National Work Zone Awareness Week is dedicated to the safety of our workers, roadways, and drivers. As part of our commitment to safety, I Build America – Ohio is giving safety managers the spotlight to share why safety is so important to our crews and our communities — and how the public can do its part. Check out the profile below for a first-hand look at why safety is important today and every day!
Name: Matt Ward
Company: Beaver Constructors Inc.
Title/Position: Safety Supervisor
Years Working in Construction: 16.5 Years
How did you begin your career in construction?
Started as an Assistant Project Manager and progressed to a Safety Supervisor.
How do you contribute to the overarching safety of your company’s workforce?
Compassion and Devotion: In the safety world we live by very rigid standards and policies to preserve lives. Having the ability to have compassion for a person’s needs, to understand their jobs, successes, failures, I can have a personal connection with everyone. I have a complete devotion for the safety of all our employees who are also my friends and family. With devotion and compassion, I can deliver and implement a clear and concise safety message for success.
What does your company do to ensure safety on the job?
At the Beaver Companies we rely heavily on our culture of safety. This culture has been built by decades of hard work and effort of our employees to be safe. We have several top tier safety policies, procedures and best practices, but our number one way to ensure safety is to believe in our culture and our employees.
What is one thing you wish the general public knew about safety in construction?
How important it is to have safety as a number one commitment. I have worked for years in the safety industry and cost and schedule has always been the focus of the general public. In my experience people want to know when you will be complete and how much will it cost very few would ask how are you going to protect us (the general public) and how will you ensure the safety of the workers.
How can the public help keep construction workers and work zones safe?
First and foremost, follow the rules that have been communicated around construction sites. Second understand we are working hard to achieve success in schedule and cost with minimal impact to their (general public) daily lives, but we must do our work safely so we can all go home at the end of the day.
