For the first time, Edward G. Sawyer Co. Inc., Weymouth, Mass., completed a full year with zero injuries. Michael F. Tibert, the company’s director of safety, shared what it took and how safety continues to be a priority from the top down.

How did the company accomplish this?

In 2025, we formalized our commitment to safety by instituting monthly foreman safety meetings. These sessions focus on reviewing critical safety topics, analyzing trends and encouraging open dialogue to ensure field leadership plays a direct role in shaping our safety initiatives. We also established a safety committee made of safety professionals, journeyman electricians and apprentices. This cross-­functional representation ensures safety policies and procedures reflect the practical realities of the field while empowering employees at every level to contribute meaningfully.

We define safety as a nonnegotiable commitment that places the well-being of our people above productivity or profit, where every employee accepts personal responsibility for ensuring that everyone returns home safely each day. To reinforce this culture, we conduct daily safety huddles that address current job site conditions, highlight key risks and invite crew input. These discussions foster collaboration and shared accountability, making every team member an active participant in creating a safer work environment. 

Our management team demonstrates this commitment through monthly job site safety walks, engaging directly with employees to identify concerns, discuss improvements and reinforce safe practices. This visible leadership involvement underscores our belief that safety excellence begins at the top and is sustained through collective effort.

How does your company continue to make a commitment to safety?

Without continuous growth and improvement, even the strongest records can give way to complacency and a return to outdated habits. To support this mindset, the company established a development committee composed of key members of executive leadership and the safety team. The committee’s mission is to identify opportunities for improvement across all areas of the organization, with a particular focus on strengthening communication.

We are committed to improving dialogue at every level. In support of this goal, our executive leadership team will participate in advanced leadership training designed to enhance communication skills, strengthen engagement and foster meaningful connections with employees.

We intentionally rely on daily huddles, job site walkthroughs and interactive training sessions to communicate our safety message—recognizing that culture is built through conversations and actions, not policies alone. By actively involving employees in safety discussions and decision-making, we strengthen not only our safety performance, but the organization as a whole. 

While technical proficiency within our trade is essential, we also recognize that construction sites are dynamic environments where multiple trades operate simultaneously. Our electricians must understand not only the hazards associated with their own tasks but also those potentially created by other trades. Moreover, by providing additional training to project managers, estimators and other leaders, we ensure that safety considerations are fully integrated into planning, budgeting and execution.

How has implementing KPA’s EHS app-based safety tool enhanced your practices?

The app integrates several core safety functions that enhance organizational oversight and field execution.

The training management component centralizes employee certifications and records within the platform. In addition to securely storing documentation, the system tracks expiration dates and provides alerts to prevent lapses in required credentials. For pretask planning and hazard identification, the app guides foremen through a structured evaluation of job site conditions and task-specific risks. It supports the development of comprehensive work plans that crew members can review in real time.

Safety huddles and toolbox talks are also documented within the system. Management and safety personnel receive notifications if documentation is incomplete or if required actions are overdue, providing an added layer of accountability.

Incident reporting is another critical feature of the platform. The app enables immediate submission of incident details directly from the field and requires essential information, such as descriptions and photos before a report can be finalized.

Do you have any advice for people entering the safety field?

I believe the best way to promote safety is to lead by example and build trust. Open communication is key—it is important to connect personally with the crews, listen to their concerns and remind them that we all make mistakes. When workers feel heard and respected, they are more likely to speak up and take ownership of safety. 

Reporting near-misses, incidents and injuries is also a critical part of maintaining a strong safety culture. Reporting is not about assigning blame—it is about learning and preventing the next potential injury. Every near-miss is a free lesson and an opportunity to correct hazards before someone gets hurt.

When employees report these situations, it gives us a means to identify trends, implement improvements and create safer environments for everyone. The more we talk about what almost happened, the fewer serious incidents we’ll face in the future.

Michael F. Tibert