Safety is the priority at Graycor. On June 21 and June 28, Safety Boot Camps were held to promote learning and reinforce the commitment to proper safety guidelines. The boot camps consisted of a series of small group workshops that covered a variety of topics related to construction job sites. The overall message of the workshops was that safety doesn’t happen by accident but rather it takes a conscious effort to make the right choices, follow the proper procedures, wear the appropriate equipment and be aware of your surroundings. By following the proper safety guidelines, risk is reduced and the probability everyone returns home at night safely is greatly increased.

Tom Muchesko, Senior Vice President of Graycor Industrial Constructors, kicked off the day with a thought provoking safety message, followed by a safety message from Graycor’s client, BP. The BP discussion shed light on safety from a client’s perspective and the impact of safety within their corporate culture. There were several break-out sessions throughout the day. Each of the sessions covered a different topic and were facilitated by expert presenters. Workshops included Fall Protection, Confined Space Entry, Crane Standards, Subcontractor Safety and Train-the-Trainer. The workshops included visual demonstrations of how to review and wear safety equipment, how to locate and implement the use of an AED and live experiments on how gas reacts in confined spaces.

The final portion of the educational workshop included a motivational presentation from Jeff “Odie” Espenship. Jeff translated his experience as a fighter pilot into the importance of safety in the construction world and everyday life. Utilizing some very emotional stories about failed safety procedures, Jeff did an excellent job of keeping the audience engaged while communicating a very valuable message about safety.