Safety Week 2022: Connected to Core

Granite's safety culture is defined by the idea that safety is a choice - we all have the agency and ability to decide to think and act safely. In this article, Group Safety Director Ryan Nero explores how connection supports Granite's "Safety by Choice" culture.

At Granite, we understand that safe operation doesn’t just happen—safety is a?choice made by each one of us. We have rules, standards, and guidelines to ensure the safety and well-being of our employees, but our success depends on our willingness to engage with and utilize these best practices to keep each other safe. We are the agents of our success, and our actions and behaviors drive our safety culture.?

A key component to our program is?active?employee participation and engagement in our core safety commitments—daily Take 5’s, daily inspections/observations of our work area, and weekly toolbox talks.?These exercises promote wide-spread engagement with safety related conversations, cultivating an environment where feedback and best practices can flow through our organization. Supporting this kind of engagement allows us to CONNECT with our people.

There are two critical factors for leaders to support engagement with safety culture. The first is Management Commitment/Engagement and the second is Leadership Presence.

Management Commitment and Engagement?sets the tone on our projects.?Leadership’s active engagement and participation in core safety commitments sets expectations on the safety success of the Group/Region/Project.?Leadership engagement allows the organization to communicate not only the expectations of our core safety commitments but also present WHY we believe in these commitments. Participating in core safety commitments gives Granite leaders the chance to set the tone on safety and makes it clear that, from the job site to the board room, safe operation is Granite’s top focus. As a leader, you must be engaged with safety if you want your project, group, or region to succeed.

Leadership Presence?supports?safety culture and education. Being present in the field during our Take 5’s and safety meetings provides the opportunity to support, coach, and mentor our front-line supervision, while being visible to our craft labor and acting as a resource for them, which demonstrates connection and will help us build on our safety culture. Granite utilizes HCSS mobile safety to record our core safety commitment participation and allows us to make sure information recorded is correct, thorough, and high-quality.?Remember, the feedback we get helps us PAVE our path towards continuous improvement and eventually realizing a workplace that is free from harm.

If you are a safety or other leader in construction, use the following talking points to engaging with your people on safety.?These can be useful during everyday operations as well as safety week.

Safety Responsibility?– Safety is our own personal responsibility.?Our actions and behaviors directly influence our safety performance.

Take Care of Yourself, So You Can Take Care of Your Family –?Once you establish your own personal accountability towards safety it reduces the opportunity for work related injuries and affords us the opportunity to take care of the ones we love.

Do not be Influenced by Poor Safety Behavior –?“Get Awkward Quick” In other words, do not be afraid to get out of your comfort zone when it comes to helping each other out.??

Share you Passion for Working Safely –?Be creative, exciting, and influential when participating in or leading Take 5’s, Toolbox Talks, or any other safety related conversation.?The energy we put in can be infectious and help to keep things exciting and interesting.

Don’t be Afraid to Speak Up! –?We win or lose everyday based on the number of safe choices, actions, and behaviors we carry out.?Distractions are everywhere in our lives and the workplace is not immune to this.?Look out for one another and demonstrate active caring by speaking up when you see the opportunity for a coaching moment.?Especially when you know something is not right.

Share your Story –?Stories are still a powerful training tool.?Take the time to share your story and encourage others to do the same.???

Core Safety Commitments -?Relentlessly support our goals and pursuit for high quality safety meetings, open forum Take 5’s and meaningful observations and inspections.?