I love that I get to help and take care of people

Posted: May 23, 2019
Last modified: May 23, 2019

Safety managers such as Amanda Price know that the 21-mile I‑4 Ultimate project can be a very busy worksite and that their work remains vital, as construction proceeds.

Bulldozers, front-end loaders, cranes, concrete mixers, dump trucks, and hundreds of people may all be hard at work at any one time on the massive project that works round-the-clock. For many managers, the dedicated effort to eliminate hazards for construction workers and motorists becomes a professional calling.

But for Price, it’s also personal.

“My dad has a construction business, so that is what I grew up around,” she said. “Many of my father’s workers have been with him for 10 or 20-plus years. When I was thirteen, there was an accident on his job, and it was like a family member was affected. I decided to get my degree in Occupational Safety and Health to try and prevent other families from going through what mine did.”

With more than 1,500 workers involved with I‑4 Ultimate, there are many families for Price to worry about and a great number of places for the safety team to carry out inspections for SGL – the construction joint venture of Skanska, Granite and Lane.

“I love that I get to help and take care of people,” Price said. “Every day I am given the opportunity to positively impact the safety culture of our project, and it is an amazing feeling to know that your training and corrections in the field help people go home to their families each day.”

As part of SGL’s Environmental, Health and Safety Team, Price and other managers stay busy patrolling the corridor, inspecting work sites and equipment, and training personnel in safety procedures. “I conduct field inspections, give first-aid treatment, hold post-incident review meetings, and hold regular safety meetings and training, among other things.”

Price, who is from Kingston, Oklahoma, earned a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Safety and Health from Southeastern Oklahoma State University. In her spare time, she likes to travel, attend concerts and sporting events, and play the guitar.