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Safety Spotlight

Safety is our priority.
Others are taking notice.

A safe workplace has always been the hallmark of KHS&S. Over the past two years, our Human Element safety program continues to help us raise the bar even higher with safety as our top priority.

As employees know from the all-so-familiar Human Element visual posters placed throughout work areas, our success is quantified by employees going home safe and sound to their loved ones. In addition, much like insurance companies and general contractors we work with, we measure safety in hard numbers, and that’s why our low EMR or “experience modification rate” has others taking notice.

“Our EMR helps to actually set the standard for the industry,” says Michael Cabrea, director, safety and risk control. Competitors are pressed to meet or exceed our rate, which ultimately results in a safer work environment.

For KHS&S, a lower EMR means lower insurance premiums. Cabrea says the savings from lower insurance premiums allows the company to reinvest into employees and be more competitive for new opportunities. “A general contractor can see in hard facts and numbers how safety conscious we are,” he adds.

To help KS&S employees company-wide understand safety in those terms, every single injury throughout the company is classified and analyzed. Using a monthly visual displayed as a dashboard, everyone sees the data analysis that helps keep the entire company more informed. “A well-trained workforce makes better, smarter and safer decisions,” says Cynthia Garcia, vice president, risk management. “We want to provide the tools to make it easier for our team members to be safe and productive while building our amazing projects.”

As we pay attention and continue to improve safety, the industry is taking notice. Recently, the Walls & Ceilings Association honored KHS&S with an award for “Safest Contractor” (within category). KHS&S was also chosen to receive the Association of Builders and Contractors (ABC) Gold Step Award for our safety training evaluation process. Additionally, KHS&S has been selected as a finalist, by the Nevada Contractors Association/Associated General Contractors of America (AGC), for the Safest Subcontractor of the Year award.

We’re proud of our safety performance and the recognition we’ve received because of that. However, it’s most gratifying knowing our team members make safety in the field a priority every day. Because when it comes right down to it, safety isn’t expensive – it’s priceless.