April Dorsey, Construction Safety Manager

This is People in Revu, a Q&A series that shows the world some of the amazing individuals that make AEC the dynamic industry it is today – in their own words, of course. If you or someone you know would like to participate in our People in Revu column, share your thoughts with us! Please email rufberg@bluebeam.com to learn more.

[This interview was first published in 2017.]

1. How did you get into your current role?

My current boss witnessed me tending to an emergency situation and gave me a call. The rest is history.

2. Do you have a mantra/saying/catch phrase at work?

One of my mentors taught me how to be fair, firm and friendly. This means be fair in my convictions, be firm in my beliefs, and maintain a friendly disposition when warranted.

3. What is your favorite part of your job?

Interacting with those who make plans into reality. I love learning the details on how a plan is implemented into reality.

4. How do you see your job changing in one year? Five years? Ten years?

It’s tough to predict at this moment, but if I had to guess, I would say safety managers may be forced out of the field due to lack of OSHA and EPA regulations. I believe drones will take over the observation of employees, and safety managers will be pushed to evaluate filmed activities within the next five years. Within ten years, I believe the lack of safety management face-to-face influence will evolve back to human interactions.

5. What do you know now that you wish you knew on day one?

I wish I knew every single interaction I had at work, from interacting with project managers to shop stewards, would impact me in a meaningful way when it really mattered.

6. What advice do you have for someone who wants to be in your role?

I would say if this is your niche, love what you do and do it well. Never compromise yourself or your beliefs to get a job done, because it’s not worth it.

7. How has using Revu impacted your career?

Revu is what sets me apart from many safety professionals. I used Revu to draw up emergency action plans. My most important use of Revu to date was in collaborations with the management of Site-Safety. The operations manager knew we needed an emergency action plan based off the amount of time that passed on a high-profile site. We sat together and created a plan using Revu, and the following week he executed the plan successfully. The following day we were faced with a tragic event and were forced to recreate our emergency action plan, which was also executed without a hitch.