When it comes to construction safety, Angelo Perryman, who is head Perryman Construction, one of the mid-Atlantic region’s fastest growing construction firms, is truly a thought leader on this topic.
“The key to successful construction safety is to institutionalize policy and to build it into corporate culture and operations. Ultimately construction safety must become habit-like and practiced by everyone,” Perryman says.
Perryman’s firm has an EMR (Experience Modification Rate) rating of less than 1 and has gone over 100,000 hours and five years without a time loss incident. Perryman offers several tips to achieving a successful construction safety program.
1. Make construction safety a priority
Construction safety starts at the top. When it is highly valued by the company’s board and executive leadership, it will be important to everyone throughout the organization.
2. Constantly communicate regarding construction safety
The construction safety messages should be reinforced in every message to the team by every supervisor, every foreman and by top management – in on-site posters, newsletters, orientation, team talks and more.
3. The construction safety process includes having quality subcontractors
Perryman Construction is committed to the highest standards of quality and construction safety, both within our company and from our subs. Their safety record is as important to us as are their experience and skills.
4. Be ahead of the curve on the latest technology
Today’s technology builds in a great many safety features, both on equipment as well as enabling us to track and record safety issues more effectively.
5. Have knowledgeable people on-site
One of Perryman Construction’s unique advantages is that we have trained safety professionals on-site at every location, who also have the authority to make on the spot decisions about safety.
6. Never take construction safety for granted
Although our goal is to make construction safety a habit with everyone in our company, we also coach people to be on the constant lookout for issues and to take appropriate action when recognized.
“When customers know construction safety is of highest importance to your company, it enhances your brand and your bottom line and helps differentiate your company from the competition,” Perryman says.
Perryman Building and Construction is one of the leading, full-service construction companies on the East Coast, self-performing project planning, management and construction projects for pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, transportation, energy, parks and others. Originally founded in 1954 by Jimmie Lee Perryman, Sr. in Evergreen, AL, the company’s philosophy was and is simple; a quality job performed by quality people always counts. Perryman was especially proud of the number of employees who could go on to build their own dreams, including influencing many families to send their children to college for the first time. Today, the company has completed over 1,000 projects and is an active sponsor and participant in numerous community and civic endeavors in its home base, the Mid-Atlantic region.
