Safety seems like a natural focus in every project—but it doesn’t happen by accident.
Rather, safety is achieved through the collective actions and care of project teams. Proactive construction safety planning, expert strategy, and careful collaboration among every individual on the project team all play a vital role in delivering spaces safely.
At Boyd Jones, safety is our number one value. It’s deeply woven into our culture, our project approach, and every decision made on the project site.
By looking ahead, evaluating every project angle, and working as a cohesive team to implement dedicated safety measures, we ensure everyone goes home at the end of the day.
Upholding construction safety on every project site begins with proactive risk assessment and carefully coordinating logistics to ensure the wellbeing of people on and around the site. Project owners, stakeholders, and project teams should never underestimate the critical importance of ensuring their construction partner will evaluate all potential project risks.
During renovations of the historic Omaha Steelworks to create the Catalyst Omaha hub, our team worked closely with the architect and owner to ensure proper precautions as we preserved the integrity of the existing 100-year-old structure while reinforcing it with modern elements. For example, new steel beams that run directly alongside the original ones let the building’s storied history shine, while ensuring structural integrity through reinforcements.
This careful, precise planning avoided safety risks as it brought new life to the historic space.
Part of careful, proactive planning includes being prepared with solutions when the unknown arises. Even the best, most prepared projects will inevitably experience unexpected conditions or new challenges.
The difference between navigating the unforeseen safely and not is that teams that are prepared and have strategic solutions at the ready, versus those that are purely reactive.
As groundwork began at Lincoln’s Fire Station No. 8, we discovered footings and foundations from the former fire station, along with an old cistern that was not on the proper grade. We leaned into our existing relationships with the City and other partners to expand our scope and get the conditions up to standard, allowing the new site to be built safely. Our extensive construction expertise and safety management program enabled us to quickly adopt best practices and apply lessons learned.
An agile safety approach like this is paramount in projects to ensure spaces are delivered efficiently, effectively, and in compliance at every step.
Projects involving occupied facility construction require heightened vigilance, especially when work occurs near active schools or public spaces.
Collaboration with project owners and partners is paramount to ensure a clearly designated separation from active construction activities, and specific, high-risk operations should be scheduled when the building is not occupied.
During renovations at Papillion La Vista Community School’s occupied Trumble Park and Parkview Elementary Schools, Boyd Jones worked closely with the principals to prioritize school activities, ensuring learning could continue while preserving the wellbeing of students, teachers, staff, and visitors.
Transparency, disciplined site logistics planning, and collaboration ensure operations can continue throughout construction while upholding safety.
In addition to having a robust safety program that evaluates, anticipates, and strategically plans projects to avoid risks, it’s important to have experts who are unwaveringly committed to ensuring best practices.
Dedicated safety professionals whose job is to uphold this value across project sites play an essential role in delivering spaces safely. These individuals help identify risks, navigate challenges, ensure jobsite safety, and continuously improve processes.
Along with a robust team of safety professionals, Boyd Jones’ active safety council, comprised of project managers, superintendents, foremen, carpenters, and laborers, meets regularly to uphold quality and improve processes across sites. Furthermore, every individual at Boyd Jones embodies our values and contributes to our culture of safety in every project, every day.
Choosing a team where not just project leaders but the entire company values safety ensures everyone’s wellbeing.
Safety is a culture, a commitment, and our number one value, lived every day through hundreds of small decisions. This relentless dedication sets us apart as recognized safety leaders, committed to delivering each space safely for our clients, partners, team, and communities.
Through proactive construction safety planning that anticipates risks, adapts to challenges, separates construction activities, and dedicates professionals to uphold everyone’s protection, clients can ensure their projects are set up for safety success.
