With Growing Team Dedicated to Safety, Journey Group Fosters Culture of Caring for Employees

This article was originally published by Jodi Schwan of SiouxFalls.Business.

Call it a hands-on lesson in what your co-workers do each day.

To mark this year’s “Safe + Sound” week, an event organized by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, Journey Group safety director Joel Van Ekeren decided to try something different this summer.

For one day, 10 of Journey Group’s leaders went on an immersive experience inspired by the show “Dirty Jobs,” he explained.

“They stripped concrete forms on a bridge, they rotated to a vertical construction job, and they joined our Black-Top Paving crew.”

Along the way, all were acutely reminded that Journey Group’s intentional approach to safety is critical.

“They saw it first-hand,” Van Ekeren said. “The bridge work was on an interstate, for instance, and they realized our crews are out there doing this 10 hours a day. We were able to do all kinds of safety review – the importance of PPE (personal protective equipment), spotters, pinch points, and I think it brought a lot of value for everyone involved.”

Ethan Rozeboom, director of risk management and compliance, was one of the leaders who participated.

“I think everyone wondered what they were getting into, including our teams in the field, but by the end of the day, we were all laughing together and taking pride in the work,” he said. “And I think our teams felt valued that these upper management leaders were taking the time out of the day to watch them lay asphalt or tie rebar and even help out.”

That reflects Journey Group’s broader belief around the importance of safety, Van Ekeren said.

“Our vision – and it hangs at each person’s desk – is to treat everyone here like the most important person,” he said. “That’s why we take a very positive approach to safety. We’re not out to get anyone. We’re out to help and to ensure you go home safe every day because we care that much about you.”

This year, Journey Group’s safety team grew to a four-person group led by Van Ekeren. Safety manager Kyle Dringman is based in Spearfish and helps support a growing base of construction work on the west side of the state.

On the east side of the state, three safety specialists in the Sioux Falls office help support efforts:

• Robert Campbell, a Marine who came to Journey Group after working as a project manager.
• James Newsome, a former steel erector in Michigan who moved to Sioux Falls and found a fit with Journey Group.
• Mike Willems, who most recently was the lead foreman on the major Cherapa Place development project and was promoted to his new role.

“Our team brings real-world experience, which drives respect for them on the job sites,” Van Ekeren said. “I largely train them in-house, so they understand our culture and the fact that while safety brings rules with it, we build relationships intentionally so that people want to be compliant and understand we’re here to support them.”

Journey Group’s enhanced safety team will include a full-time safety specialist assigned to the Avera McKennan construction project. The project, which is in beginning stages, consists of a new addition for women and children’s care.

Another safety specialist will spend half his time assigned to Avera on Louise, where a new gastroenterology building is under construction.

The team will rotate around sites to give variety to the role, and with 30 projects currently underway in the Sioux Falls market, there’s plenty to support.

“We had someone based full time on the Cherapa Place project, and it worked really well,” Van Ekeren said. “Having someone full time at Avera McKennan is a requirement for a project that size because it’s unique and it’s complicated. There’s a lot going on in a tight spot.”

The safety team regularly conducts pre-checks, or planning huddles, for high-risk activities.

“And over time, that helps build a rapport with our subcontractors,” Van Ekeren said. “They know the routine, they’re seeing the value, and at Cherapa for instance, they started to come to our safety specialist for guidance.”

The approach is effective, Rozeboom said.

“At other companies, safety is sometimes talked about as a negative thing,” he said.

“Joel and his team take a different approach. They bring a lot of real-world practical experience themselves. They make safety a learning experience and not something you learn from a book. And they build a rapport. They build the relationship with the project teams and crews in the field, so when someone from safety asks for a correction, they’re more than willing to do it.”

Not only that, many of the construction teams now hold planning huddles on their own.

“They’ve seen the benefit,” Van Ekeren said. “It’s kind of like going on vacation without a plan otherwise. You can get lost. So you’ve got to have a plan, and when you do, not only is safety greatly improved but you become more efficient too.”

In addition, the safety team regularly visits job sites assessing risks and serves as a support department bringing PPE, assisting with fall protection and responding to the team’s needs in the field.

“In September, we had our highest number of pre-task huddles ever at 40, so they’re taking this very seriously, and it’s clear we’re fostering a culture of safety here,” Van Ekeren said.

The safety team also broadly trains within Journey Group through hosting quarterly simulation exercises. The most recent involved a mock trench collapse at a major project. It included Sioux Falls Fire Rescue and excavating subcontractors.

“It was a great experience,” said Mike Murphy, battalion chief with Sioux Falls Fire Rescue. “The biggest value is being able to work in a real-life environment. We’re fortunate to have an amazing training facility, but you can’t replicate every type of scenario and situation. Journey Group provides opportunities and access to environments we wouldn’t have otherwise.”

In the case of the simulated trench collapse, both Fire Rescue and Journey Group took away strategies to work together more efficiently, he said.

“Some of the biggest challenges at incidents like this is how quickly we can integrate with the staff on-site, so it was great to work with their team, and I think we both got a lot out of it,” Murphy said.

“It speaks volumes for how much of an emphasis they put on safety for personnel and job sites. This takes a lot of logistics for their team, plus time out of their day, so it says a lot about Journey Group’s culture and company that they’re willing to invest the time and money in these types of opportunities.”

Rozeboom agreed.

“For the team, the fact that key leaders participate in these simulations, including the Sioux Falls Fire Rescue, it’s all hands-on deck, and its real-life training shows that this is real,” he said. “This is taken seriously here, so if something were to happen, we’re prepared to respond and bring everyone home safely.”

To learn more about safety at Journey Group, click here.

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