To celebrate women in construction week, we are highlighting women on our construction safety team. Meet Rebecca –
What’s Your Role At CMI?
I’m a Senior Health and Safety Specialist.
What Do You Like the Most About Your Career in Consulting?
I like the diversity in the day-to-day. I enjoy going to different places and working on various projects.
Why Did You Decide to Join CMI?
My family is from the area, and I wanted to find something that would allow me to move back closer to home. I came across CMI’s job posting and thought it seemed like it could be a good fit, and I was excited to try out consulting. I thought this would be a great change and would broaden my knowledge in health and safety. I also like being part of a team of experts. At CMI, we have a talented group.
What’s Your Team Like?
The Health and Safety team is super close-knit. We have managers and directors in place who really value the team. They developed an environment where we can be successful, thrive, and grow. Internally, they set up great communication channels. The team is very supportive. I think we have one of the greatest teams you can work with!
To Celebrate Women in Construction Week, You Recently Completed a Safety Construction Project. Can You Explain What the Project Was?
To give you an overview, the project was for a pharmaceutical company in Philadelphia, PA. They were building a brand-new facility. Phase 1 of the project was the building part. I was involved with Phase 2, which was developing the interior fit-out of the labs and offices. When I first walked in, the building was empty. By the end of the project, equipment, furniture, paint, plumbing, and HVAC systems were all installed.
For 8 months, I oversaw the health and safety aspects of the job. I ensured contractor compliance with applicable OSHA and health and safety requirements, including work practices, personal protective equipment (PPE) use, and permits or other written documentation. On a day-to-day basis, I supported the health and safety pre-planning of high-risk work activities deemed necessary by the client. I developed their job safety analysis. Project managers would submit their pre-plans to me, which are things they had to do based on their tasks. I reviewed these plans and make corrections. I also conducted field audits of high-risk work activities. I had to collect crane plans, oversee confined space entry, and lockout tag out. This project took place during COVID-19, so I assisted in managing COVID procedures and protocols for them. I managed COVID pre-shift self temp screening, kept CDC and state travel restrictions up to date, communicated changes with site leadership, enforced mask requirements, managed social distancing and back to work policies, and conducted COVID information stand downs.
What Aspect of the Construction Project Did You Find Most Rewarding?
The most rewarding thing for me was ensuring that safety protocols were being executed. There’s a lot of compliance out there, but for me, I was making sure they were completing it the right way. For example, making sure confined space entry was executed correctly and atmospheric monitoring was completed properly, writing lockout procedures, and so on. I had to encourage them to think things out so that no one got hurt. I found it very rewarding being involved in this process to make sure things went correctly; so that everyone could be safe. I liked working with different individuals in different trades. I enjoyed learning how these groups make buildings and I got to see small details. I was able to learn a lot while on this project.