The Future of Safety
Team members at the Puritan Medical Products project in Orlinda, Tennessee, gather for an afternoon stretch.
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By Mike Bennett
One thing is for sure, change is inevitable. As you look back at our company’s history, our safety journey has continued to evolve for decades. The Cianbro Companies has always been on the forefront of leading these initiatives, including 100 percent eye protection, 100 percent tie-off, and tobacco possession-free workplaces. The company took a leadership position regardless of whether it was popular or even tried before in the industry. Why? Because it was the right thing to do to take care of our team members’ health and wellbeing. As you know, for several years now we have had a major focus on the team’s mental health. In the construction industry, three people are killed in the line of work every day. The suicide rate in the construction industry is five times this number. Fifteen people a day are taking their lives in the construction industry. Mental health is the No. 1 non-occupational hazard that exists in our industry and our company. For many years, we have referenced that our backpacks contain both work and life. Today, more than ever, we are all carrying around a lot of weight in our backpacks, and each one of us manages this weight differently. For some, the weight comes and goes. For others, the weight in their backpack can linger for weeks, months, and even years. When the weight in our backpacks is not managed properly, we can begin to lose our focus. We may also lose our patience and energy. Things that we could once let go of 6
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now become a fire that fuels our reactions. Over time, anxiety and even depression can develop from this weight in our backpacks. Rather than just ignore it, we are identifying ways to help us all manage our backpacks. At the end of 2021, during our Finish Strong campaign, we introduced a new mental health stretch that we refer to as visualization. As industrial athletes, we warm up our muscles before going to work, and now we are warming up our minds. We all visualize in some form or fashion. If you need to run to the store, you visualize where you need to go in the store and what you need to pick up before you even step foot in the store. If you are traveling, you will likely visualize what you need to pack and how you will pack. At work, many of us visualize what we need to accomplish. Again, this visualization helps keep your mind healthy. This new stretch may feel awkward at first, just as it did when we introduced our physical stretching program many years ago, and today, many construction companies are following our lead. The more consistently we perform these stretches, the better we will get at them and the more natural they will feel. We appreciate your cooperation as we continue to improve and take care of each other. Lastly, over the past several months, we have partnered with a medical professional to develop additional tools that our team can utilize to take care of their mental wellbeing. Cianbro will soon be deploying these additional tools. We are very excited about the future of our health and safety program. Your continued support and commitment to these programs are why your company is recognized across the United States as one of the healthiest and safest companies.
