agchouston.org Summer 2025 Cornerstone 13 CSEA is a significant milestone for Rog- ers-O’Brien. It reinforces our unwavering commitment to the well-being of every team member and trade partner. This recognition not only boosts employee morale and pride but also helps set us apart in a highly competitive market, enhancing our reputation as a trusted, responsible construction partner. Addi- tionally, this award reflects our ongoing dedication to continuous improvement, pushing us to set higher safety standards, innovate in risk management and deliver exceptional results on every project.” At RO, leadership plays a key role in modeling safety behaviors. “This commitment begins with the CEO and executive leadership, who are actively engaged in safety walks, meetings and inspections, setting a strong tone for a culture of safety. The company’s approach goes beyond mere compliance, focusing on people-first and integrating safety into all business decisions,” Daly said. “We focus on what matters with a strong emphasis on high-risk activities where the potential for serious injuries or fatalities is greatest, investing in robust systems and training to ensure we can perform safely. Our Safety Charter is anchored by a clear and compelling mission statement, ‘Protect Life and Wellbeing.’ This mission unifies our teams and directs all our efforts toward continuous improvement.” RO also invests in wearable heat sen- sors to monitor jobsite conditions and has developed the RO SIF Academy, a two-day training course that focuses on preventing serious injuries and fatalities. Back to the Basics and Leading With Care At Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc., safety is about continuous improve- ment and genuine care for every individ- ual on the job. “This recognition shows that we’re on the right track,” said Scott Whatley, Corporate Safety Director at Satterfield & Pontikes Construction, Inc. “It’s an opportunity to strive for excellence, knowing we’ll never be perfect. There’s always room to improve, but this tells us we’re heading in the right direction.” The company focuses on returning to the fundamentals, prioritizing people and reinforcing the basics. “With all the technology out there, sometimes you just have to take a step back, breathe, and make sure the focus stays on taking care of people,” said Whatley. Safety meetings begin with S&P Cares moments that go beyond the jobsite, encouraging employees to look out for one another and build stronger connec- tions. “It’s about making sure employees know we care, not just about the work, but about them personally,” said Whatley. The company supports its safety goals with software used for inspections, observations, and trend tracking. Teams use the data to identify risks and prevent incidents before they happen. “Software evolves constantly and we are always looking for what’s next, but it is how we apply it that matters most,” Whatley said. When asked what advice they would share with others pursuing CSEA-level safety, Whatley kept it simple. “Plan your work and work your plan. Once the crews are on site, they are focused on getting the job done. It is our responsibility to make sure they are working safely within that plan.” For Satterfield & Pontikes Construc- tion Inc., building a strong safety culture starts with defining who the team really is. “It is not just the safety of the Satter- field & Pontikes team, it is everyone who steps foot on the project. When you set that expectation, communicate clearly, and show you care, that is when real safety culture takes hold.” Operational Integration and Employee Empowerment Polk Mechanical Company, LLC approaches safety as an integrated part of its operations. “We refer to our philosophy as ‘Operational Safety,’ not ‘Operations and Safety,’” said Michael Tackett, safety director at Polk Mechanical Company, LLC. “Protecting the workers is incor- porated into every plan, every schedule and every estimate we execute. The award reinforces and validates the extensive efforts of our craft workers in performing above compliance-level requirements and into an elite level of protecting each other as they execute their daily tasks.” The company emphasizes positive reinforcement, real-time data sharing, and innovative tools such as wireless chain hoists and battery-powered gen- erators to help reduce risk. “Our safety culture utilizes positive reinforcement and recognition in support of our core value of doing the right thing. The supervision routinely performs behavioral and work area observations as they include safety and risk experts in the planning of high-hazard events,” Tackett said. “Our Safety Team and company leadership attend weekly toolbox talk deliveries, site celebrations, site high-risk activi- ties and supervision receives a monthly video conference to discuss current events or exposures.” The company’s method of achieving CSEA recognition wasn’t about chasing awards, noted Tackett, but about “focus- ing on the people performing the work 2nd Place: Polk Mechanical Company, LLC - Specialty Division (1.35 Million - 2.25 Million Work Hours)
