For Mario Ramirez, being proactive is key to keeping KHS&S employees and subcontractors safe.
Based in Texas, Ramirez is a regional safety director who has responsibility for job sites throughout the state.
He’s at every job site in his region, making sure everyone complies with safety and health policies 100% of the time.
Ramirez watches each trade to teach why the KHS&S way of doing things includes treating each piece of safety equipment and every rule as crucial.
“The goal is to have a positive influence on our people,” he explains. “I look at them as brothers and sisters, and understand that they have families at home, too. It’s not just about our record of compliance, but also about making sure they get home without any incidents or injuries that would compromise the kind of husbands, fathers, brothers, wives, mothers or sisters they are able to be.”
Ramirez starts the process of safety on the job site well before any worker sets foot there.
Besides getting all the necessary paperwork in order, Ramirez ensures the job box for each specific job is in place. This includes all the proper supplies needed, such as safety glasses, face shields, goggles and fire extinguishers, for example. “It’s all there and accessible, so if I’m ever on a job site and someone isn’t working safely, it’s easy to stop the process and go over the contents of the job box with any crew member.”
He started his first construction job at 18 years old and began building a career in the business. He came to KHS&S nearly two decades ago as a scaffolding supervisor.
Ramirez has been married to his wife, Shelley, for more than 25 years. They have three children and two grandchildren. He enjoys spending time with his family, especially having sit-down dinners throughout the week to stay connected, and going to church, movies and restaurants. “We love to fish together and swim, too,” he says.