7 Construction Leaders Driving a Safer, More Supportive Industry

Every construction project tells a story about human progress. From the homes we live in, to the places where we go to work, to the roads and airports that allow us to travel, we are constantly surrounded by the incredible innovation and ingenuity of the construction industry. But what’s often overlooked is the people behind these projects and the important work being done to keep them safe as they work in one of the world’s most dangerous industries.

Safety has, and always will be, the cornerstone upon which we continue to make progress in construction. And while the industry has made great strides in building a stronger safety culture, there is still much work that needs to be done, especially when it comes to mental health.?

The reality is, we simply can’t make meaningful progress driving this industry forward until the entire construction industry prioritizes mental health as much as physical health. We must all work together to support the industry’s people with the same care and diligence as the incredible structures they build.?

In honor of Construction Safety Week, Mental Health Awareness Month, and European Mental Health Week in May, I want to celebrate seven construction leaders who are paving the way toward a safer, more supportive industry.?

1. “I now realize from my own experience that depression can affect anyone, regardless of how successful their lives may appear on paper. It’s critical that construction starts talking about its mental health challenges and that we normalize conversations around it. The world’s most important industry simply can’t work without its people—tackling this issue means better wellbeing, improved productivity, the best talent choosing our industry and lives saved.” – Fred Mills, Founder at The B1M and Co-Founder of Get Construction Talking
2. “Safety is important. Obviously in our business we have three or four hundred people, sometimes more on job sites, and our number one goal is they all go home at night. The basic stuff is just not enough. We don't want to just make sure everyone has their PPE on, but rather we want our trade partners, our Moss team and our clients to feel that they're cared about. And that's really our number one value.” – Josh Carson, VP of Construction at Moss Construction Management
3. “Health and safety is paramount in the construction industry and so it's paramount for MiCiM. We have really invested in our mental health awareness at work. We have a team and committee that meets and talks about mental health so we can keep it in the spotlight and give advice on how we can best look out for our colleagues and the signs to spot if they are just a little bit off or possibly suffering with their mental health.”? –? Lisa Taylor, Commercial Operations Manager at MiCiM Ltd
4. “Our guiding principles at Keen are, protect people, drive innovation, focus on the end goal, and build relationships. I'd say our number one guiding principle is, protect people. We want to get our people home safe. We have a wall at Keen that is all of our kids. Anyone that has a kid, whether it's a dog, a cat, or a child is on the wall, and it's a daily reminder of why we work safely and that we want to go home safely to those people. Whether it's safety on the jobsite or safety in the office, it is at the forefront of a lot of conversations.” – Abbey Johnson, Sr. Project Coordinator at Keen Project Solutions
5. “It all starts with recognizing the issue and encouraging the conversation—you really can’t communicate it enough. You have to break down those silos and help people feel comfortable to speak up when they might need help. We’re making some good strides and keep trying to improve on it.” – Rob Graham, Vice President - National Safety at McCarthy Building Companies
6. “We promote the concept of raising incidents and hazards to our contractors. We see it as a valuable lesson learned; the more we identify and record, the more we can improve our business further to protect our people. On-the-spot audit capability by any project stakeholder has raised the bar on culture and commitment to safety.” – Brendan Weinert, Head of Sustainable Business Energy Solutions at AGL ?
7. “If an employer asks their new employee for their PPE sizing and preference on day one, they’re demonstrating the value of their employee’s input. On the flip side, if a new employee is handed a ‘one size fits all’ PPE with no other option, they may feel like they’re being treated as just a number. Studies have shown that when organizations build their PPE purchasing policy around the end user, it’s more likely to match the job scenario, be properly worn and maintained.” – Abby Ferri, Chief Risk Officer at Insurate

There is so much great work being done to pave the way toward a safer, more supportive industry, and these are just some examples of how the industry is taking steps in the right direction. To learn more about how industry leaders are driving this important work forward, register for our upcoming webinar, “Turning Conversation into Action: Mental Health in Construction .”