Zero Incidents

Training and Development

Our safety training is designed to exceed OSHA/regulatory guidelines and helps ensure everyone working on our jobsites fully understands the expectations, processes, protective equipment and proper use of tools for the tasks they will perform. To supplement required training and jobsite orientations, we incorporate additional learning opportunities – daily sunrise huddles, weekly toolbox talks and periodic site stand-downs – to address relevant topics.

Standards and Processes

LeChase and its subcontractors follow strict safety standards on each project. Still, the company continues to add new tools and practices – and benchmarks its program and performance against other industry leaders – to drive continuous improvement.

Certifications

Certifications

LeChase is proud to consistently receive high scores through industry qualification platforms like ISNetworld and Avetta for our safety and risk management programs and results. This external validation confirms our deep commitment to maintaining the highest standards of safety for all our project partners.

Companywide Fundamentals

Companywide Fundamentals

LeChase addresses its list of “no exception” practices – like personal protective equipment, safety signage, and site-specific safety plans – at each project kickoff, then posts the list at job sites as a reminder that the most basic precautions should never be taken for granted.

Targeted, Real-time Data

Targeted, Real-time Data

At LeChase, a custom software dashboard uses real-time site observations as leading indicators to identify best practices as well as potential hazards.  Analyzed along with traditional safety metrics, these observations provide regions and project teams with relevant data to stop incidents before they occur.

Engagement and Empowerment

Everyone has a responsibility to keep themselves and their coworkers safe. Our programs empower workers – as teams and individuals – to plan tasks up-front and stay alert for potential issues.

Up front, each project team identifies the need for high-risk activities, then prepares workers to safely tackle them through proper training and certifications, safe practices, personal protective equipment and other controls.

Onsite, each work team starts the day by examining their tasks for potential hazards and discussing the actions needed to safely complete each step. Team members sign forms detailing the discussion, which are posted as reminders in the work area.

Anyone at a LeChase jobsite or office is expected to stop work – without fear of retribution – when they observe an unsafe situation.  Stop Work Authority cards and hard hat stickers serve as reminders.

Our safety observations and good catch program reinforce each individual’s role in identifying and correcting situations – large or small – that could cause injury, property damage or quality defects. Workers who make a Good Catch are recognized at project huddles or other gatherings.

Our People

Our Environmental, Health and Safety professionals help operations and site teams customize and roll out elements of our safety programs to meet the needs of their projects. Professionals are assigned to specific regions but also serve companywide as subject matter experts in various topics or disciplines related to construction safety.

Fred Thompson

Vice President

A vice president since 2014, Frederick (Fred) Thompson is based in the Corning office, where he leads efforts to expand LeChase’s business in the Southern Tier. In this role, he manages client, employee and subcontractor relationships, oversees daily operations and works to ensure projects meet or exceed client expectations. Fred is also involved in leading LeChase’s environmental health and safety (EH&S) efforts as well as warehouse and equipment fleet operations. Since starting his construction career in 1996, Fred has gained experience in a variety of market sectors, – including higher education, healthcare, industrial, power and commercial – and multiple delivery methods including design-build, construction management and general contracting. He joined LeChase in 2000, was appointed a project executive in 2005, became regional operations manager in 2008. He has a bachelor’s degree in construction management from SUNY Alfred State College, and currently acts as a curriculum advisor for the school. He is a graduate of the Future Construction Leaders program offered by the Associated General Contractors of New York and is a member of the NYS chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council. Fred also volunteers time to numerous community organizations including YMCA youth soccer, high school soccer, Boy Scouts and local food banks.

Jerrod Garrett

Director of Environmental Health and Safety

Jerrod Garrett was named director of Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) in early 2018. In this role, Jerrod has overall responsibility for the company’s safety program, which continues to target a goal of zero incidents among employees, subcontractors, and visitors on LeChase jobsites and offices. He leads efforts around policy, training, leading indicator statistics, and reporting, and manages a team of safety professionals across company operations. Jerrod came to the company as the regional safety manager for Western New York in 2012, bringing more than 20 years of experience in the field of industrial health and safety. Prior to joining LeChase, he spent ten years in the power/energy industry. This included an assignment as corporate safety director for engineering and construction at a large energy company, where he had EH&S responsibility for $1.6 billion of capital projects at several refineries. Jerrod studied occupational health and safety at Louisiana State University, and in 2016 he earned accreditation from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals as a Certified Health and Safety Technician (CHST).

"Our EMR is going to a .66 and I owe your team a great deal of credit for that! Your jobsites have been one of the cleanest and safest that we have had the opportunity to work on in recent years. You hold everyone responsible and, more importantly, enforce rules that maintain such a great site. Thank you for continuing to be a great partner in the construction field."

Brian AlbaneseVice President, Forno Enterprises, Inc.

"At LeChase, safety is a culture. A lifestyle, on the forefront every day."

Karen McElweeDirector of Construction & Safety Management/Safety Officer, UHS Hospitals

"Everyone has PPE on. Jobsite is maintained clean of trash and clutter, very professional appearance … safety seems intrinsic in the team's approach."

Mark McGovernDirector of Construction & Infrastructure, Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus

"The safety on this project thus far has been outstanding. From site safety stand-downs to simple general site cleanliness, the team has shined. Once or twice per month, I am able to bring my supervisor for a site visit and he has been extremely impressed with the continued cleanliness and safety measures shown at the site."

Chris DavenportAssociate Project Manager, Cornell University