Safety Doesn't Take a Break

When CMSWillowbrook sees an opportunity to protect people, we take action right away.

Here’s an example: I recently noticed a contractor working on a roof without any kind of fall protection, including warning lines. Since it’s not acceptable to cut corners and put someone’s life and livelihood at risk, we immediately stopped work. CMSWillowbrook’s full-time safety team called the entire crew into the project office. We reviewed our policies and made sure a violation like that would never happen again.

We also called the subcontractor’s safety director, who promptly scheduled a company-wide fall protection training session.

Some construction firms might think we overreacted to the situation, or that we shouldn’t have put our schedule at risk – after all, nobody got hurt – but the only way to truly protect the men and women who work on our projects is to enforce the rules every day, every step of the way.

CMSWillowbrook is committed to keeping every one of our employees – and anyone else working on our projects – safe. That means being aggressive about preventing injuries, not just reacting when someone is hurt. The stakes are too high to be passive.

CMSW participated in a voluntary jobsite shut down for a professional safety demonstration during OSHA’s Stand Down for Safety week.

When we plan a project, safety is just as important as design, permitting and managing the supply chain. This process helps us complete work on time and on budget.

We see the difference in the data. Our Experience Modification Rate (EMR) is .78, well below the industry average of 1.0. The score is a testament to CMSWillbrook’s dedication to safety.

CMSWillowbrook builds innovative, exceptional buildings. We’ve also built a culture of safety to ensure every worker returns home every day.

Kent Dalrymple is the safety director at CMSWillowbrook.