Safety
Leading by Example
As the only two-time winner of the AGC’s National Construction Safety Excellence Award (CSEA), Sundt is the industry leader in safety. Finding new ways to address the biggest threats to worker safety, we are taking active, measurable steps to move beyond the industry status quo.
INDUSTRY INNOVATOR
Over the past decade, the industry’s average OSHA recordable injury rate has gone down, but its fatalities have remained steady. It’s this gap that Sundt is looking to close through our new safety framework, the Sh*t That Can Kill You (STCKY™).
We’re educating our workforce on STCKY™ so that Sundt employee-owners and trade partners are more aware of fatal hazards. We maintain our daily goal of zero injuries, but with an added emphasis on the most dangerous construction activities.
“I looked at Sundt’s safety program and their safety culture. We’re learning things from them, and I hope we continue to learn and improve. Their leaders are great at observing and also carrying the message. If anybody on the jobsite sees something unsafe, they have the authority to stop it.”
Bill Badger, Manager of Facility and Capital Construction, CPS Energy
The “How” and The “Why”
Many construction safety programs focus on the how of staying safe—processes and procedures to avoid accidents and keep projects running smoothly. Sundt’s safety program, Safety By Choice, takes a people-based approach to why we work safe.
Beyond comprehensive safety training for our employees, we focus on our reasons to stay safe: family, friends, health, and hobbies. By emphasizing great safety choices and providing recognition to those who make them, we maintain a positive safety culture while improving Sundt’s overall safety performance.
Raising the Bar
Learning is a deliberate improvement strategy. Whether an incident involves a lucky near-miss, an injury, or a proper control measure doing its job, we are tracking it. STCKY™ data provide a broader context for incidents, in addition to our Total Incident Rate (TIR) and Recordable Incident Rate (RIR). We’re not required to add these metrics, but we’re choosing to raise the industry bar on how incidents are managed, as well as how we learn from them.
By engaging our workforce to speak up when something is unsafe, we create an environment of trust. By focusing on context when incidents do occur, we’re seeking to learn from these events and not repeat them—while still holding the right people accountable. We recognize that to err is human, and we push each individual to understand the context of their choices. Sundt’s rating on traditional safety measures is important. Ultimately, however, it’s our response to unplanned, high-risk events that makes us safer.
We are working to stop the STCKY through:
LEADERSHIP
Empowering leaders at all levels of the company to spearhead safety; offering support at meetings, jobsite visits and inspections, and safety trainings.
TRAINING
Training and developing all craft and administrative employee-owners on safety, using in-house courses and resources such as STCKY™ videos.
TECHNOLOGY
Staying on the cutting edge with tools like our mobile app, Sundt Construction Analytics, which helps us predict upcoming risks and hazards.
COMMUNICATION
Giving our craft workforce a voice in safety through Site Safety Committees and Task Forces at every jobsite, coaching and engaging people to take ownership over safety.
BEST PRACTICES
Going above and beyond to help employee-owners make the right choice, with best practices like our Relentless Housekeeping protocols for a cleaner and safer jobsite.
ACTION
Planning the work, and working the plan. We proactively identify and correct hazards, and track high-risk incidents to determine if adequate controls were in place.
Recent & Select Honors
Outstanding Safety Improvement Award
American Society of Concrete Contractors
2018
Safety Excellence Award
AGC Willis Towers Watson Construction
Highway & Transportation Over $1M
2017
“Best of the Best” Grand Award
AGC
2016
VPP-C, Cal/OSHA
San Diego International Airport Airport Facilities Project
2020
Emerson Bandini Elementary School Whole Site Modernization
2021
Safety Excellence Awards, Category II
AGC San Antonio Construction
2016
W. Burr Bennett SAFETY Excellence Award
American Society of Contractors
2016
Construction SAFETY Excellence Award
AGC
Highway Division
2016, 2019
Building Division
2020