2024 Safety Team of the Year

Big win for the Columbia crew– they’re Safety Team of the Year! Their outstanding performance and dedication to safety also won them the Safety Team of the Quarter award twice this year. This honor highlights the entire team’s commitment to safety, quality and production — in that order.

The Columbia team went above and beyond to own their safety. Their success wasn’t just about meeting the minimum requirements; it was about setting the bar higher and exceeding expectations in all areas, from safety meetings to incident reporting.

“Columbia focused on the basics. Doing the minimum wasn’t enough. Brian decided to almost double what was required,” said Matt Cowell, Director of Environmental Health & Safety. “They focused on the little things, like slips, trips, falls, and housekeeping, which made a huge difference. By having the superintendents, foremen and project managers decide what needed to be done, it created a culture of accountability and ownership.”

By making safety a team-wide effort and instilling accountability at every level, they’ve set a new standard for safety excellence.

“We challenged the branch to be the best in safety and live true to the ‘Every Second Safely’ motto. From planning the work to getting it done, the safety-first mindset took shape, and the branch set the bar for the last half of the year,” said Brian Burks, vice president. “I am proud of every one of our employee-owners here to have the ability to say we won not only the 3rd and 4th Quarters award but also the Safety Branch of the Year.”

Kudos to the Columbia team for prioritizing safety in every task. You’ve proven that when we all have a stake in our safety, it just means more.