Damian Alvarez is Jordan Foster Construction's EHS Director. EHS stands for Environmental, Health, and Safety, and as such, Damian describes his role as ensuring that every team member, from laborers to superintendents, has access to the necessary safety tools and training.
Safety practices in construction, unfortunately, have been reactive and focused on collecting information to comply with rules and regulations. Jordan Foster Construction (JFC) reimagines safety by prioritizing the people, not the compliance with minimum standards. They do this because the construction workforce deserves consideration to go home the same way, if not better, at the end of the day. In caring for the people, the people can take care of business.
What Does the Environmental Component of EHS Have to Do with People?
When you google EHS, the Environmental component is characterized as compliance to protect the environment, do no harm to the environment, and leave the world a better place for future generations. In construction, when we build a structure on top of the land, we have an obligation to protect our environment. Damian agrees with this, and in that process, he says that we also have an obligation to ensure the laborers and operators are kept safe within their working environment.
“People often forget that safety is not just about fall protection, confined spaces, slips and trips, and things of that nature,” says Damian. “We have to remember that there are environmental factors out there that we have to protect our workers against… We have asbestos, silica, and a ton of chemicals that all companies use. So we have to be aware, and we have to protect our workforce and our team members from that.”
By considering potential hazards that could threaten their workforce and focusing on their leading indicators, they can better plan for the work and execute safely. The data HCSS can collect from the field daily tells a story. Using Insights from HCSS’s Power BI to tell the story of the data gathered increases the value of the data when it can be converted into actionable items. “It is one thing to have an app that helps us go from paper to paperless and gather our data and conduct audits,” says Asma Bayunus, Jordan Foster’s EHS Operations Manager. “However, it is entirely different to be able to use that data and use AI-generated platforms to see the story that the data is telling.”
As an EHS professional, Damian says he has to protect those closest to the workplace and ensure they have everything they need. “And by everything they need. I don't just mean tools and materials,” says Damian, “But that they have the required training to do that job on that day from start to finish.” By walking the projects with the field laborers, operators, PMs, and Directors, they can look at their environment, assess the well-being of their crew, and serve the client.
What About Mental Health?
Jordan Foster has spent considerable time thinking about what can improve their field workers' quality of work life. Just as they don’t just show up with the bare minimum in safety equipment for a job, they consider every aspect of what it means to examine the health of their employees, including mental health.
Communication is critical when assessing the well-being of the people in the field, especially after an incident. Asma Bayunus is an award-winning safety speaker and professional who believes that Jordan Foster employees trust the organization to prepare them with the right tools and mentality to do the job and complete the project. She does not take this lightly and is often found at a jobsite, listening to the men and women in the field.
“One of the ways that we were able to achieve this is by using something as traditional as a JHA to deliver toolbox talks on the topic,” says Asma. “So, while speaking about the hazards that someone may encounter physically and talking about the PPE that someone would need to be able to do their job safely, we also were able to supply them with customized toolbox talks [on mental health].” Having conversations about mental well-being in the field helps break the stigma that feelings cannot be spoken about in this industry.
Asma says that the benefit that HCSS software provides Jordan Foster Construction is a structure and has helped them establish a value system where everybody is a part of moving in the same direction. This value system is integral to building efficiency, order, and process.
What Does the Future Hold for Construction?
Damian is excited about the future at Jordan Foster Construction, where artificial intelligence (AI) is set up to transform safety and project management, potentially saving lives. His most valuable ally in this endeavor is leading indicators.
“With leading indicators, the incident has not happened yet,” Damian explains. “Those are some of the most important indicators we need to go after because if we can nail those down, we can catch an incident before it happens.” This proactive approach protects workers and empowers the team by providing real-time feedback on their work environment.
By processing incredible amounts of data collected by systems like HeavyJob and HCSS Safety in real time, AI can enable humans to identify root causes before they escalate and build the story to better serve their people in the field. "It's not just about training and education; it's about figuring out what happened and how," Damian elaborates.
According to OSHA, fall hazards are the leading cause of death in construction. Damian emphasizes that with leading indicators, we can make a path to prevention. “We can learn what was going on in that crew or that person that day that they thought about getting up on a roof without protecting themselves,” says Damian. It is clear when it comes to protecting people, Jordan Foster’s motivation isn’t compliance; it’s about doing what’s right. “Let's catch it on the ground level before anyone is in danger,” Damian advocates.
Damian envisions AI not just as a tool but as a collaborator in predicting and preventing problems, allowing human workers to advance in safety and efficiency continuously. This vision of the future is so close, and Jordan Foster's dedication to leading the construction industry with innovative technology in partnership with HCSS reinforces its commitment to ensuring everyone goes home better at the end of the day.
Utilizing Safety Software
From sun up to sun down, Damian says that his greatest tool is the HCSS Safety dashboard. They can only get better by paying attention and looking for opportunities to track change. “I start looking at all the leading indicators, near misses, and observations. That will give you a pulse of what's happening down to a person, a crew, a team, and a job site,” says Damian. “It's like an onion you keep peeling back, and you start learning. If someone or some crew or job is showing leading indicators regularly. Then that's our indicator to go do something about that. Let's investigate and see what is in the process, or what's going on, that we keep having those leading indicators. And let's work on it so those can dwindle to a 0.”
By putting their employees at the center of safety, Jordan Foster Construction has transformed reactive safety thinking into preventive practices and processes that promote high performance and innovation. Their dedication showcases how great leadership and teamwork can make construction safer nationwide. They were recently honored with the Grand Award from the Association of General Contractors (AGC), which recognized their organizational commitment, employee active participation, comprehensive safety training, and unrelenting innovation.
Jordan Foster Construction's dedication to safety innovation, a confident safety culture, and its focus on people and the bottom line are admirable and well-earned. As a finalist for the HCSS Construction Award, we commend them for their excellence in providing the field with the right tools and support to care for the emotional and physical needs of their workforce.
Please visit our HCSS Construction Award page to learn more about this annual spotlight on the construction trailblazers who redefine efficiency, safety, and technological advancement.
