Deborah Hampton is first female Director of Safety at Current Builders

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Deborah Hamton
Photo by: Law Ream

Robin MacLennan
Florida Construction News staff writer

Deborah Hampton joined Current Builders in November 2019 as the Risk and Safety Director, a newly expanded role, overseeing risk management, occupational health, safety and environmental programs, and compliance.

One of the firm’s highest-profile team members, Deborah is the first woman to hold this position in the firm’s 48-year history.

“I am honored to nominate Deborah Hampton for this prestigious recognition. Thanks to her innovation and dedication, countless job sites have become a safer environment for thousands of construction workers,” said Crystal Binford, the Business Development and Marketing Director.

Since joining Current Builders less than a year ago, Deborah has already achieved exceptional contributions including implementing:

  • a return to work program and new occupational health clinic criteria to facilitate medical management (resulting in lower medical costs and improved medical care for workers).
  • the use of root cause analysis into investigations (resulting in increased awareness at the craft level of accidents and promoting the identification of better corrective measures).
  • various Competent Person trainings for safety staff (resulting in the increase of greater occupational health & safety proficiencies in the field).
  • an ergonomics program and monitoring for craft workers (focused on reducing back injuries).
  • safety incentive programs such as “Caught in the Act” and “I know my safety steps” (promoting a safety cultures via positive reinforcement).

She also participated in Safe + Sound promoting worker safety via “Why I work Safe” (promoting a safety culture), Construction Safety Week, and OSHA National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction as well as implementing a Behavior Based Safety program promoting a safety culture via what gets measured gets done.

“While mitigating risk in one of the most inherently dangerous industries requires excellence in innumerable proficiencies, Deborah combines this with a crucial power skill—compassion,” Binford said. “Whether she is implementing an ergonomics program for more senior workers or offering positive reinforcement of the safety culture for new workers, she is a constant and vigilant protective force at our firm.”

Hampton joined Current Builders after 10 years of success at Odebrecht USA, a construction and engineering firm based in Coral Gables.

During her decade as HSE officer for U.S. operations, she says she was “committed to performing every task in the safest manner possible with minimal risk.” Her work emphasised controlling high-risk activities and striving to fully integrate health and safety into all aspects of operations through a process of continuous improvement.

Her hard work and accomplishments has been recognized throughout her career, and her work has resulted in her employers receiving numerous awards for safety excellence including multiple wins of ENR’s Best Safety Project, the Bronze Safety Award from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, AGC’s Construction Safety Excellence Award and many others.

“Deborah is an invaluable asset to Current Builders and has fostered a heightened sense of connection among our work force,” said Michael Taylor, President of Current Builders.

“Through her programs and guidance, every team member has developed a deeper understanding of our dependence upon each other to create a safer environment. Deborah’s contributions to our firm has created a ripple affect as each employee, subcontractor and laborer has benefitted from her expertise and understanding.”

At Current Builders, safety is not a goal; it is the primary performance standard. We follow a top-down commitment to safe performance and unsurpassed quality. No job is so important that it can’t be performed safely.

Under Deborah’s leadership, the safety program and procedures demand that every employee, every subcontractor, and every field construction project stand as an example of how to work expeditiously, without working in harms way. Toward that end, we have developed a comprehensive set of standards to ensure the safety of our workers and their work environment.

She has earned a reputation in the industry as a proven innovator and results-oriented professional and is enthusiastic about establishing the footprint for this enhanced new position at Current Builders.

“This is an exciting opportunity,” Hampton said. “Current Builders is one of the most respected general contractors in the state, and I am looking forward to working with the firm to continue their excellent track record in this realm.”

As Current Builders continues to expand in both the east coast and west coast Florida markets, the company searched for outstanding new members to facilitate long-term growth goals and Hampton’s superior skill set, tremendous leadership qualities and innate desire to mentor the next generation made her a obvious choice.

“Deborah is an invaluable asset to Current Builders and has fostered a heightened sense of connection among our work force,” said Binford. “Through her programs and guidance, every team member developed a deeper understanding of our dependence upon each other to create a safer environment. Deborah’s contributions to our firm has created a ripple affect as each employee, subcontractor and laborer has benefitted from her expertise and understanding.”

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