New major aims to make the construction industry safer, one student at a time

Few images are etched into the minds of millions like the one of construction workers on a steel beam eating lunch. The black and white picture brings a sense of unease as the 11 workers sit stories above the Manhattan skyline without a single hardhat, vest, or harness in sight.

Present day, safety is front and center on job sites, and Virginia Tech students will be better equipped than ever to lead the charge.

The Myers-Lawson School of Construction, housed in the College of Engineering, launched a new major in construction safety leadership, which began accepting students in May. The first cohort could graduate as early as May 2025.

Born out of a growing need for specially trained construction engineers with a safety-focused mindset, the major boasts five courses to help graduates stand out in the job market:

• Construction Safety Systems, a high-level overview of safety through current management systems and how they apply to day-to-day construction operations
• Construction Health and Safety, a review of government and agency regulations, with applications in policy 
• Controlling Construction Safety Hazards, a deeper dive into cognitive thinking and decision-making of safety
• Construction Safety Culture, an examination of safety climate, safety culture, and organizational leadership
• Construction Industry Futures: Safety, Health, and Wellness, an evaluation of future practices including the use of robotics and emerging technologies

“This has been a passion project for me. I have seen the impact a safety-first culture has on both my company and the industry as a whole,” said A. Ross Myers, CEO of Allan Myers and co-founder of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction. “With more students who are dedicated to safety coming out of Virginia Tech, we know that there will be top-tier professionals in these leadership positions. 

Investing in the industry

A disregard for safety is a stigma that the industry is trying to overcome. In 2022, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration reported five of its top 10 most frequently violated standards were from the construction industry. It’s an area where leaders are dedicated to making a change. 

Since 2005, safety has been a top priority for Allan Myers. The company’s record is 10 times better than the industry standard.

“The most important thing every night is to make sure everyone goes home safe,” said Myers. “If any student graduates from a school with my name on it, I expect that mentality.”  

Safety-based classes aren’t new for the school, as Construction Health and Safety has been a required course for construction engineering and management students since 2015. For recent graduate Jayla Harris '24, the introductory class changed the course of her career.

“I knew I wanted to be in construction, but I struggled to find my fit in the industry. The more I learned about safety, I fell in love with this area of the field,” said Harris who now works as a safety engineer for Performance Contracting Inc. 

Harris’ passion is one Myers-Lawson Director Brian Kleiner wants to see more of. As a lifelong advocate for safety, he also runs the Center for Innovation in Construction Safety, Health and Well-Being which is continually looking at ways to improve safety conditions for workers through research, education, continuing education, and outreach. This includes the onslaught of automation and technology in the industry, which doesn’t always improve safety. He feels the new major is an important addition to the two undergraduate degrees already in the school, which cover a broad view of construction engineering and management leadership.

“The five courses we’ve crafted in putting together this new major will allow students to step into an authority role focused on making sure each person goes home to their family at night," Kleiner said. "We know this is an area our industry partners are looking for talented individuals and we anticipate the graduates to leave the school on the path to roles as safety engineers, managers, directors, or consultants. It is also imperative that project managers and project superintendents have specialized knowledge of hazard prevention.” 

Alumni of Myers-Lawson who have had a taste of safety-related courses see it as an area with a world of potential.

"Safety is everywhere and, in every field,” said Harris. “If you want to make a difference and have a voice in an area that impacts a wide variety of people then this is the field for you.”