Finding Zen Amid Construction During Safe + Sound Week
Each August, Gaines and Company joins thousands of organizations across the country to recognize Safe + Sound Week – an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) national event that celebrates strong organizational safety cultures and safe work practices. The nationwide theme for the 2023 event takes workplace conversations off physical work and focuses on mental health and well-being.
Past Safe + Sound Week topics have included health and safety plans, employee participation, and hazard identification and resolution. This year’s event, running from August 7-13, focuses on a less talked about issue present not only in the construction industry, but throughout the daily lives of many young people and adults – mental health.
“There is a stigma attached to mental health that makes people not want to talk about it,” said Gaines and Company Safety Director Dominic Pope. “But the truth is, workplace stress causes 120,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. This is something we need to start talking about, keep talking about, and do something about.”
Gaines and Company crew discusses safety-related topics during a previous Safe + Sound Week in 2021.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, workplace stress and poor mental health can negatively affect workers through:
- Job performance
- Productivity
- Work engagement and communication
- Physical capability and daily functioning
“These are all areas not specific to construction work but are definitely applicable to our work as a turnkey site development company,” added Dominic.
Gaines and Company is a family-run organization that has been delivering safe site development services – such as stormwater management, underground utilities, grading and excavating, road work, and federal installations – for nearly 70 years. The organization is run by a family who treats all employees like family, too.
Gaines and Company consistently participates in Safe + Sound Week, taking time to discuss the industry’s leading safety issues to prevent incidents or injuries.
“The average person spends about 1/3 of their life at work – that’s a lot of time we are with our employees. I believe that as an employer, there are steps we can take to positively impact our employees’ mental and emotional well-being during that time,” said Vice President David Gaines.
Through its insurance partners, Gaines and Company has resources in place for employees who need mental health assistance. If they reach out, supervisors and management can guide them to receive the help they need.
“If an employee is going through a situation that is interfering with their mental well-being, it is better for everyone involved to work through these struggles rather than ignore them,” said Vice President David Gaines. “We want our employees to know we are here for them in these situations.
Gaines and Company is taking time during Safe + Sound Week to discuss mental health and options employees have to help themselves and their coworkers who need assistance.
Gaines and Company is a full-service grading and excavation company with offices in Maryland and North Carolina. The organization has nearly 70 years of experience in underground utilities, grading and excavating, sediment and erosion controls, and road work. Gaines and Company delivers safe, reliable, turnkey site development services in Maryland, North Carolina, Washington D.C., and Delaware on time and within budget.
