Why the Phrase “Safety Is Number One” Is Holding You Back with Dylan Laser
January 22, 2026
"If safety is number one, okay, all your employees are gonna stay home and wrap themselves in bubble wrap. And guess what? Bye bye, company." Dylan Laser, Director of Safety at Kinsley Construction.
OK, everyone, this episode challenges one of the most familiar phrases in our industry, and honestly, it might change how you think about safety altogether. In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with Dylan Laser, Safety Director at Kinsley Construction, to unpack why saying “safety is number one,” often does more harm than good in real operations, and what actually works instead.
Drawing from his experience overseeing safety across 2,500+ employees and multiple business divisions, Dylan shares why safety can’t live in isolation from productivity and efficiency. We talk about moving beyond checkbox compliance, building policies with field teams, and shifting from the role of safety police to trusted partner. Dylan also offers a candid look at where internal teams hit their limits, why smart outsourcing isn’t failure, and how connecting safety to business outcomes transforms culture, credibility, and results. If you’re serious about building safety that scales, and sticks, this one’s for you.
"If safety is number one, okay, all your employees are gonna stay home and wrap themselves in bubble wrap. And guess what? Bye bye, company." Dylan Laser, Director of Safety at Kinsley Construction.
OK, everyone, this episode challenges one of the most familiar phrases in our industry, and honestly, it might change how you think about safety altogether. In this episode of
The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I sit down with
Dylan Laser, Safety Director at
Kinsley Construction, to unpack why saying “safety is number one” often does more harm than good in real operations, and what actually works instead.
Drawing on his experience overseeing safety for over 2,500 employees and multiple business divisions, Dylan shares why safety can’t live in isolation from productivity and efficiency. We talk about moving beyond checkbox compliance, building policies with field teams, and shifting from the role of safety police to a trusted partner. Dylan also offers a candid look at where internal teams hit their limits, why smart outsourcing isn’t failure, and how connecting safety to business outcomes transforms culture, credibility, and results. If you’re serious about building safety that scales and sticks, this one’s for you.
Here are some of the topics that Dylan and I explore:
- Why "Safety is Number One" is a dangerous myth that undermines safety culture
- How to shift from compliance-driven safety to culture-driven safety
- The power of narrative-based site inspections over checkbox compliance
- How to leverage your deep industry knowledge to build credibility
- Why outsourcing specialized functions like annual rigging inspections isn't a failure
- The hidden ROI of transparency and expectation-setting
Dylan Laser is the Safety Director at Kinsley Construction, a $1B full-service construction company with more than 2,500 employees. With 12 years of experience spanning blasting operations and construction safety, Dylan has built a culture-driven safety program across four business divisions. An MSHA Part 46 and 48 approved instructor, he’s known for replacing the “safety cop” model with collaborative coaching, narrative-based inspections, and field-embedded safety leadership that balances safety, productivity, and efficiency.
Episode Chapters:
- 00:00 Intro
- 02:04 From History Teacher to Safety Leader: Dylan's Journey
- 14:08 Why Blasting Taught Him Everything About Safety Culture
- 19:04 The "Safety Police" Trap and How to Dismantle It
- 27:34 Building Safety Policies with Field Teams, Not from an Office
- 33:19 From Checklists to Conversations: Narrative-Based Site Inspections
- 34:49 When to Outsource: The Smart Scaling Strategy
- 38:49 Keeping Training Fresh: Why External Partners Reset Engagement
- 41:17 Safety Isn't Number One, And That's Exactly Why It Works
- 43:21 Key Takeaways: Leading with Clarity, Not Compliance Theater
Episode Resources:
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