Why the Phrase “Safety Is Number One” Is Holding You Back with Dylan Laser

Episode notes

"If safety is number one, okay, all your employees are gonna stay home and wrap themselves in bubble wrap. And guess what? Bye bye, company." Dylan Laser, Director of Safety at Kinsley Construction. OK, everyone, this episode challenges one of the most familiar phrases in our industry, and honestly, it might change how you think about safety altogether. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management , I sit down with Dylan Laser , Safety Director at Kinsley Construction , to unpack why saying “safety is number one” often does more harm than good in real operations, and what actually works instead. Drawing on his experience overseeing safety for over 2,500 employees and multiple business divisions, Dylan shares why safety can’t live in isolation from productivity and efficiency. We talk about moving beyond checkbox compliance, building policies with field teams, and shifting from the role of safety police to a trusted partner. Dylan also offers a candid look at where internal teams hit their limits, why smart outsourcing isn’t failure, and how connecting safety to business outcomes transforms culture, credibility, and results.