Creating Symbiotic Safety

Creating a great safety program for an organization does not happen accidentally. Unfortunately, many safety professionals have attempted to correct a poor safety program by attacking the undesired outcomes. This approach is akin to putting band-aids on an infection. The problem seems to be covered and dealt with, but there has been nothing done to correct the cause of the problem. Creating Symbiotic Safety will help the safety professional understand that safety issues are the outcome of the process. Therefore, if you want to change the results - change the process. By understanding the motivations of executives, management, and employees, a system can be modified to align the goals and motives of each level toward having safety become the natural outcome. This proven method will help you achieve a thriving safety culture within one year!


This is Todd C. Smith's and John Brattlof's second book on construction safety. The goal is to equip construction companies with the ability to maintain a safe work environment that contributes positively to the financial needs of the project. Creating Symbiotic Safety describes everything necessary for addressing all the elements of safety on the jobsite.


Todd C. Smith entered construction safety in 2005 after serving in the 82nd Airborne Division's, 313th Military Intelligence Battalion's Training Manager and then a Spanish Language Instructor at the University of Texas-San Antonio and the University of Texas-Austin, where he received the Teaching Excellence Award. Todd spent 15 years as the Safety Director for a commercial painting contractor with 100 employees. Todd has also been on the faculty of the Austin Community College's Building Construction Technology Department, where he has been teaching courses in Construction Safety since 2016.


In June of 2021, Todd became the Vice President of Safety and HR for BCS Concrete Structures. He has implemented a monthly job site inspection competition, an emerging leaders program, an extensive safety training incentive program, and a company Safety Rodeo. He is currently serving as the Central Texas Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors Safety Committee Co-Chairman and the Co-Chairman of the ASSP Construction Practice Specialty Practice with co-author John Brattlof.


John Brattlof entered the construction safety world in 1993 in the Houston industrial market with a large petrochemical construction firm, S&B Engineers and Constructors, Inc. In his role as Health and Safety Coordinator, John was a part of many large industrial projects throughout Texas. His primary roles included project safety management, employee training, and health monitoring program development and implementation. He provided a variety of safety training programs to over 10,000 people during his tenure with S&B. During this time, John also provided OSHA 10 and 30 Hour Construction Outreach Training and the 100 Hour Construction Site Safety Technician Course for the Houston Chapter of ABC.


Since relocating to Austin in 2000, John has held the position of Corporate Safety Director for White Construction Company. In this role, John has held the responsibility for all program development and implementation, including the training of employees. In 2001, he successfully negotiated the first ABC / OSHA Partnership in Texas (still active today). With ABC, John has been able to work with the co-presenter, Todd Smith, to develop and teach the Construction Leadership Development Program. Todd and John also formed the Central Texas Chapter of ASSP's Construction Practice Specialty Group in 2017. They garnered participation from the OSHA Area Director to join as co-sponsors on the inaugural Central Texas Construction Safety Summit.