Construction Safety Week brings together leaders across the industry for a week of advocacy, knowledge sharing, and discussion around safety in the field. Redmond recently sat down with our Safety Director, Jeff Jacobucci, to have a conversation around safety in the field and how to create a culture that prioritizes protecting oneself and others.
Q: HOW DO YOU CREATE A FIRM CULTURE THAT CENTERS AROUND SAFETY?
A: Since craft workers are the ones on the front lines, getting them to acknowledge the importance of a safety culture is the first step in creating a safe work environment. My 30 years as a union carpenter helps me to connect with field personnel since I have experience working on projects similar to their current work. I believe effective communication is the key factor in maintaining a safe work environment. I make sure to explain the safety procedures to all individuals involved on a project. Unfortunately, many people feel negatively about safety professionals, viewing them as someone who is there solely to police and punish. My goal is to have workers see me as an educational resource there to help create a safer and more positive work environment.
Q: WHAT ARE THE TOP ELEMENTS YOU LOOK FOR AND/OR MONITOR TO ENSURE A SITE IS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE?
A: Site safety begins with positive leadership from the Superintendent. When a Superintendent demonstrates and communicates a commitment to a safe work environment, craft workers are more likely to buy in and engage in proper safety protocols. Before a job even starts, I review the site-specific safety plan provided by the subcontractors to ensure they have followed all safety protocols. When visiting a job site, the first thing notice is whether all workers are wearing proper PPE. The adherence to PPE guidelines is a quick indicator of whether a subcontractor values a safe work environment for their
employees.
Q: HOW HAS CONSTRUCTION SAFETY TRANSFORMED OVER THE YEARS?
A: When I started in the construction industry in 1993, PPE was much less common. Hardhats and safety glasses are now required at all times on a job. Another major change is that construction jobs now require a written site-specific safety plan outlining the procedures which must be followed to ensure a safe work environment. Sharing, reviewing, and discussing that plan with everyone involved on a project is vital. The more eyes on it, the better. It’s truly a group effort.
Falls are the most common cause of construction fatalities. Fall protection equipment has improved tremendously over the years. The new fall protection equipment available helps to prevent serious injuries, but proper training in its use is imperative as the equipment only works when used correctly.
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR TOP GOALS AS THE SAFETY DIRECTOR AT REDMOND?
A: Developing an all-encompassing safety culture in the office and the field is my goal. Safety is a team effort. The goal is to have every Redmond employee realize the important role they play in building and maintaining an effective safety culture. I want every Redmond team member to feel empowered to speak freely about safety behaviors. Having them view me as a mentor that they can turn to with any questions or concerns they may having regarding safety is my top priority. When working for Redmond, safety doesn’t just stop at the job site.
Jeff leads the way in managing the safety and risk associated with construction projects and company operations. He has 30 years of experience as a union carpenter, and his passion centers around educating others on the importance of safety in construction. Jeff brings numerous credentials to bolster Redmond’s site safety, including Construction Safety 145-hour Certification, OSHA-30 Hour, Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST), and Safety Trained Supervisor Construction (STSC).
Safety at Redmond
Redmond ensures industry leading safety on sites through 100% supervision, proactive training programs, and continued education for our entire staff. Redmond’s internal Safety Committee meets monthly, and leads an all-staff safety meeting quarterly. All field staff are required to complete OSHA 30 Hour Training, and all Project staff are required to complete a minimum of OSHA 10 Hour Training. All Redmond employees are provided with Red Cross First Aid Training. We utilize a Construction Safety Team through AJ Gallagher, our GL provider, to conduct monthly mock OSHA audits of job sites and provide improvement reports to our Field Team and Safety Committee. These reports are used to identify trends, to provide subcontractors with hazard mitigation resources, and to inform safety equipment and PPE upgrades. Topical “Toolbox Talks” are hosted on-site weekly and logged, and daily logs of site conditions are logged in Procore at the end of each active day.
