PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Safety and DFI R ecently, I had the opportunity to contribute to the analysis of an accident that occurred on a project in the Midwest, which resulted in the unfortunate loss of the life of a good man. He was known as a hard worker, a blue-collar guy, who represents the backbone of our industry. He was a grandfather like me, and will be deeply missed by his widow and his children and his grandchildren. He did not deserve to die, and his death was not necessary. I still get angry thinking about it. The cause of his death was the subject of an inquiry and, of course, costly litigation. I referred to it as an accident because nobody intended for this to happen, but it was entirely avoidable and would not have happened if good construction practices had been followed. The collapse of a drilled shaft excavation resulted in the loss of ground in the area around the foundation excavation, which caused this man to be pulled beneath the earth, where he was either crushed to death or suffocated, or both. The individuals most responsible lacked the knowledge, training and experience to perform the work in a safe manner. This unfortunate occurrence is not as June 14-16 in Coronado, Calif., just west of San Diego. There are sessions on the design and construction of work platforms for foundation construction, and some interesting and thought- provoking panel discussions with industry leaders on safety and on construction means-and-methods in the deep foundations industry. These are important issues for all of us, and I hope Dan Brown, Ph.D., P.E., D.GE. President [email protected] many of you can attend. Even if you cannot, stay tuned for more opportunities for online learning on this subject. I am proud of our ongoing “I am pleased that DFI, together with our co- sponsors, ADSC, are including a safety theme in the SuperPile ’17 conference, June 14-16 in Coronado, Calif. ” DFI I efforts at DFI, and with our colleagues in the industry to improve jobsite safety so that we and all of our employees can go home safe. I hope that you will all join me in these efforts. It’s an integral part of our mission to “Find Common Ground.” DFI, in collaboration with IIT Madras and the Chennai Chapter of the Indian Geotechnical Society, presents: DFI-India 2017: th ® 7 Conference on Deep Foundation Technologies for Infrastructure Development in India October 5-7, 2017 | IIT Madras, Chennai, India uncommon as it should be. Every day in this world, many thou- sands of people go to work in the deep foundations industry, and we, as an industry, owe a duty to provide them with a safe work environment. Their loved ones have every right to expect them to come home in one piece. We can work to improve safety in our work, and education and training are key components of improving safety. I am pleased that DFI, together with our co- sponsors, ADSC, are including a safety theme in the SuperPile ’17 conference, DFI of India is holding its 7 Annual Conference October 6-7, 2017, in col- laboration with IIT Madras and the Chennai Chapter of the Indian Geotech- nical Society. A one-day workshop precedes the conference on October 5. This two-day conference focuses th on emerging technology develop- ments and case histories on deep foundations, deep excavations and ground improvement. Presentations of practical importance showcase the latest technologies in geotechnical investigation, analysis and design including seismic aspects, treated soil properties, computer software, tele- networking, instrumentation, testing, monitoring, installation/construction equipment and methods, with sup- porting data on improvement of quality, productivity, safety and sustainability. The event will be of particular interest to contractors, developers, local and government representatives, designers, consultants and educators involved in geotechnical design and construction. Equipment, material and instrumentation suppliers, contractors and other vendors will present their pro- ducts and services in the Exhibit Hall. For more informat ion visi t www.dfi-india2017.org DEEP FOUNDATIONS • MAY/JUNE 2017 • 7 O T N A S D I N N U S T O I F T U E P T E E D
