ABC Carolinas Hosts Inaugural Safety Academy
Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas (ABC Carolinas) offers training and development opportunities throughout the year; however, on May 22-23, they hosted the first ABC Safety Academy for Carolinas members. The event was led by ABC National’s Greg Sizemore, vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development.
ABC’s Safety Academy is designed to convey the importance of leadership commitment, cultural transformation, and the safety management processes necessary to achieve a world-class safety culture. Program content goes beyond the “technical” side of safety and explores the emotional and behavioral components that take safety from one of many priorities to the core value upon which all decisions are based.
More than 20 ABC Carolinas members – firm owners, principals, vice presidents, and operations and division managers – attended the in-depth, two-day exploration of what it takes to transform an organization’s safety culture.
ABC Safety Academy instructor Sizemore noted that this training is key for ABC member organizations and their people. “Unlike traditional health and safety education that focuses on policies and procedures, this program is designed to change personal paradigms that leaders may have developed over time. It offers a deep dive into understanding how leaders, from the C-suite to the frontline, can either aid or hinder health and safety performance. As the saying goes, ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast,’ so understanding an organization’s culture is key to sustaining a high-performing health and safety program,” said Sizemore.
When asked what he took away from the Academy, Manny Souza, vice president of environmental health and safety with Samet Corporation, said “We discussed the importance of leadership within any organization. The more leadership skills and application, the greater the results within your group.”
Another Safety Academy participant, Ramtech Global’s Joel Pickering, industry principal fire and life safety for North America, shared, “The information I learned in this course gave me a culture and paradigm shift. It is always good to review your viewpoint and see if there is another way of looking at a problem.”
ABC Carolinas Chapter is continuously seeking to improve member safety contributions to the construction industry. For information on the next ABC Safety Academy, contact ABC Carolinas’ Sara Breeggemann, Director of Workforce Development, at sara@abccarolinas.org.
About ABC Carolinas — Associated Builders and Contractors of the Carolinas (ABC Carolinas) represents general contractors, construction management firms, specialty contractors, various material and equipment suppliers, and service providers all dedicated to the construction industry in North and South Carolina. Based in Charlotte, NC, ABC Carolinas is one of 68 chapters of ABC, a national association representing more than 23,000 members. South Carolina has three regional ABC councils – Midlands, Upstate and Lowcountry. North Carolina has four regional councils – Charlotte, Triad, Triangle and Coastal. For more information and news, visit www.abccarolinas.org.
