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Relentless Ally

A Passion for Safety

Managing safety on a major infrastructure project takes a special kind of person. One who isn’t just well-versed in policies and procedures, but someone passionate about getting people home safely.

Ernesto Jaimes-Aguilar perfectly exemplifies that passion in his role as project safety supervisor at the new Lady Bird Lake project in Austin, Texas. For Ernesto, our Zero Harm culture isn’t just about traffic cones and neon vests—it’s about living out his purpose.

“I think my purpose is helping other people, and making sure everyone gets home safely is the way I do that,” Ernesto says. “I get to help the workers, but I also help their families and friends, as well as the company.”

The Lady Bird Lake project is still in early stages but will ultimately include rebuilding a 2.5-mile section of Interstate 35 (I-35) on the south side of downtown Austin. As he works to build a safety culture on this new venture, Ernesto is prioritizing training, communication and strong relationships to set the foundation for a safe and successful project.

Safe Beginnings

Preparing a project like Lady Bird Lake is a complicated process, with safety being considered every step of the way. Many teammates and partners on the project are transferring from Oak Hill Parkway, another major infrastructure project located in the Austin area.

Despite having worked with these individuals before, Ernesto is far from complacent. Training has been top of mind for him since breaking ground on the project, ensuring that everyone who steps onto the jobsite is making safety their number one priority.

“Training is a non-negotiable, whether a teammate is fresh off another one of our projects or not,” he explains. “We want to make sure that our Zero Harm culture, our procedures and our jobsite rules are fresh in their minds.”

This training also serves another purpose: allowing Ernesto to spend time with each and every member of the team. Though he has an established rapport with many from working on the Oak Hill Parkway project, strengthening those relationships is extremely important to Ernesto in establishing a culture of safety.

“Building a friendship as well as a working relationship establishes a level of trust,” he explains. “Everyone knows they can come to me with concerns or ideas and trust that I will provide for them and make sure they have everything they need to get the job done safely.”

Safey Amid High Traffic

Another consideration of getting the Lady Bird Lake project up and running is the proximity to live traffic. Earlier this year, ����Vlog Beatty announced a groundbreaking safety initiative expanding OSHA’s long-established Fatal Four to include the fifth fatal risk of Live Traffic. The Federal Highway Administration estimates there are more than 100,000 vehicle crashes in work zones each year, making vehicle traffic a significant threat, especially on a project like Lady Bird Lake.

The jobsite is located in the heart of downtown Austin, along the Colorado River just south of the Texas state capital. An estimated 200,000 drivers use this segment of I-35 daily, and Ernesto is committed to getting every one of them through the jobsite without incident.

“Working in live traffic is one of the most dangerous jobs there is,” he says. “There are all types of drivers out there—some are distracted, others are speeding, others may just be confused because of a traffic switch. It’s vital that we have every precaution in place on our jobsite to get everyone home safely.”

One such precaution includes small, portable lights on workers’ personal protective equipment (PPE). These lights, manufactured by Guardian Angel, are equipped with high-powered LEDs on all sides, enabling drivers to see workers from as far away as five miles. Innovative technologies like these are growing more common on jobsites across the U.S., and making great strides in safety.  

In addition to outfitting crews beyond the standard PPE, Ernesto also trains every member of the team to always remain alert on the jobsite.

“We prepare our jobsite and our crews as much as we possibly can, but we also have to be prepared for the unexpected,” Ernesto explains. “The training we provide is crucial, as well as the relationships we’ve built, which remind us to look out for each other.”

Breaking Down Communication Barriers

These strong relationships keep the lines of communication open, something that is vitally important to maintain a safe jobsite according to Ernesto.

“There’s the saying that you’re either falling together, or you’re falling apart,” he says. “When teams don’t communicate, they won’t be on the same page about the operations of the day, and something could get missed or overlooked. That’s how things fall apart.”

Maintaining communication isn’t always as simple as making sure teams are speaking to each other. There are logistical barriers that Ernesto is passionate about overcoming.

One such barrier is that of language. Ernesto is fluent in both English and Spanish, allowing for better communication with many members of the team.

“For many of our teammates, English is not their first language. Communicating exclusively in English can lead to misunderstandings on the jobsite,” he says. “When any member of our team doesn’t understand exactly what’s being asked of them, that presents a safety concern.”

There are also logistical barriers to communication due to the nature of jobsites. A member of the night crew at Lady Bird Lake identified one such barrier: noise.

The team working overnight on the project is often operating alongside trucks that are bringing in or hauling off materials. These trucks make it difficult for members of the team to get each other’s attention, forcing them to shout at each other in a way that was often ineffective. The crew approached Ernesto with an easy solution.

“They suggested outfitting the crew with air horns to make it easy to get each other’s attention,” he says. “It’s a simple, inexpensive solution that will make their jobs safer and easier and I’m grateful that my teammates trust me enough to come to me with feedback, especially when it makes the jobsite safer for everyone.”

Called to Safety

As Lady Bird Lake continues to take shape in the heart of Austin, Ernesto’s approach to Zero Harm serves as a powerful reminder that protecting our teammates goes beyond compliance and checklists. By prioritizing meaningful connections, fostering open communication and remaining receptive to his team’s innovative safety solutions, Ernesto has established a culture where everyone feels valued, heard and empowered to speak up.

In an industry where the stakes are literally life and death, Ernesto’s dedication stands as an example of how genuine care for people transforms safety from a responsibility into a calling.