Stories

“In another life, I probably would have been a teacher in some capacity,” says Robert. “I love being able to learn material and pass that knowledge on to someone else. Training and teaching – that’s what I love about this work.”

Robert has spent much of his career working alongside skilled trade workers. Understanding that his position can be viewed with a bit of trepidation for those working out in the field, Robert tries to approach his role with less of a “safety cop” mentality. 

“I like to take the approach of going and talking to team members, having a conversation, and finding out why they are doing a certain task a certain way, and then coming up with creative solutions,” says Robert. “Later on, when I go back and see them approaching the work through a different lens or angle, that’s a rewarding experience for me.”

When Robert started school at Keene State College in New Hampshire, he initially was enrolled as a computer science major. His father had been a computer consultant throughout his career, and technology in general had always been an interest of Robert’s. But after about a year and a half, he realized computer science was more about programming and less about problem solving, and he sought a new path. He’d taken at least one safety-related course per semester – mostly encompassing occupational safety and health – and found that the classes he’d taken interested him, and he switched his major from there.

Robert spent 10 years doing environmental consulting and safety work – splitting his time between completing safety oversight for projects in the field and the rest doing project sampling and monitoring. From there, Robert took positions as a Project Safety Manager at John Moriarty & Associates and Gilbane Building Company. By this time, Robert had a young family and was looking for a change.

“I’d been doing project-based monitoring in different capacities for 17 years,” says Robert. “I wanted to do something a little more impactful — with more of an ability to drive change and difference in safety. I started looking at my options, and that’s how I arrived at Loureiro.”

Robert’s not even a month into his new position, so he’s still learning the ins and outs. He’s putting pen to paper, taking notes, and trying to learn and analyze everything he can about Loureiro’s safety processes.

“My role is to come in and, to put it simply, manage corporate safety for Loureiro and any entities under it. As I learn more about Loureiro and our safety culture, I’ll start to look for opportunities to improve as a team.”

That role covers everything from a slip, trip, or fall to developing and implementing effective health and safety programs, reviewing existing policies and procedures within the organization, and providing leadership and guidance to EH&S across multiple project sites. With Robert’s heavy construction background, a lot of his focus will be on what’s going on out in the field, covering everything from incidents and injury reporting all the way through to analyzing the existing safety programs and policies currently in place.

“Throughout my career, I’ve learned a lot from different safety professionals about how they approach the role,” says Robert. “When I go into the field, I try to walk a fine line. There’s daily interaction with skilled trade workers, and you want to be able to communicate respect. You have to be able to be friendly and approachable but also secure and confident enough to be able to explain why certain things need to be done a certain way. That’s something you’re always improving on, something you’re always learning.”

Outside of work, you can find Robert spending time with his wife and two children. A huge fan of hockey, he hits the ice at least once a week. He also has a passion for photography and likes to get out on his motorcycle when he can.

Join us in welcoming Robert to Loureiro!