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Many of the skills I learned in the Marines are transferable to the real world, and the first is leadership. Leadership includes foresight or the sense to evaluate things before they happen. It鈥檚 thinking ahead and preparing for the worst-case and best-case scenarios. At Skanska, we do this each day, whether it鈥檚 in preconstruction, safe equipment management, or management of changing work conditions.

I was trained to perform critical activities in fast-paced, high-stress and dynamic environments. Development of the ability to perform as a Marine or in construction enhances confidence and certainty in exercising good judgment and making critical decisions.

With veterans especially, we鈥檙e mindful of the post-service, return-to-work challenges many face. We train our focus on engaging our colleagues 鈥� not only veterans, but rather all team members 鈥� in an injury-free environment. These operational standards don鈥檛 only help veterans in their post-military work but employees of all skill levels.

One inspiration that propels me to reach out to others: my brother, Edwin Davila, who also enlisted in the Marine Corps just out of high school as I did. We both served in infantry units (Edwin was in combat theater battalions) in three-year enlistments. But unlike me, Edwin struggled to re-enter civilian life. In 2018, he passed away at age 29, unable to overcome his post-traumatic stress after military service. Since that time, I鈥檝e worked on spreading the message of caring for veterans and supporting them during and after their time in the armed forces.

Such guidance may help other companies support their workers and teams in these evolving post-pandemic times.

I and many colleagues are working to help create guidelines locally and for national organizations such as the American Society of Safety Professionals. The standards address this truism: work-site hazards aren鈥檛 just physical obstacles; we also need to be prepared to confront team members鈥� psychosocial challenges.

The opportunity for all of us is to prevent work-related stressors and psychosocial hazards and to help create work sites that promote well-being. We watch for risks in behavior and are learning to really talk to each other. In recent work, we鈥檝e found that peer support and attention can make the difference in helping a colleague navigate a rough patch and feel supported.

Military training provided a key basis for how I might advise my colleagues. In the Marines, we learned to 鈥榳atch their six,鈥� which means to keep an eye out and help each other, see the best in one another, and be there for support. These principles also specifically apply to the building trades. It is what I do each day in my environmental health and safety role: 鈥榳atching their six鈥� for my co-workers, clients and the public. Are there changes we can make on-site to help each other such as changing start times, offering flex schedules, presenting more opportunities for communication, etc.?

Each of our colleagues comes to work each day with a proverbial basket. The contents of that basket could be stressors in a home environment or relationships with families, friends and peers. We must all factor this in while with each other. This is a new approach to creating an injury-free environment 鈥� engagement with each other based on our shared values. We ask ourselves how we can be more compassionate.

Construction is for the most part an on-site focus. Our workers never stopped during the throes of the pandemic. All of them powered through in the tough times. In many ways, our collective perspective changed.

Fortunately, access to mental health services is widely available to Skanska workers, and we believe this to be important. We provide connection to mental health services tailored to veterans, should one need them. We understand the dynamics of interdependency. We know we cannot function effectively without the support of each member of a unit.

While our doors are open to veterans, we make sure all employees can participate in the focus and values of safety and care for life. We drive to motivate colleagues to bring their hard-won experience to help us build up and enhance our communities.

Joaquin Diaz is the environmental health and safety director for Skanska USA Building in Portland and a former U.S. Marine lance corporal. Contact him at 503-382-0900.

The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed in the preceding commentary are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Daily Journal of Commerce or its editors. Neither the author nor the 91视频 guarantees the accuracy or completeness of any information published herein.