2025 Safety in Construction Week – Lean Construction Institute

Jacobs Engineering submitted a compelling Lean safety story titled “Thinking Bigger – Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks,” centered on a large-scale greenfield pharmaceutical manufacturing project for a confidential client. With an aggressive schedule and simultaneous construction of multiple buildings, the team applied Lean principles such as the Last Planner System^®, Gemba Walks, and a focus on Respect for People to optimize workflow and minimize safety risks—particularly high-risk labor at heights.

Through their submission, Jacobs strongly advocated using Lean not just to streamline schedules but to engineer out hazards and fundamentally improve construction site safety and collaboration.

DPR Construction’s submission highlighted the safety-driven Lean strategies used on the Sutter East project in Santa Clara. Presented from the Superintendent’s perspective, the initiative focused on off-site fabrication, flow-oriented design, and proactive high-risk planning. Key tools included Takt planning (ranging from 5- to 1-day intervals), small-batch prefab components, and early identification of high-risk activities such as crane picks and pressure testing.

Their efforts led to clearer task ownership, reduced trade stacking, and enhanced collaboration—all while achieving zero OSHA recordables over 250,000 work hours.

Herrero Builders’ submission highlighted an innovative Lean initiative called the “Production Platform,” developed to enhance jobsite safety and efficiency by integrating digital tools with traditional safety practices. The mobile unit combines a safety cart with an iPad, printer, and large-screen TV to create a centralized, real-time hub for safety documentation and production planning. The platform provides immediate access to pre-task plans, permits, and incident reports, streamlining communication and enabling on-the-spot collaboration directly in the field.

The platform proved successful in improving responsiveness and transparency, allowing teams to access, complete, and print safety documents in real time.