Safety First at Superior Duct Fabrication: Our Commitment to Protecting Our Team

At Superior Duct Fabrication, our commitment to safety is more than just compliance with regulations; it is a culture that is woven through every aspect of our operations.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry reported 1,056 fatal injuries in 2022, with falls, slips, and trips being the leading causes. In the sheet metal sector, the trend is no different, with hand injuries, eye injuries, and falls making up a significant portion of workplace accidents. These numbers highlight the importance of safety protocols, continuous training, and a relentless focus on preventative measures.

At Superior Duct Fabrication, we've taken proactive steps to reduce risks and promote a safety-first culture:

• Safety Audits and Continuous Improvement: Regular safety audits help us identify potential hazards and implement corrective actions immediately. We believe in a culture of continuous improvement, where feedback from our team drives our safety initiatives.
• Inclusive Training Tailored to Each Location: In addition to going above and beyond OSHA standards at all our locations we make sure all our training is specifically geared to each of satellite locations and available in multiple languages.
• Empowering Our Employees: We encourage our team to speak up about safety concerns and suggest improvements. Safety is everyone's responsibility, and we empower our employees to take ownership of it.

A Conversation with Our Safety Director

Below is an interview with our Safety Director, Dannette Acevedo, show casing how we prioritize safety at Superior Duct Fabrication:

Q: Can you tell us about your career path and how you became a safety director?

A: I started off working at Limbach a mechanical contractor as an intern helping with their submittals but once I did my first job walk with our safety director I knew safety was were I belonged.

From there I went on to become a safety admin, safety coordinator, area safety manager then found my home here at Superior as their safety director.

Q: How do you cultivate a culture of safety at SDF?

A: Cultivating a safety culture takes years but I have started with getting to know my crews and seeing how they worked, once I had an understanding of how they operated I began having safety conversations with them on better ways to stay safe, implementing more hands-on safety training, since continuing safety education is key, as well as implementing a safety incentive program that rewards employees on reporting near misses, potential hazards or safety ideas. ?These small culture changes have already been showing positive results in our safety records and I can't wait to see our growth over the years.

Q: How has technology impacted your approach to workplace safety?

A: Superior has recently invested in an exciting digital safety platform called KPA, it is going to take our safety records from the past 22 years of business and give us analytics we have never seen before giving us better ways to prevent injuries and grow our safety program.

Q: What’s a surprising or fun fact about yourself that your team might not know?

A: My favorite thing is going on the weekends with my family to Arizona for the river.