What Safety Means To Us

Our team sat down with Industrial Operations Manager, Chris Smith, and Senior Safety Manager, Aaron Lease, to talk about what ‘Safety’ means at Reeves Young.

At Reeves Young, our commitment to safety is a journey of continuous improvement, and that dedication takes on even greater significance as we come to a close on Construction Safety Week 2026.

The theme for this year’s Safety Week, “All In Together,” perfectly aligns with our Safety culture of care, “Work Safe, Home Safe.” It serves as a reminder that staying safe requires a collective effort to Recognize, Respond, and Respect the hazards inherent in our industry. While we’ve put an emphasis on these topics as part of national campaign for safety, it isn’t just a trend for Reeves Young. Safety is our singular priority.

Our Safety culture, Work Safe, Home Safe message is simple: it’s for those we love and those who love us. It has been built to be a steadfast reminder to each employee and subcontractor that our number one goal is getting everyone home safely at the end of the day.

“Safety is compassion,” says Industrial Operations Manager, Chris Smith. “When I think about safety, I think about the families that could be forever affected if we don’t plan the safest way possible to complete our daily tasks.” Upon onboarding, each new employee prints a photo of their loved one(s) to place in their safety vest pocket, for everyone to see. This simple step has made giant leaps in recognizing Reeves Young’s safety culture both on the field and through management.

Senior Safety Manager, Aaron Lease, shares, “We carry a photo of our reason to Why I Work Safe as a reminder of the greater importance to why we are here each and every day. Why we put in the long hours, days and nights, phone calls, emails, and drive time is all because of that photo in our vest,” he comments. “For me, it’s my wife and 2 beautiful daughters. To someone else, it may be their pets, parents, grandparents, hobbies, etc.”

“Whatever your ‘Why’, we all carry that daily reminder for ourselves, as well as, a reminder for the men and women that we are working next to everyday – that we have something to go home to,” Lease continues.

Across more than 200 projects, tasks, timelines, and project-focused goals are always changing, but one thing that is constant is our spotlight on safety. One habit that every employee should adopt immediately is the ability to ‘think’ before you ‘do’. Slow down production and implement a plan. “Thinking requires a plan, and a plan drives a means to identify risk” Smith emphasizes. “Critical thinking must happen every day.”

“I have stopped work for safety many times, and for a wide variety of reasons,” Smith says. “We have empowered our team to know they have authority to shut down or send home people not following our standards. This happens regularly to ensure that messages are received. We care about people, those who work for Reeves Young and our valuable trade partners.”

Safety expectations extend beyond Reeves Young employees; they apply to every person on every jobsite. Each day begins with a dedicated safety meeting, where teams align on the work ahead and clearly define expectations. As Smith notes, these conversations focus on specific safety topics and set a direct, intentional tone for the day.

Project leadership also emphasizes the importance of participation during morning huddles. “A safety meeting is only as good as the engagement that you get from the individuals that are a part of the meeting,” Lease explains.

He adds that the effectiveness of these meetings depends on how they’re led. When a Foreman or Superintendent outlines the day’s plan and potential risks without inviting input, the value of the discussion is limited. In contrast, “If you have a leader that is engaging his or her crew members, asking for questions, assigning responsibilities, encouraging crew members to use their voice in the planning of the day, you will often find that the meeting is much more productive.” That collaboration not only strengthens communication but also ensures everyone has a role in building a safer jobsite. Lease notes that when it comes to safety, failing to plan is planning to fail.

Mental health is just as critical as physical safety in the construction industry, yet it has historically been overlooked. The tides, however, are changing. As Smith shares, “The construction industry has come a long way in recognizing how important mental health is in our business. The biggest step was having the conversation about this, and we’re on a very good path, as we continue to talk about this daily now and check in with our teammates, so they know we care.”

At Reeves Young, that commitment is backed by action. The company provides dedicated mental health resources and encourages employees to fully utilize the benefits available to them – reinforcing that support is not only accessible but encouraged.

Lease echoes this progress, noting, “As an organization, I believe we are headed in the right direction in raising awareness to mental health and its impacts in the construction industry.” He also emphasizes that there is more ahead, “I am looking forward to what more we can do in this area,” with a continued focus on expanding efforts and strengthening support in this critical area of safety.

Safety at Reeves Young is always evolving and improving. From planning and communication to training and accountability, the foundation of the program remains rooted in people and purpose. Lease looks forward to building greater consistency in what Reeves Young is already doing well, while continuing to strengthen a culture where safety is first priority and second nature. That commitment is what drives the company forward. “Because at the end of the day, our people are most important,” Lease explains. “Planning, communicating, training, and continuing to build a culture of care and personal responsibility is what we will keep on doing.”

Smith echoes the sentiment, “As we have taken huge strides in what Reeves Young safety looks like, we have a long road ahead. We must continue to build our program.” At Reeves Young, everyone is a part of the Safety team. We continue to build awareness, commit to training, and encourage speaking up about safety.

By staying “All In Together,” we ensure that the most important part of any project – our people – always make it home safely. At the end of the day, that is the only goal that truly matters. Work Safe, Home Safe, All In Together.

Additional Construction Safety Week 2026 resources are available here.