By Hannah Aguilar-Mota
Leslie Fenton spent the first 15 years of her construction career working in refineries — an unforgiving environment where safety lapses can have catastrophic consequences.
After working in a variety of roles, she realized five years ago that safety had become more than just a life-saving practice. It was a passion. “I had plateaued in my job at the time — and there was a lot going on in safety,” she said. “There was a lot of potential. Things I felt like I could do well. And so I committed to safety.”
So, the mother of three spent 18 months of late nights and weekends studying construction safety processes and regulations — eventually earning an OSHA safety certification and getting her first role focused entirely on safety.
Now an area safety manager for ACCO Engineered Systems, Leslie was named the eMOD Construction Safety Hero for the month of September. In particular, she was honored for her work on a recent biotech project managed by Dome Construction — a complex project including one day where dozens of crane picks required careful coordination. “Leslie was a great help with safety compliance on our construction site,” said Dome safety officer Chris Reynoso. “She engaged her crew on the jobsite for the day to ensure their daily safety pre-task plan was relevant and communicated clearly with her team prior to the crane picks taking place.”
I recently had the chance to talk with Leslie, now age 52, about her path into construction safety, along with her views on the industry today.
What are your day-to-day responsibilities as a safety manager?
I travel around and audit job sites. I’m out there trying to support our crews, answer questions, give support, and gather information about situations that may be out of the norm. I also help handle injuries, if we have them. If someone needs to go to a clinic, I make sure that the employee gets the care they need — and then I’ll follow them all the way down the line.
How did you become so interested in safety?
I wanted to grow old gracefully. I’d been working hard for years in refineries before I specialized in safety — and I really do care that people go home safely. At the end of the day, we work for businesses and they make a lot of money. But I want to help make sure that the people — the employees — have what they need to be safe out there. I just genuinely care — and I think that comes from working hands-on for so many years.
When did you decide to fully focus on safety?
I felt like I had plateaued in my job at the time — and there was a lot going on in safety. There was a lot of potential. Things I felt like I could do well. And so I just committed. I studied for a year and a half — I spent all my weekends in front of the computer researching safety issues and regulations. It just felt like it was going to open up this whole other opportunity for me. And it did. It really did.
What does being safe mean to you in your day-to-day work?
To me, it’s respect. It’s respect for the worker and respect for their families. I think about the worker and how there are people counting on that man or woman. I try to tell people, “I’m here to represent the people who love you. And you need to put your safety first.”
For me, safety is about both the employee and their family — and the company that they’re representing. Because, you know, injuries and fatalities can take your entire crew out of the game. If people aren’t working safely, then they’re not supporting the company properly, they’re not taking care of themselves, and they’re not taking care of their families.
Safety is a big responsibility. What kinds of things keep you up at night?
What I worry about most right now is keeping everybody safe from COVID. We’re monitoring that constantly — and everybody’s trying to do the right thing. But you know, you’ve got to be flexible because it’s changing all the time. We have to stay on top of that.
As a safety manager, is it ever difficult to convince workers in the field to be safe?
Maybe a while back but those days are over. You don’t find too many people that are rogue anymore. There was a time when people didn’t want to wear harnesses, hard hats, or safety glasses. Noweverybody is mostly on board and I don’t find it too difficult.
What’s changed?
Consistency and repetitiveness. I let people know that I’m here to help them shine and support them. I let them know what I’m looking for and that I’m going to be looking for those things every time. With consistency and repetitiveness, people get on board.
As a woman in construction, has your gender influenced your career journey?
You know, there have been obstacles in the past where I dealt with hurdles but, the team at ACCO has been amazing. I could not ask for a better situation or boss. I feel heard and that I am in a good, safe spot where we are all going to treat each other right. I hope to retire here.
How can construction safety be improved?
Taking the time to make sure there is an understanding to the WHY. There are some people out in the field who feel like there’s too much paperwork. I try to explain the guidelines to help keep people safe. It is important to take the extra minute to figure out how you’re going to do something safely.
Chris from Dome said you were “a great help” when it came to safety compliance.
You can tell he genuinely cares about the safety of our people and he was completely engaged, paying attention, and listening. You have to have genuine care and concern for what’s going on around you..
How does it feel to be named a ‘Safety Hero?”
It’s great! I’ve been working in safety for five years now — and that’s a nice thing to happen along the way.
One last question: What’s your favorite part of the job?
I enjoy building relationships. I like talking to people, and hearing the different stories people share. And I like providing solutions. If you ask for help, I’ll deliver. Teamwork — you have to have that. At work and in life.
Thanks for your time Leslie, and congratulations!
What is the eMOD Safety Hero Award?
Once a month, eMOD highlights someone working in the commercial construction industry who practices their craft with a safety-first approach. We recognize heroes who put safety ahead of productivity, who take action today to make our work safer tomorrow, who do the right thing rather than the most convenient. They promote accountability among team members, champion the latest safety practices, and encourage transparency about hazardous situations as they arise.