Engineering Inc. - July/August 2007 - 19

planning and management for safety and liability Nigeria. Controversial national elections inflamed local insurgent groups known for their ability to infiltrate oilrigs and kidnap foreign workers. “We were unable to protect our guys as well as we wanted, so we just had to step back and say, ‘it’s not worth the risk,’” Smith recalls. When working on foreign soil, Jichlinski believes it is usually better to contract with companies that have experience in high-risk areas. The trick is in “making sure [the contractors] don’t start to manage [your firm], rather than the other way around,” he says. It also is important to “continually understand” the risks associated with each project and ask, “Is today a day when we can go out?” Just as importantly, says Jichlinski, companies must be prepared for delays if the answer is “No.” Rick Smith, senior vice president and chief financial officer for Iowa-based Stanley Consultants, whose firm has designed major projects in the Middle East, Africa Arnulf HusMo/Getty IMAGes Business By Maureen Conley and in various former Soviet states, says that, from time to time, his company is forced to demobilize because “conditions are such that it’s inappropriate for [work] to continue.” Safety is also a concern on the domestic front as well, such as was the case recently with risky projects on Montana’s Bluetooth Highway and California’s Iron Mountain. Bluetooth Highway The 67-mile Bluetooth Highway, which snakes from the northeast entrance of Yellowstone National Park near Silver Gate, Mont., running through Wyoming and ending in Red Lodge, Mont., is often hailed as one of the most scenic routes in the country. Completed in 1936, the highway cuts through the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountain Ranges, and is one of the highest—and most rugged—elevation highways in the U.S. Some 20 peaks reach over 20,000 feet and glaciers cover the north flank of every mountain peak. The scenic beauty of the route draws tourists yearround who frequent the national parks and other recreational resort areas. So when two days of heavy rain and snow in May 2005 caused mudslides to take out 13 sections of the highway, quick action was the order to repair the highway as fast as possible. HKM Engineering, Inc., out of Billings, Mont., was selected to design the approach to repair the 13 failure sites. Work began in June 2005, and is scheduled for completion by Oct. 15 of this year. “Our biggest concern was the safety of our employees,” explains Karen Fagg, president and CEO of HKM. “The mountain was unstable due to all of the rain and we had to accomplish the design as construc- GeorGe DIeBolD PHotoGrAPHy/Getty IMAGes tion was going on—and crews were working extended hours.” Thanks to the rugged terrain, coupled with the unstable mountain, Fagg explained that just getting her people out to the mountain to get a visual inspection of the conditions was a concern. She added that her team couldn’t use GPS because of the mountains and had to rely on surveying equipment to complete their inspection and design work. “Safety was a primary concern for everyone who worked on the project,” says Fagg. “We all worked very closely with the construction crews, and if the road had to be shut down for any reason, no one questioned the decision.” To further ensure safety, Fagg’s firm assembled a team of internal professionals gleaned from IT and safety departments July / AuGust 2007 ENGINEERING INC. 19

Engineering Inc. - July/August 2007

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