Digital Building has gone 2+ years without a recordable safety incident. That can be directly correlated to the relentless pursuit that the staff has shown to create a safe environment for everyone. “It’s a remarkable achievement, and I’m proud of each and every one of the team members for making that happen,” said Toby Bartlett.

Since the company’s inception, the Digital Building safety committee has constantly looked inward to discover better ways to build without compromising the safety of its craft. “We are a young company. We are constantly growing,” said Ryan Trujillo. “The biggest thing about safety in the future to us is getting ahead of any product, getting ahead of any procedure.”

Moving multiple trades inside a factory-controlled environment mitigates a lot of risk on jobsites that traditional construction methods create. Having a completely climate-controlled factory eliminates unforeseen variables like harsh weather conditions might create. Also, it eliminates the need for scaffolding, reduces jobsite clutter, assistance with automation decreases the wear and tear on trade-workers bodies and allows for trades to be setup in an ergonomic, efficient manner that would not otherwise be available on a traditional jobsite.

However, introducing new methods to building is useless without buying holistically into safety. It is important to understand that safety is not only the individual’s responsibility but also to keep others nearby safe too. “We really emphasize as a company that we want them to stay safe. We encourage safe practices,” said Trujillo. “We don’t want anything that is going to hinder safety and make it where people can’t go home to their families at the end of the day.”

Construction Safety Week is typically a week that allows companies to reflect on the last year. What could have been done better? What did we do well? It is a time to thank everyone involved in the company for taking safety in high regard. But CSW 2021 is unique in that the last year has been unprecedented. COVID-19 presented a whole new landscape and changed the meaning of safety. Not only did each worker still have to be mindful of safety in the traditional sense, but also had to be mindful of a virus that swept the world off its feet. However, the Digital Building team stayed persistent and persevered throughout.