It has been a year since my mentor and good friend Leon Williams passed on. I only hope he left me a fraction of his philosophy that Safety can be implemented without the “Policeman” type attitude. In difficult times I often think of how Leon would react, or specifically, what he would say. He was amazingly never at a loss for words. I think after a while it even became a challenge for the Superintendents and Project Managers in the field to stump Leon with an outlandish request or problem. He used to always say it is not what you say; it is how you say it. Those are words to live by if you are a Safety Professional. I remember when Leon used to make his periodic visits to the projects, and the skill to which he would display when the need arose; to informally train a worker found putting themselves in a compromising situation. He found an angle for every approach and that angle usually produced a smile from the workers who were more than happy to comply with the request at hand. That being said, there was always one issue that was never dealt with a light note – Leon was very serious about fall protection compliance. He changed the culture of the company with various strategies which will forever change our perspective. I think of Leon often and truly believe he is watching over the company and proud of us all. Safety needs to be a way of life on the job and off.

- By Robert Coleman, Director of Safety