Building a strong construction safety culture means being comfortable with confrontation

When it comes to safety, most construction companies today talk a good game. They follow the rules; they document the training. But does it stick? Do you have the bases covered, or do you have a true safety culture with 100 percent buy-in?

According to Carl Uhinck, asphalt equipment manager at Kokosing, a true safety culture has the following elements:

Being a major player in the construction arena, Kokosing has always had a rigorous safety program, but about eight years ago, its top management decided to take it to a whole new level, says Uhinck. “They wanted to drive home the culture of safety and the requirement for personal commitment from each employee to work safe. Upper management passed the message down to the vice presidents, who passed it down to department managers, who took the message to the smaller teams,” he says.

Uhinck recalls a managers’ meeting in which somebody asked how many people at Kokosing work in safety. The correct answer, says Uhinck, is everybody.

Uhinck also stresses that an effective safety program has to be personal. And while that sounds simple enough, making things personal requires honesty, openness and face-to-face communication—not an easy ask in the rough and tumble world of construction.

Confrontation over safety issues can be uncomfortable. That’s why it’s rarely done.