From Compliance to Culture: A Proactive Approach to Developing a Safety-First Mindset

Jessica Strom is Safety Compliance Manager at DP Electric Inc. With a background in automotive, fleet management, and corporate training, she now leads initiatives that reinforce a proactive safety culture built on accountability, trust, and shared responsibility, empowering employees and aligning organizational values with meaningful impact.

In an exclusive interview with Construction Tech Review, she shared invaluable insights on building a proactive safety culture rooted in trust, accountability, and shared responsibility, transforming compliance into genuine commitment that protects every individual on site.

The Ever-Looming Question: How Do We Get “Buy-In” to Safety?

Too often, safety is perceived as “another box to check” An enforcement rather than something embraced. Hard hats go on when someone’s watching, and procedures are followed because they “have to be” not because people believe in them. Safety excellence doesn’t begin with rules or paperwork. It begins internally, with culture.

Shifting the Narrative: From Enforcement to Partnership

So how do we navigate from the common reaction of “Oh great, safety is on site” to “Let me partner with the safety team to make sure we’re doing this right.”?

The answer starts with an internal, safety-first culture. A mindset that should be instilled long before boots hit the ground. It’s built through trust, relationships, and shared responsibility. Once safety becomes part of how work gets done, not a roadblock, the buy-in follows naturally.

Building Culture: Day One

Culture is not a delegated task, it’s a clearly defined standard that is established and upheld without deviation. Within our organization, that standard was set from day one by our founder and continues through every level of leadership, from our president and executive team to leaders across all areas of the organization.

When leaders consistently model the expected standard, culture becomes authentic, consistent, and present in all daily operations.

Effective cultures are built when leaders are:

• Consistent and reliable, following through on commitments and expectations

• Dependable decision-makers, providing clarity and stability in changing environments

• Supportive and accessible, equipping teams with the tools, training, and resources needed to succeed

When the right tools, training, and resources are in place, expectations become reality. By investing in our employees, we empower them to build upon the strong foundation that has been established. As leadership lives the standard they set, a mindset of accountability, safety, and shared responsibility starts on day one and is reinforced every day thereafter.

Redefining the Role of Safety

The “safety cop” mindset no longer serves our industry. A culture rooted in trust and self-accountability must be first and foremost.

When safety professionals:

• Spend time listening to understand, not just to respond

• Seek input from crews on hazards and solutions

• Recognize safe behaviors as often as they address unsafe ones

They become allies rather than obstacles.

Trust creates influence. Influence creates change

Empowerment Over Policing

A proactive safety culture empowers every individual on site to take ownership, not just for their own safety, but for the safety of everyone. This means encouraging team members to:

• Speak up without fear of retaliation

• Stop work when conditions are unsafe

• Participate in developing safer processes

When employees feel heard and respected, safety is no longer “management’s responsibility”, It becomes everyone’s responsibility.

From Compliance to Commitment

The ultimate goal isn’t perfection, it’s genuine commitment. When a safety mindset is embedded across hiring, leadership, relationships, and daily operations, the mindset naturally shifts.

Safety should be part of who an organization is, not just what it does. The buy-in is no longer a challenge, it’s the standard.

Compliance keeps people out of trouble. Culture keeps people safe.