Hard Hat Safety Awards

Two years ago, MacDonald-Miller Facility Solutions Safety Director Lee Pyfrom attended a conference in Spokane, Washington, where one of the classes was about reducing strains and sprains.

“The presenter had everyone stand up and try to touch their toes. Then we were all given muscle rollers. We rolled out our calves, hamstrings and quads for 30 seconds per muscle group. We then touched our toe a gain. I was amazed by how much further I was able to extend my hands toward my toes. I gained about 2-1/2 inches,” he said.

The next week, Pyfrom ordered about 150 muscle rollers for each of the company’s shop employees. Since adding them to the company’s pre-shift stretching program, no strains or sprains have occurred.

MacDonald-Miller’s safety culture begins with the New Hire Safety Orientation. Pyfrom and his team teach new hires how to work safely and empower employees to stop work if they feel something isn’t safe. They emphasize that when employees concentrate on working safely, then quality production will naturally occur. They also teach that taking shortcuts and working in an unsafe manner is not doing the company any favors.

“I am the safety director here and have a staff of three safety managers who I am always telling to use the standard of, ‘If something is not safe enough for us, then it isn’t safe enough for our employees,’” he said, adding he says the same thing to all of the company’s foremen during the Foremen Safety 101 class he teaches.

“Lastly, I teach my staff to say ‘hi’ and ask about their families in a genuine effort to get to know the crews. I believe that it is the little things that gain trust,” Pyfrom said.

All the measures in place have culminated with MacDonald-Miller being recognized as the 2019 AGC Safety Excellence Award winner.