Blattner

Brian Larue

Brian Larue is a health and safety professional with over 20 years of progressive leadership driving enterprise-wide safety excellence. His current role focuses on training, leadership development and safety practices across field operations.  

In an interview with Construction Tech Review, he shared his perspectives on safety challenges, human performance and the role of leadership in decisionmaking on the field.

A People-Centric Approach to Safety

I have been a health and safety professional since 2007. I started in residential and commercial roofing, and then served as an AGC director for the South Texas Chapter in San Antonio. I later worked overseas on large-scale EPC projects ranging from $750 million to several billion across Panama, Saudi Arabia and Oman.

My work has evolved from a compliance perspective into a peoplecentric focus. Policies and procedures do not matter if people make bad decisions.

People come from different cultures, backgrounds and experiences, and their decision-making differs. Treating them the same can lead to problems. For example, assuming a new hire will use stop work authority may not hold true. Understanding where an individual is in their hierarchy of needs helps explain why they may not advocate for themselves. They may be more likely to enter an unprotected trench, operate equipment they are not licensed for or avoid taking water breaks because they do not want to appear as the weak link. Understanding this helps improve communication, patience and decision-making in the field.

Challenges in Field Leadership 

I see many smart safety professionals, but safety is still seen as the function that stops work.

Instead of stepping in during active work, safety professionals can be involved during the design phase, including reviewing plans, identifying high-hazard activities, supporting hazard operability studies and establishing risk registers so teams understand the risks. Front-end planning increases the likelihood that construction can begin without impediments, with standards met, equipment fit for purpose and personnel trained and licensed. 

There is also a gap in subcontractor management. Subcontractors are often left to fend for themselves and they need to be more integrated into planning, predeployment inspection and training.

Strengthening Training and Field Assessment​​ 

Training is often bringing people into a room, presenting information and sending them back to work. There is a need to provide opportunities for individuals to demonstrate what they have learned in a controlled environment, separate from production. This allows for coaching, identifying gaps and ensuring that competencies are transferred before individuals are exposed to high-risk environments.

It is easy to focus on lower-level safety items on job sites. Risk-based conversations around life-altering exposures are also important.

Exploring Psychosocial Elements There is a growing desire to explore the psychosocial elements and move beyond behavior-based approaches. That is not to say there is no place for compliance. We have to have the black line that standards are tied back to. We must understand the nature of work as it is being done.

If risks cannot be reduced, it becomes necessary to take a deeper look at available options and apply additional controls.

Advice for Aspiring Leaders 

Safety is first and foremost a people business. It requires building relationships and understanding the language spoken in the field. This involves spending time with teams and observing work without interfering. Leaders should look for ways to bring value by fixing issues directly and supporting the team.

It is also important to understand the pressures teams operate under and approach situations with empathy while maintaining standards. 

Instead of saying ‘nope, can’t do that because OSHA says so,’ we need to say, ‘we can, but we have to do these things.’ 

Leaders should also avoid imposing their limitations on others.

Credibility comes from consistent actions. Following through on commitments and bringing value to the team are essential to effective leadership.