Commitment to Safety

At Huff Construction, we recognize the need for a comprehensive safety program and we believe our commitment to safety benefits both our employees and our clients.  I am thrilled to be back at Huff, after a short tenure away in health care. As our Safety Manager, I bring my 20+ years of experience to the table. My job is to make sure we have the right safety program implemented to ensure we are performing at a high level of safety that we always expect.

I think Gary Huff, our CEO, said it best, “Safety and health are a top priority at Huff Construction and are every bit as important as productivity and quality. In fact, they go hand in hand. We want our employees to observe our safety program to stay safe, healthy and able to work, play and enjoy life to its fullest.”

Over the years, I have learned that safety can only be achieved as a team, and my job as our Safety Manager is to put the ingredients in place to help make our team successful, to create individual accountability and then to cheer on our successes.

Here are some of the key areas we focus on at Huff, when it comes to safety:

Communication

In my experience, every successful safety program I have seen has included a strong communication system, meaning every employee must know how we are doing when it comes to safety.  This communication can be as simple as sending out an update on how many days we have gone accident free, celebrating when we reach milestones like 50 days/100 days/150 days accident free, and posting updates on job sites and at the office or on our intranet site.

Communication should also be encouraged back from employees to management. As our Huff Safety Policy states: Safety demands cooperation on everyone’s part. Thus, it is important that communication is kept open at all times between management and employees. Workers who notice hazards or potential safety problems, or feel that they need additional training must notify their supervisor.

Safety Committee

The commitment to safety must come from the highest levels of the company. Our Safety Committee is comprised of our Executive Team, a couple of key field members and myself. We meet regularly to discuss our Safety Program and policies, any injuries, any on-site issues, any upcoming training and more. As the Committee’s Charter states: The primary objective of the Safety Committee is to provide support to enhance the Company’s Safety Program. In addition to this primary mission, the Safety Committee encourages Employees to participate in the safety process for the betterment of all concerned.

Safety Inspections

Safety inspections at our project sites with appropriate documentation and follow-ups are an ongoing part of our Safety Program. These inspections can be carried out by on-site personnel, Executive Team members, myself or outside resources.

Safety Meetings

There are several meetings that are part of our Safety Program including but not limited to our safety tailgate meeting which happens once a week with a different topic and our quarterly safety meetings. Our quarterly meetings give us the opportunity to bring our employees together to discuss a specific topic in depth and give an update on our current safety program results.

Individual Accountability

At Huff, we know that the entire team must be committed to safety for our safety program to succeed. At the same time, we also recognize the need for individual accountability. As our Safety Policy states: Everyone is obligated to be knowledgeable of the standards applicable to their area or job, and just as important, to abide by them… It is the duty of all employees to perform their work with maximum regard for the safety of themselves and co-workers.

To recognize the need for teamwork and individual accountability in order to reach our safety goals, we have built in celebrations at key milestones so that we can honor the hard work put in to stay accident free for 100/150/or more consecutive days. It is always our pleasure to reward our employees for a job well done, safely.

When I think about our Safety Program at Huff, I am proud to see how the hard work that goes into it benefits both our employees and our clients.  As our President, Brad Ardis says, “Huff is committed to providing a safe, accident-free and healthy work environment for everyone. Safe, healthy working conditions do not occur by chance. They are the result of diligent work and careful attention to all company policies by each Huff employee.  That’s why our clients can count on Huff when they are looking for a quality commercial contractor to build their next project.”

To find out more about Huff Construction or our Safety Program contact us today!

The Huff Commitment to Safety
By Larry Gilbert, HR & Safety Manager