 24/7 access to meteorologists – Perry Weather helps Holder know exactly when storms will affect their site and when storms will blow over, helping them reduce uncertainty and better plan

By leveraging Perry Weather, Holder Construction has significantly enhanced the safety and efficiency of their operations at Project Red. With reliable lightning detection, on-site heat index monitoring, and wind and rain risk alerts, Perry Weather has minimized weather-related risks and ensured timely communication across the site during weather events. The integration of this technology allows Safety Directors like Marco to focus on other responsibilities knowing that Perry Weather will keep their workers safe from the weather.