Bruce, Safety Manager

Before he joined Cherne, a terrible accident gave Bruce a goal to pursue a life in construction safety. While on a construction job, he witnessed a fellow worker become seriously injured doing something that should not have been done. "With the support of my wife and the GI Bill, I went to school to earn a degree in safety." Bruce joined Cherne, and is very happy with that decision. "Safety is the first thing we discuss and plan for on each project. I am out in the field to remind my fellow workers to focus on safety. I deal face to face with craft workers, engineers, management and client representatives. I make sure that they have the tools and equipment needed to work safely. I also write reports, attend meetings and advise on safety issues as needed. The real excitement for me is the safe completion of large projects. It's hard work, but very rewarding. I feel good working for a company that is the safest and best at what it does in this industry."

Cherne safety professionals are integral to effective management of construction operations risk. Safety personnel are employed at Cherne project sites nationwide, and must be willing and able to relocate as needed. Approximately half of their time is spent outdoors on the construction site, with the remainder spent in the safety office, in meetings with clients and Cherne site personnel. Weekly work schedules of 50+ hours are common.

Experienced safety staff provides mentoring to new arrivals, and both safety engineers and safety managers are able to consult with Cherne’s corporate safety director. Cherne management and members of the corporate and field staff can also be relied upon to provide the information and resources needed to realize professional growth.

A typical day for a safety engineer personnel is focused on ensuring that all employees perform their work in a safe manner using proper safety equipment. This is accomplished by participation in Job Safety Analyses with project management, staff and craft. These analyses review work to be performed, stress safety awareness in work planning and identify potential safety hazards. Safety personnel also spend much of their time on the work site auditing work in progress. They are responsible for the regular inspection, repair or replacement of safety equipment, as well as ensuring that proper quantities of safety equipment are available. They will respond as needed to incidents or emergencies and provide patient care. They also participate in incident resolution, including documentation, reporting and correction of causes leading to the incident.