Brieser Construction
6692c7c7d1d73305e6804f23 100 1502

America’s Safest Companies 2024: Brieser Construction

Aug. 1, 2024
Brieser’s employees take part in dynamic discussions every day about safety.

Editor's Note: The 2024 class of America's Safety Companies will be recognized Tuesday, August 27 during the Safety Leadership Conference. More information about the conference, including registration, can be found at www.safetyleadershipconference.com.


Brieser Construction

Construction

Channahon, IL

200 employees | 1 site | 4 EHS professionals

 

The safety philosophy at Brieser Construction, a construction firm located just outside of the Chicago area, is to empower employees by providing them with the proper training, tools and equipment to do the right thing.

“We hire character, not skill sets,” explains Kevin Colwell, the company’s director of safety. “We can teach skills, but cannot change a person’s core values. Because working safely is our core value, we strive to align personnel we hire with that value set.”

Brieser is not a typical construction company. For one thing, it is a woman-owned entity, and as such inclusion of every race, gender and ethnicity is of paramount importance. The company also heavily emphasizes psychological safety in the workplace.

“Safety is much more than rules,” Colwell notes. “The rules give us the employees’ hands and feet—we also want their hearts and minds. We make it about the people who work here. Rules are easy. Getting to know how people interact with those rules is key to our success.”

Character, then, is definitely important at Brieser, but so too is training. Being involved in such intense workplace environments as petrochemical and energy, the company has invested heavily in various training modules. According to Colwell, when you factor in training required by clients as well as Brieser’s own training requirements, there are over 225 modules.

“The majority of our workforce go through no less than 20 Brieser-specified training sessions prior to starting work,” he points out, “and for those with tenure, most have 50-75 individual trainings under their belts.”

Formal corporate toolbox talks takes place weekly at each of the company’s project sites. And discussions and safety learning related to the previous day occur every morning. Brieser has also begun the rollout of an online learning management system to introduce the concept of micro-learning.

“Success at the end of the day typically starts with the plan that was created at the beginning of the day,” Colwell says. “Although we have a strong process for our pre-task discussions, we have noted that there is a need for improvement based on jobsite walks by the safety department, management, and most importantly, feedback from the field.”

When developing its organizational goals this year, Brieser limited it to one item: Explore and Implement Options to Enhance Pre-Task Discussions Prior to All Work. “Not only do pre-task discussions outline the work, risks and controls for the day, but they have a much farther-reaching impact,” he says. “Having a dynamic discussion everyday improves each employee’s experience and creates a bond between employee and organization that will become imperceptible as time progresses.”

About the Author

Dave Blanchard | Editor-in-Chief / Senior Director of Content

During his career Dave Blanchard has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeek, EHS Today, Material Handling & Logistics, Logistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. Prior to joining Endeavor/Informa/Penton, he spent a decade covering the artificial intelligence industry. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University. 

Sponsored Recommendations

Fitting in Fast: Making a Safe Workplace for New Hires

Sept. 12, 2024
Over a third of nonfatal injuries happen to workers who have been with their current employer for less than a year.

Elevating Safety: Empowering Supervisors to Become Safety Advocates

Aug. 27, 2024
Explore the skills, knowledge and techniques that supervisors need to effectively manage the safety of their crew. This guide will examine the causes and symptoms of supervisory...

Top 10 Causes of Distracted Driving—and What They All Have in Common

Aug. 27, 2024
The results reveal the top ten causes of distracted driving, and make it clear that not all distractions are created equal.

Spotting Workplace Safety Heroes: A Guide to Identifying Your Champions

Aug. 27, 2024
No two workplace safety champions are identical. But almost every single one of them has at least one standout quality that helps them excel. Here are some of those qualities ...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of EHS Today, create an account today!