DPR Construction Hosts Summit to Transform, Advance Jobsite Safety

While construction has made great strides in safety over the past decade, the industry still has one of the country’s highest rates of workplace injury. In response, DPR Construction gathered nearly 100 people including trade partners, safety experts and industry leaders for a summit aimed at helping the industry take the next steps to keep workers safe.

The summit’s interactive workshops and discussions highlighted the variety of behaviors throughout the project lifecycle where participants can positively affect safety, not simply rely on regulations and personal protective equipment. DPR is hosting a series of these conversations throughout the northeast U.S. to help accelerate industry momentum, elevate standards and redefine industry practices. The company seeks to do this by emphasizing that safety stems from meticulous planning and education. The goal is to empower all project partners to identify high-risk activities, conduct thorough job hazard analyses and have a unified approach to both every day on every job. Then, together, teams can engineer out risks before they materialize.

“Everyone has a role to play in environmental health & safety,” said Adam Eckert, a DPR safety leader. “The safety and success of any construction project are determined by the individual decisions and actions of every team member. It’s critical to create an engaging, supportive jobsite environment that promotes communication, ownership and teamwork.”

The recent D.C.-area summit sparked discussions, surfacing gaps in work scopes, additional training needs and behavioral shifts required to ensure a safer workplace. Participants also explored how to integrate EHS planning in every project phase and how new technology can help identify and mitigate risks. Attendees left with practical strategies that can be put to work immediately, as well as areas for future focus.