WE are champions of safety

When leaders actually listen and take action, people feel safe speaking up. That’s the foundation. By looking out for one another as ONE TEAM, we keep each other safe and propel our safety culture.

In an aligned safety culture, all people, including leaders who lead by example, will think about safety in every circumstance. Just one example are job walks: starting at the trailer, everyone should be in proper PPE and we can begin the conversation with what’s happening on site and any safety concerns. That sets the tone for the walk, whatever the original purpose. When you start with safety, it sticks.

For safety leadership to be effective, we need to act in accordance with our core value: 'WE Own It.' I expect not only to talk the talk but also to walk the walk. Whenever we get together as an organization, I lead any conversation with safety. Everyone in our organization should know that nothing is more important than ensuring the health and safety of our team, our projects, and our workforce.

As leaders, we have a responsibility to lead by example. We need to speak up when we see something unsafe. We need to reward and celebrate good safety culture behaviors too. When this becomes habit, it becomes the normalized standard. None of this happens if leadership doesn't continue to create an environment where speaking up is embraced.

In my role as a leader, personal ownership means making safety part of every conversation, ensuring our teams have the training and resources they need, and holding ourselves accountable for protecting everyone on our jobsites. When leaders take safety personally, it reinforces that every worker deserves to go home at the end of the day the same way they arrived.

My early years as a union carpenter made me appreciate the role safety plays in a project’s “day to day” execution. Unfortunately, during those years I saw my fair share of workplace accidents, which really shapes your approach to safety. As I transitioned to management and overseeing projects, I feel a responsibility to ensure all staff and trade partners return home to their loved ones at the end of every day.