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A Culture of Safety
On March 24, Achen-Gardner Construction’s Safety Department hosted two safety presentations with guest speakers John and Tiffany Pendleton, who spoke about their first-hand account of a traumatic and near-death accident with heavy machinery. This is one of many ways that we educate our employee-owners about jobsite safety to ensure they go home to their families every night.
John was electrocuted by 4,160 volts to the head in 2019 while working as a rock miner in south Florida. He sustained life-threatening injuries such as fourth degree burns and brain trauma. After more than 30 surgeries, extensive rehabilitation, and major lifestyle adaptations, he is still recovering from his injuries. Since 2020, he and his wife have become professional speakers who advocate for workplace safety among trade occupations.
“Being blue collar is a blood type,” John said. He explained that this means everybody on the job site must take care of each other. Construction coworkers often feel like family and their friendships run deep. They have a responsibility to make sure everyone is safe.
John and Tiffany shared a few main points for our employee-owners to remember:
You will never be 100% safe because there’s always the chance of an accident. That is why it’s so important to wear proper personal protection equipment and follow OSHA guidelines.
Don’t ever think you are invincible. Caring more about being strong than safe distracts people and can cause mistakes that can lead to accidents or death.
It’s always a good idea to ask for help when your mental health is suffering. Put the safety of yourself and others before your pride.
Tiffany closed the speaking engagement with a powerful message of inspiration, “You are here today because you were safe yesterday. Be here tomorrow because you choose safety today.”
Aric Smith, Safety Manager, organized these visits because we believe at Achen-Gardner that education is the key to maintaining a culture of safety. He’s impressed with the impact the Pendletons left on our employee-owners. “This is another example of how we are continuing our commitment to safety education and training for our employee-owners,” Aric Said.
