Fostering a Culture of Safety that Never Rests

At Miller-Valentine, safety is more than just a series of boxes to be checked. It is tightly woven into our culture and fundamental to how we do business. For our company, OSHA compliance is the foundation on which to build a comprehensive safety management program.

Our embrace of a higher standard for safety is reflected in our OSHA Voluntary Protection Program partner “Star” level designation. Less than 2% of contractors across the country are VPP certified at the Star level, putting us in an elite group.

But that doesn’t mean we are resting on our laurels. Continuous improvement is key to making safety central to our culture. That’s where our Safety Director, Aaron Vincent, comes in.

Continuously Improving on our Safety First Culture

As Safety Director, Aaron is charged with minimizing risk for the company, our Associates, and our clients by identifying and mitigating worksite hazards. He is embedded with our project teams before construction even begins. He conducts pre-planning and risk assessments for our projects. He manages the safety budget and provides guidance and direction for project and safety teams. He also conducts health, safety, and environmental audits on all of our projects to ensure injury-free workplaces.

In his 25 years in the industry—first as a U.S. Navy Seabee and then as a superintendent and safety manager for the NASA Stennis Space Center in Stennis, Mississippi—Aaron has learned that fostering a culture of safety is a journey without end. That philosophy goes hand-in-hand with our focus on process innovation across all aspects of our business.

“Continuous improvement is the key to staying sharp,” said Aaron. “Especially when it comes to safety. There are always emerging best practices and new technologies to evaluate and adopt. Our Associates also often have ideas for ways we can enhance our program. If we aren’t continually working to make things better, we risk becoming complacent.”

For Aaron, maintaining safe worksites is also personal. He has seen numerous friends sustain injuries from unsafe work practices, and he knows first-hand that those injuries don’t just affect workers, but their families and their lifestyles as well. As a result, he has made it his mission to ensure that both jobsite and office workers have the proper training, gear, and guidance to avoid accidents and injuries.

“Many times when injured workers will say, ‘I never saw the hazard,’ or ‘I never realized,’ or ‘It was supposed to take a second,’ or ‘I’ve always done it this way,’” said Aaron. “I want to take care of the people I’m working with and make sure they have the knowledge and tools they need to avoid incidents, be successful, and take care of their families.”

A Safety Program That’s Built on Teamwork

Ensuring that everyone goes home at the end of the day in the same or better condition than when they arrived is our number one priority. But maintaining job sites that are free of incidents and injuries also reduces the risk for our clients. Staying on schedule and within budget starts with safety. Safeguarding our customers’ operations on existing sites is also dependent on a meticulous and tightly managed safety plan.

For that reason, safety is a team endeavor at Miller-Valentine. On every project, we collaborate with our Associates, project partners, and clients to anticipate, identify, and eliminate unsafe conditions.

“Teamwork is my number one value,” said Aaron. As a team, we are going to continuously raise the bar on safety with each project we undertake.”

Want to learn more about how our safety program will reduce risk on your next project? Contact us TOLL FREE: 877-684-7687 | INFO@MVG.COM for further information and to discuss your construction needs.

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