When do you achieve success? At times, we feel success in the form of winning the bid, finishing a job ahead of schedule or delivering beyond the expectation of the customer. 

For me and my team at Geneva Rock, real success is doing our work — building a better community — while ensuring the safety of every person involved in the project. 

We’ve decided that unless safety is assured, none of those other typical successes matter. Our people are our most valuable asset. 

Safety isn’t just a box for us to check off at the end of the day, it’s a culture we drink, eat and breathe. In my 34 years with Geneva Rock, I’ve stood behind our consistently high safety ratings and observance of OSHA standards. Our safety awards are my most valued recognitions. 

In 2017, I’m ready to move that meter higher, proving we can do more to make certain that everyone on every job goes home safely. To expand on our current safety programs and routines, we are instigating a 3Cs Safety Initiative. The Geneva Rock leadership team has visited every location and met with each employee to spread the word. I’ve even freshened up my Spanish-speaking skills (I haven’t spoken fluently for 37 years) and have spoken individually with our Spanish-speaking employees about the importance of this safety initiative. 

We are excited to elevate safety across our organization, amplifying the level of success we achieve in every aspect of our work. 

CONVERSE 

• We eliminate 95 percent of potential risks when we simply talk about what we see happening on the job. 

• Project managers, superintendents, foremen and other leaders have been challenged to “up their game” in verbal collab- oration with other field employees. Each person has a goal of making connections with a slated amount of team-members each day to exchange feedback about risks and opportunities of the current project. 

COMMEND 

• Our current safety ratings are high because our employees work practices are exceptional. We believe it’s important to remind our people that we see all the things they are doing right and that we appreciate it. 

• Each conversation will include a compliment, noting positive practices that employees do to protect themselves and the team. 

CORRECT 

Safety is a learned skill. The more we learn and the more we become aware of, the safer our work will be. 

• Our 3C conversations will also focus on providing teaching moments. These suggestions provide opportunities for an elevated level of safety, as well as a better understanding between team members.