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In the construction industry, safety is at the forefront every single day.

Whether it’s through pre-job talks, risk assessments, trade meetings or standdowns, there is never a day when some aspect of safety isn’t discussed.

Thus, Safety Week (May 4 to 8) and Safety Month are simply another opportunity to hit home the message that everybody needs to go home safe and sound to their family and loved ones.

Gillam Group president Craig Lesurf, who is also a founder of the  and former chair of the says this year’s theme of All In Together: Recognize, Respond and Respect is meant to be a unified call to action of high energy, high hazard work to prevent injuries and fatalities.

“All in together, it’s about people,” he says. “That’s never been louder than in the last couple of years. We truly mean it. No body wants those difficult conversations, so the best thing to do is bring about awareness and that’s what the idea of Safety Week is. We often have to put an extra focus on identification of issues that are going on in our current environment. A lot of that stuff has to do with working at heights, identification of high energy, high hazards, things that can get you killed or seriously hurt.”

Lesurf will be visiting Gillam jobsites across the Greater Toronto Area, Waterloo and Barrie throughout the week with representatives from the OGCA, LOC, Infrastructure Health and Safety Association and others. There will be food or refreshments, stretch and flex exercises, toolbox talks, presentations, demonstrations, contests, competitions and guest speakers.

The week kicks off at one of Gillam’s biggest projects, the $215 million Sky Towers in Barrie.

For Lesurf it’s a chance to show appreciation for all the workers at each site.

“There’s a lot of risk inherent in that kind of work,” he says. “To have somebody that honestly cares about you…I think it’s been meaningful. I think it has been changing the safety culture.”

According to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board, over the last five years the lost‑time injury rate per 100 workers in the construction sector has declined by 13.5 per cent.

That’s evidence, Lesurf states, the leaders are leading.

“We all get painted with the same brush when something happens in construction,” he says, adding it is so important to lead by example. “That’s the difference, that’s where you see it. That’s why our stats are coming down even though we’re in an inherently ever-changing dangerous environment.

“Don’t ask somebody to go do something that you won’t do yourself.”

The proof is also in the success of the LOC, which now sits at 120 members and is growing.

“That’s what we have to do and that’s exactly why I formed the league, to make a difference,” he says. “The level of commitment from the industry is great. It’s more like a synergy between organizations.”

While the week will focus on physical safety on the jobsite, Lesurf points out it is also Mental Health Week and discussions will also occur on that topic.

“When is the right time to talk about mental health? It’s never a good time, but it’s always the right time,” he says.

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