The first week of May is an important time for the construction industry.

From May 1st through 5th, we’re celebrating Construction Safety Week. This awareness week is very significant to us, as well as the entire construction field. Safety on the job is about more than just personal protective equipment (PPE) – even though PPE is also critical.

This year’s theme is “Strong Voices, Safe Choices.” We love this sentiment as it fosters an environment of empowerment, recognition, and impact. Everyone throughout the organization has a role to play in ensuring that the job site is a safe place. It’s vital for all team members to feel like they can speak up, step in and work together to call out any hazards.

However, hazards aren’t always easy to spot, and they are not limited to the physical aspect of the job. Mental health matters and is a big part of safety, as well. Did you know that one in five construction workers face anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues? A teammate in mental distress can potentially be in just as much or more danger than a teammate in physical distress.

All of this taken together is why it truly takes the whole team’s cooperation and partnership to achieve collective job site safety. The choices we make on the job and the choice to unite together toward the goal of job site safety has a clear impact on not just the project, but all of the people on the job, the clients and the industry at large.

To honor the importance of Construction Safety Week, a few of our employees at Eastman Cooke felt compelled to share, in their own voices, what this week and the topics above mean to them.

“Safety starts with a good safety plan, followed by an orientation meeting with all subcontractors which is part of their contractual agreement. From there, we have mandatory pre-shift safety meetings with subcontractors, setting the tone for the project.” – Phillip Butowski, Superintendent

“Safety First is not just a slogan its our priority! Keeping safety practices at the forefront in the minds of each and every worker is our mission.” – Steven Dodge, Project Engineer

“I happen to end all my internal emails, with “Safety Matters”. It is not signatory to one person or trade, it is the ECA way. Safety begins at home and should be with us all the time.” – Ray Ruggiano, Superintendent

We thank our team for their commitment to workplace safety! You are a great example of coming together to help make Eastman Cooke and the entire industry a safer place to work. Let’s keep spreading awareness of construction safety far and wide.