No matter where work takes place, the construction industry is known as having one of the most hazardous work environments with a high rate of injuries, illnesses and fatalities each year. Construction firms and their Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) professionals have done a lot of work to mitigate risks typically associated with construction and compared to decades past, construction is safer than it’s ever been. But there is more work to be done and the well-being of workers and protection of the environment is an ethical obligation.

Often, project teams are multilingual without one common language, which can make implementing a unified safety culture a challenge. In Europe, DPR is very diverse, and team members come from all over the world to engage with the multilingual craft in the teams. Sharing the same languages and culture helps the teams create a dialog. Active in-person communication with everyone involved is the key to implementing our strong safety standards, regardless of language barriers.

At DPR, safety is a value and the culture around it is deeply rooted in all aspects of the project lifecycle. Driven to change the world, DPR aims to positively influence the construction industry with safe and incident-free environments on its project sites. DPR has seven safety fundamentals—safety mindset, engagement, integration, competence, planning, leveraging data, and continuous improvement—which are incorporated into all projects. Keeping people safe is a priority, not a compliance exercise, and it takes 100% teamwork.

When EHS coordinator Fiona Graf moved from Hong Kong to Switzerland and joined DPR in 2022, the company provided plenty of training courses to understand local safety regulations better and gain knowledge on specific topics relevant to her role, as well as providing a coach for support and career advice.

“DPR not only cares about my performance but also my personal growth and development,” said Graf. “DPR welcomes and values both positive and negative feedback from its employees, trade partners and customers and strives constantly for improvement. This is a quality I find truly admirable about our company.”

Recently, on one project in Switzerland, DPR’s local waste management trade partner shared feedback about DPR’s environmental protection initiatives and its positive impact on the community. Waste management is critical on large projects, especially ones of more than 1000 operatives daily. With the support of trade partners, DPR measures and analyzes the data every month and finds ways to improve recycling and reduce waste. For example, sorting waste properly and delivering the clean wood waste to a local factory for shredding and recycling. Such waste turns into recycled materials later on and serves another purpose. The trade partner told DPR that it is the first company they have worked with that asks for such data and takes the initiative to make positive changes locally. They are happy to be working with a company that cares about the local environment and sees the value of environmental protection despite the higher cost.

DPR’s European projects reflect the continent's diversity, with multiple languages spoken on project sites. In addition to language differences, there is often varying understanding of what “safety” is. Yet, despite these challenges, crews manage to shape a positive safety culture on site and promote incident-free environments through countless small steps such as onsite organized talks, workshops and campaigns as well as a safety recognition award program. DPR makes sure every project team has someone who can communicate in the native language of the craft employees.

On the Swiss project, weekly safety awards are given to project team members who display outstanding safety performance and follow best practices. This award program aims to recognize their valuable contributions and encourage them to continue being role models for their peers it is impressive how quickly that can change the whole team’s mindset and habits. DPR also awarded trade supervisors who show a deep commitment to safety through their work activities and lead their work groups to shape a safe work environment.

“We are often viewed as inspectors and as a woman in the field which can be an additional obstacle to overcome in ensuring safety within the construction industry—which is still very male-dominated,” said Luisa Buffolino, a DPR EHS manager in Switzerland. “Therefore, engaging, building trust and relationships with people is the most important part of my role.”

Finding the safest and most cost-effective solution requires financial investment and time. However, safety is not only the right thing to do, but it is also good for business because accidents end up costing more.

“I really believe that people give their best when they feel important and appreciated. That’s why always taking care of all workers on site and showing them how our company truly cares about their safety is the best way to build not only an injury-free, but also a productive environment,” added Buffolino.

By implementing a solid EHS program, construction companies can protect their workers, the public and the environment from various hazards. Enabling a safe work environment must be prioritized to preserve the well-being of people and ensure projects are successfully executed.

“It is so much more than preventing safety incidents and ensuring compliance within the project,” said Graf. “It’s also to educate and develop a positive safety mindset which will stay with our field teammates throughout their entire lives.”