SAFETY Committed To Your Safety And Ours Award Winning Safety Program With more than 100 years of experience in the region, Knutson is a leader in the construction safety industry. We strive to create a culture of safety, not just for our workers, but also for your clients, your employees, and your visitors. Our culture of safety is communicated from the top of the organizational chart through every worker on site. Safety is everyone’s job and is a part of our performance management planning. This ingrained view of safety is central to our consistent safety performance and is one reason why subcontractors enjoy working on Knutson projects; we hold ourselves accountable and we expect the same from all of our team members. AT A GLANCE Safety Starts With Planning Knutson has an extensive written safety program designed to maintain compliance with Federal, State, and local safety standards and goes above OSHA requirements in many areas. More importantly they are the rules we follow to ensure the people in and around our projects are not being injured. This extensive program has resulted in a consistently low Experience Modification Rate (EMR). On each project, a member of Knutson’s safety department meets with the project team to develop a project specific safety plan. We received input from key team members, critical subcontractors and if requested, owner representation. The purpose is to identify the high-risk activities and component of the project and develop controls. We want to make safety part of the daily routine and identify hazards/risks early on so that precautionary measures can be implemented. The safety department conducts regular and frequent project audits to ensure Knutson, the Owner, and regulatory safety requirements are being followed and to assist in identifying risks. Zero Incident Culture We believe in coaching. Our safety professionals job is to be a resource to the projects, not to be the safety police. We create a culture of safety that is communicated from the top of the organizational chart through every worker on site. On the very few occasions when enforcement action is required, we do not hesitate to take action. This way, we build a culture of safety and accountability across our work force and that of our construction partners. We also receive resources and support from upper management. We constantly review and update our safety policies and practices based on audit findings to stay at the top of the industry in safety performance. This consistent and measured approach to safety is critical to our Zero Incident Culture. We believe it our corporate responsibility to provide a safe work environment for the construction personnel, owner staff and clients and the general public. OUR TEAM SAFETY DIRECTOR Mike Nielsen Mike has more than 28 years of experience in implementing loss prevention programs for large construction projects and is an experienced safety trainer. Mike successfully applies his expertise and knowledge to try and keep Knutson’s construction projects accident free. He is responsible for developing and overseeing the implementation of Knutson’s corporate safety plan. Mike works directly with Knutson’s field staff to ensure every member of our organization is properly trained and knows how to run a safe project site. SAFETY MANAGER Chris Benson Chris has been a valuable asset to Knutson’s safety team over the years. As safety manager, Chris evaluates exposure on our projects and designs and implements site-specific safety plans. He follows up regularly with site inspections to ensure plans are being followed and any adjustments are incorporated into project safety requirements. He also assists with regular safety training for Knutson employees and subcontractors. SITE SAFETY MANAGER Wally Heidelberger Wally is responsible for overall safety and quality control for the project, including both oversight of self-perform and subcontractor work. He works closely with key team members as a liaison between the project teams, including subcontractors, and the Knutson superintendents. He will ensure the project is exceeding the quality expectations required by our owners construction standards and is running as safely and smoothly as possible. 01 03 “I want to thank everyone that has been a part of this project at Mercy Hospital. It was a very coordinated project with safety for patients, staff and visitors at the forefront and then our own safety next. It has been and still is a TEAM effort to make this project a success!” Rod Sessing, Senior Superintendent Knutson Construction CAREERS Make Your Mark At Knutson Construction we empower our employees to shape the communities they live, work, and play in. Regardless of where you are in your career, this is your chance to transform communities and make your dream of a great career a reality. VIEW OPEN CAREERS Safety: More Than a Priority AWARDS MNSHARP Award Minnesota OSHA created the MNSHARP Program in 2004 to recognize construction companies where managers and employees work together to develop safety and health programs that go beyond basic compliance with all applicable OSHA standards and result in immediate and long-term prevention of job-related injuries and illnesses. Since the inception of the program, only 42 construction projects statewide have received this award. Knutson has had the honor of receiving this award twice for our Mercy Hospital Expansion project and Minneapolis Children’s Hospital Expansion. Our Ridgeview Medical project is currently enrolled in the program. Let’s Build Something Incredible, Together. CONTACT KNUTSON Privacy Policy