Setting the Bar

Kelly Alger, a superintendent in PCL’s Seattle office was recently awarded the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Build Washington Award for Superintendent of the Year. He has spearheaded various safety programs in his district and recently became the first PCL superintendent in the United States to achieve the Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) designation. PCL employees like Kelly help shape PCL’s safety-inspired culture and keep us moving forward on the path toward zero incidents.

The CHST designation was of significant importance to Kelly saying, “It adds another, and different, point of view in my evaluation of jobsite work conditions and the overall PCL Construction HSE program. I’ve always thought I had a pretty good understanding of the safety management processes, procedures, and policies that come from them. But it is useful to receive confirmation from the most recognized safety certification body.”

Safety is a group effort

At PCL, Kelly says, “We do an excellent job of involving everybody in our safety program. And the established safety management processes that we have are a great foundation to work from. The level of management guidance and involvement solidifies the safety culture in the organization.” Additionally, collaboration with the field during the planning stages increases buy-in and decreases missed potential hazards.

Kelly goes on to say, as superintendent, “I try and think whether or not we have thought of everything and got the bases covered.” PCL does a great job planning to perform work safely and although a difficult task, with proper planning and continuous training of staff, PCL can “rely on them to make the correct decision if a new hazard is identified.”