Menu
Menu
Safety on the jobsite is the most important practice of any construction company. While all construction sites must adhere to basic OSHA guidelines, some companies go above and beyond to protect the longevity and health of their team. As we know at BYFAZ, real safety is more than just training videos, safety meetings, and educational articles. The safest companies out there have built a dedicated culture that puts safety on the frontline.
Keep reading to learn about a few of our favorite safety-first construction companies.
DP Electric doesn’t just talk about safety – they can prove that their actions have made an impact at their company with a New Experience Modification Rate (EMR) of 0.57. The EMR rate measures the number of claims or injuries that a company has experienced, with the cost of said claim factored in. At DP Electric, “safety is the basis of every job as (each job) has full executive and management support” through frequent and extensive trainings.
They’re able to achieve these safety initiatives with the help of safety manager Kevin Lopez, who oversees all safety initiatives for the company. He works with the operations team on getting projects staffed with safety personnel, teaching safety courses, staying up to date on all the latest safety trends, and much more.
At McCarthy, safety is the #1 priority. They have a team of full-time safety professionals that coordinate proactively with trade partners and industry experts to customize the approach to each jobsite and project.
For instance, Travis Nestor is the Vice President regional safety, and leads by example. Nestor is a seasoned safety professional with over two decades of construction industry experience and was recently elevated to vice president of regional safety overseeing company-wide safety initiatives for McCarthy Building Companies in Arizona.
Having joined McCarthy as a safety manager in 2012, Nestor has made significant contributions to improving safety performance and promoting McCarthy’s genuine safety culture throughout the Southwest region, where he has worked on numerous landmark projects. Nestor has vast experience and expertise in construction safety, coupled with his certifications through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and authorizations from OSHA. His dedication and success continue to ensure the highest safety standards are met on even the most challenging and high-profile construction projects.
The core values of Lennar include quality and integrity, which go hand in hand in ensuring the health and well-being of Lennar’s associates, trade partners, and customers, on every project they work on. Leading the initiative is Safety and Environmental Manager Rick Obley, who works to promote these values by adhering to safety standards and initiatives. His duties include assisting in identifying potential hazards, reporting incidents, and working closely with onsite supervision to ensure best practices are being utilized. In addition, he disseminates new regulatory and company requirements to all associates.
In his own words, he is proud to play a small part in raising safety awareness for people he’s been working with for so many years. With increased collaboration among other builders and sharing of best practices, he hopes to play a role in increased safety within the residential construction industry.
Concord, Inc. Emphasizes safety on and off the jobsite, with extensive training and multiple initiatives in place. As a Project Engineer, Kolton Day finds himself bouncing from the office to the jobsite, supporting the Project Manager and Superintendent on each project he is assigned to. His main responsibility is to cultivate jobsite safety and ensure the construction team is not delayed. This happens by pre-task safety planning, ordering materials in advance, getting submittals completed prior to the field needing anything, and writing and sending RFI’s.
Kolton works with the Superintendent to coordinate subcontractors and acts as the line of communication between the design team, field team, and owners to ensure project success, and when necessary, quick resolutions.
SUNDT tackles safety at the source: educating on the why and how behind safety, on top of their comprehensive safety training. They educate their workforce using on STCKY (Sh*t that can kill you) so that employee-owners and trade partners can prevent and be aware of potential hazards. On the jobsite, there are many opportunities for growth and learning, such as the SUNDT Voices in Safety (SVIS), STCKY Academy, both of which have a special emphasis on mental health and the how it can impact the jobsite. One of the individuals leading the charge is District HS&E Manager Reese Fortin, who has played a key role in development and execution of the company-wide campaign.
There is extra support on the jobsite, too – project teams do daily walks to report and manage incidents, so that injuries can be avoided before they happen.
Every company manages safety differently, but the constant remains that safety is and will continue to be one of the most important topics that construction companies and teams can address to reach zero injuries every day. The truth is: without safety, there can’t be a confident construction team. If you’re seeking an opportunity in construction, you should aim for companies that go above and beyond with their safety – just like our investors do! A culture of safety is a culture that allows you to come home to your family and friends, and there really isn’t anything more important than that.
The Greater Phoenix Chamber Foundation‘s Construction Workforce Initiative, Build Your Future Arizona’s mission is to create a sustainable and skilled craft workforce by creating awareness about high-paying construction careers, training opportunities and mapping career paths to employment in these high-demand occupations.
