At Pinkard Construction, safety is not just a core value, it’s the central focus of everything we do. “Safety is not just a priority, it's the priority,” says Safety Manager David Ruddy, better known on the jobsite as Safety Dave.
Dave is a passionate advocate for creating a culture of safety that extends beyond the workplace. “For me, safety comes down to one thing: your why. For most of us, that’s our loved ones. Working safe, for us and for everyone around us, means coming home healthy and whole every single day.”
That’s why Safety Dave rejects the old saying “Safety First,” instead preaching the mantra, “Family first, safety always.”
Dave continues: “We want to make sure that everyone who works for us knows that their safety is key to the success of our company. And it means making sure that everyone else on our jobsite—fellow workers, neighbors, passers-by and visitors to the site—do too.”
Rather than simply policing safety violations, Pinkard believes that creating a positive culture of safety is the key to ensuring everyone on the job site stays safe.
“We want to create a culture where safety is not just a set of rules and regulations, but an integral part of the way we work,” Dave explains. “We make sure people know their ‘why’ and then we equip them with the best possible training. We create processes and procedures that make it easy to work safely. Everyone must feel empowered to speak up if they see something that is not safe.”
In addition to physical safety, Pinkard is also committed to promoting mental health awareness and providing associated resources for its employees.
"We recognize that mental health is just as important as physical health. The construction industry has an alarming rate of suicide. That must change. We want our employees to know that it's important to talk about mental health and that we're here to support them."
To help promote holistic wellness, Pinkard has partnered with You Turn Health to provide employees 24/7 access to supportive services for stress, anxiety, depression, substance abuse and suicidal ideation.
“Almost all of us have experienced losing a loved one,” says Dave. “Sometimes there’s nothing that could have been done to prevent it, but we are committed to making sure that preventable injuries and deaths never happen on our watch.”
