AGC names its 2024 Construction Safety Professional of the Year
BY NICOLE NEEDLES
AGC of America has been recognizing member companies that prioritize safety through its Construction Safety Excellence Awards for more than 30 years. Recently, the association expanded its program to include front-line supervisors, field workers and safety and health experts, making the awards more competitive.
The Construction Safety Professional of the Year (CSPY) award recognizes specific workers who have assisted member organizations in achieving a particularly high standard of safety excellence. Nominees have demonstrated technical expertise in the field of safety and health, contributed to the advancement of that field with innovative ideas and shown leadership in establishing, maintaining and implementing programs at the jobsite and to their direct reports. They must work for an AGC member company as a corporate, regional, project
safety or health professional.
“Milwaukee Tool and AGC created this new awards program to highlight the successes of these professionals and to honor their commitment and dedication to ensuring the men and women in the construction industry are afforded a safe and healthy work environment,” said Kevin Cannon, senior director, safety, health and risk management, AGC of America.
“The construction industry experienced an increase in workplace fatalities from 2021 to 2022,” he remarked. “It is this dedication to protecting workers that the construction industry will need to realize a reduction in these numbers in the coming years.”
And with the workforce shortage that’s prevalent in construction, this is challenging.
“Ensuring that every worker is properly trained, equipped to perform their jobs in a safe manner and feels comfortable speaking up is key to seeing these trends reverse,” Cannon said.
And the Winner Is …
The 2024 recipient of the CSPY award is Jamie Dabbs, a distinguished safety professional currently serving as the vice president of safety, health and environmental at TDIndustries, a member of multiple AGC chapters. Dabbs’ journey in the construction safety field is a representation of why he was
chosen. His achievements, initiatives and everyday efforts led to him being honored with this prestigious award.
“I feel lucky to be involved in the construction industry. This field is so dynamic, and builders are the heart of this country,” Dabbs said. “With ever-changing jobsites and a variety of new and challenging hazards to understand and safeguard against, our safety teams have to be hyper-involved and vigilant. It is a fun passion — helping to improve safety and
health results for thousands of professionals.”
Background and Education
Dabbs holds a bachelor of science degree in occupational safety and health, earned at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. His journey into the realm of safety began with an internship at the Noble Foundation in Ardmore, Oklahoma, after which he worked as a safety manager in a manufacturing plant in Oklahoma City. Recognizing the need to explore more horizons, Dabbs transitioned to the construction industry in 2007,
joining McCarthy Building Companies before finding his way to TDIndustries, a mechanical construction firm, in 2008.
Career Progression at TDIndustries
Starting as the corporate safety manager in 2008, his career at TDIndustries kept climbing over the next 15 years. In 2021, amid the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, he assumed the role of vice president of safety, health and environmental.
Over the years, Dabbs and his team have overseen diverse construction and facilities maintenance projects across industries such as sports arenas, multifamily and office complexes, data centers, airports, educational institutions, medical and scientific research facilities and manufacturing plants. Under Dabbs’ leadership, TDIndustries’ safety team has grown from three individuals to over 23 experienced safety professionals.
Initiatives and Achievements
Dabbs has played a pivotal role in establishing and implementing TDIndustries’ culture of safety, driven by the priority of achieving ZERO Harm – the pursuit that results in zero serious injuries or fatalities.
“My team and I intend to maintain this vision,” he said.
Dabbs’ commitment to safety is evident in the initiatives he has implemented at TDIndustries. One key accomplishment is the shift from outcome-based to behavioral-based safety goals.
“We instituted a system where frontline leaders proactively evaluate and improve safety processes, looking for opportunities and strengths,” he said.
Additionally, Dabbs modernized TDIndustries’ operations by integrating safety technologies that utilize AI into safety engagement processes and incorporating GPS and camera systems into the company’s fleet.
Safety Metrics Success
The impact of Dabbs’ initiatives is reflected in TDIndustries’ safety metrics success.
“TDIndustries has experienced four years in a row of repeated safety metrics success and strong improvements after commissioning and implementing TDIndustries’ AI-enriched safety app,” Dabbs said.
After commissioning and implementing TDIndustries’ safety app, Smarttagit from Factorlab, the company has experienced four consecutive years of strong safety improvements.
“With AI-enabled software technologies, the number grew to 176,000 processes in 2020, and that number steadily increased to 189,000 in 2021. By 2022, TD’s number of documented safety processes soared to 225,000,” Dabbs said.
Leadership and Safety Culture
Dabbs emphasizes the pivotal role of leadership in maintaining safe jobsites. He believes that strong leadership is essential and sets the tone for safety culture and behaviors throughout the company.
“Leadership is everything. It is essential to all our core functions and an important part of keeping our crews safe. Inevitably, teams will mirror the safety culture and behaviors of their leader. As such, leaders set the tone and become the model for everyone throughout the company, not just the field. I have seen this demonstrated across all jobsites and at all levels,” Dabbs said.
Leaders become the model for everyone, influencing the safety performance of teams at all levels. Jamie asserts that environmental, health and safety teams provide the tools, guidance, examples and resources for success, but it’s the leaders who drive the safety culture on every project.
Reflecting on the Honor
For Dabbs, receiving the CSPY award is not just a personal achievement but a testament to the collective efforts of TDIndustries.
“I was happy for TD first. I have been given the rare opportunity to make impactful and meaningful changes for a dynamic company. TD has provided me with so many opportunities and made me a better person,” he said. “My fellow employees and the executive leaders who have nurtured and supported our team’s hard work really make this possible. I would like to share this honor with them and express my gratitude.”
Dabbs stands as an exemplary figure in the field of construction safety, embodying the values and commitment that the award seeks to recognize. His journey from an EHS intern to the vice president of safety, health and environmental at TDIndustries is marked by continuous dedication to improving safety and health results for thousands of professionals in the construction industry.