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/ BUILDING DIALOGUE / SEPTEMBER 2015
T
he construction industry has a repu-
tation of tough people doing a dan-
gerous job. And while a lot of people
see our projects under construction,
they probably do not realize the most import-
ant thing being built is a profound culture of
safety.
These days, our tradesmen are trained from
the start to think about how ignoring safety re-
quirements can devastate lives – not just theirs,
but those of their kids, spouses and other loved
ones. The severity of not following safety proto-
cols sinks in when the devastating consequences
are reviewed. It is not surprising to see even the
most rugged worker tear up when examples of
these very personal impacts are discussed.
Real change happens when employees begin
their days with the end goal in mind: getting them-
selves and their co-workers home safely. This mind-
set does not happen by accident.
It takes a realization with everyone from lead-
ership to the line workers that safety is not just a
priority or something that can come and go, but a
cultural foundation for effective companies. The
old macho reputation, and behavior that went
along with it, have given way to new practices that
are now common, like the wearing of gloves, safety
glasses, harnesses and bright vests.
The big-picture impact of this changing empha-
sis on culture is enormous. Our industry employs
roughly 10 million workers in the United States,
many of whom work on job sites of sophisticated
movements and demanding tasks. Yet, since 2006,
overall construction fatalities are down 36 percent,
according to the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
That decrease amounts to hundreds of lives
saved. Yet we think in terms of individuals – every
single person on the job, every accident that must
be prevented. Progress is not enough. We know tens
of thousands of workers are injured in our line of
work each year, and tragically, hundreds die. Our
mission is to get those numbers to zero.
The responsibility starts at the top. To keep up the
sense of urgency, 44 leading companies from the
industry joined forces this year for the second an-
nual Safety Week, a period of training and aware-
Paula Eick
National
Director
of Safety,
Adolfson &
Peterson
Construc-
tion
