AGC of California recently recognized the best in safety in the California construction industry with the 35th annual Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA).
Held in conjunction with CONSTRUCT 2022, AGC of California’s annual networking and professional development conference, in Rancho Mirage, on Nov. 3, 2022, the CSEA awards drew a crowd of several hundred construction executives, safety professionals, and student chapter members to see leading California construction companies and individuals honored for safety excellence.
“In construction, we know that a successful project is a safe project. Safety is the cornerstone of everything we do, every step of the way. As an industry, our goal first and foremost is that every employee returns home safely to their family,” said Dina Kimble, 2022-23 president, AGC of California and president, Royal Electric Company. “Together, AGC of California and member companies can play a vital role in elevating the conversation about the importance of safety. We want every person on every job site to feel supported both physically and emotionally.”
AGC of California Associate Vice President, Engagement & Regulatory Affairs Brian Mello helped moderate the awards luncheon along with Kimble, 2022 Safety & Health Council Chair Chris Jones, ACCO Engineered Systems, and AGC of California Safety & Regulatory Affairs Manager Tresten Keys. Justin Ross, national account manager for event sponsor Milwaukee Tool, and Adam Hobbs, vice president, global sales with sponsor HammerTech, also offered comments during the annual event.
Mello pointed out that the awards illustrate AGC of California’s commitment to strengthening the professional standards of contractors’ safety and health efforts across the state.
“Over the past two years, the Safety and Health Council has aligned its goals to the mission of AGC of California to shape policy, improve industry relationships and develop our workforce,” Mello said. “I look forward to working alongside the Safety and Health Council as we work to lift up, support and buoy the industry for long term sustainable growth.”
Mindful Leadership and its Impact on Safety
Attendees heard a dynamic keynote address from Shaun Carvalho, chief safety officer, Shawmut Design and Construction. His presentation, “A Mindful Approach to Leadership,” exemplifies the direction in which this industry and the safety and health council is moving – from compliance to a culture of care.
Carvalho challenged listeners to think about what success looks like to them, to set goals that aim high, and to recognize the impact of constant distractions and negative thinking that the average human experiences on a daily basis.
Thanks to the digital world and cell phones and other media, “we’ve been distracted as a human race more in the last 15 years than ever before,” he noted. “Ninety-five percent of (safety) incidents can be traced back to a human factor. Are we creating an environment where (employees) can be their best?” Carvalho urged employers to share expectations and goals with employees and to “create a positive jobsite, built on empathy, communication and safety as the foundation.”
Following the keynote address, AGC of California recognized the winners of the 2022 CSEA Awards, which honored their strong commitment to safe work practices over the past year.
AGC of California offers congratulations to the following award winners:
CSEA Main Category/Worker Hours
Building Division:
200,000 – 700,000 Worker Hours –
- 1st place – BNBuilders
- Finalist – Blach Construction
800,000 and Over Worker Hours –
- 1st place – Clark Construction
- Finalist – Hensel Phelps
Heavy, Civil and Highway Division:
200,000 – 600,000 Worker Hours –
- 1st place – Nova Group
- Finalist – Myers & Sons Construction
Specialty Contractor Division:
Under 400,000 Worker Hours –
- 1st place – K. Comstock National Transit
- Finalist – Pro-Craft Construction
600,000 – 2 Million Worker Hours –
- 1st place – A-C Electric Company
- Finalist – Solv Energy
Over 2 Million Worker Hours –
- 1st place – BrightView Landscape Development
- Finalist – ACCO Engineered Systems
CSEA Specialized Awards
- Individual Safety Effort of a Project Superintendent – Art Vasconcelos, Clark Construction.
- Safety on a High Hazard Project – Myers & Sons Construction, “Paintersville and Mokelumne River Bridge Project”
For the first time, the presentation of the Harry Eckstein Safety Professional of the Year has been moved and will be presented at the AGC of California Installation & Awards Gala on Feb. 3, 2023, in San Francisco.
AGC of California also thanks the judges for the 2022 AGC of California CSEA Awards included:
- Lisa Prince – The Prince Law Firm
- Robert Pinney – Liberty Mutual Insurance
- Kevin Thompson – Cal/OSHA Reporter
