Stewards of Construction Safety

By Brenden Nickels, Senior Office Assisstant

As a construction management company, Kraus-Anderson knows that sometimes working in the construction industry can come with potential risks. At the same time, we also know it takes everyone involved to make sure that everyone stays safe when they are working.  

To enhance communication and awareness about jobsite safety, select employees have been named “safety champions,” whose duties are to assist a jobsite project manager and superintendent in creating a safe workspace for the employees. Safety champions duties include: 

  • Adopting new safety programs and implementing current ones 
  • Conducting orientations for new employees 
  • Conducting inspections alongside the superintendent  
  • Following up with KA’s safety department on how things are going at their jobsites 

Kraus-Anderson Director of Safety Jay Vander Leest said that the idea of having safety champions came about because, at the time, the company had to keep a close eye on safety on larger scale jobsites, but everyone on those jobsites also had other important responsibilities to attend to. The idea was first discussed in 2021, and the first class was held in 2023. That class was so successful that they held a second class to include more Kraus-Anderson employees, emphasizing Project Engineers that had just joined the company and would be working on a jobsite.  

“The safety champion role was started to make additional KA workers more knowledgeable with construction safety to assist the jobsite superintendents in delivering a safe jobsite, not only for KA workers, but our trade partners as well,” said Vander Leest.  

While the goal was to promote collaboration between project teams and the safety department, KA also wanted to create a way for employees to grow their careers. Take KA Labor Foreman Tom Coleman, for instance; he was one of the first graduates of the program and is now a safety coordinator. 

“Being a labor foreman in the field, I could use what I have learned so I could make things safer on site,” said Coleman. “With this safety course and others, I was able to apply for a full-time safety coordinator position within our company. I feel very honored and excited that I was their candidate for this position, and with this position I will keep learning as I grow into it.” 

Safety will always be Kraus-Anderson’s priority. It’s part of our operating code. With a person in charge of safety at each of its jobsites, KA continues to work for the wellbeing of everyone involved in a project.  

CATEGORY: Construction