Rethinking Hand Safety with Joe Geng of Superior Glove

Rethinking Hand Safety with Joe Geng of Superior Glove

A veteran worker with white hand syndrome said he couldn't hold his newborn grandchild — until the right glove changed everything. What are hand injuries really costing the workers on your site? Host Kirk Westwood sits down with Joe Geng, Vice President of Superior Glove and author of Rethinking Hand Safety, to tackle one of the most persistent and underestimated risks on every construction jobsite: hand injuries. Joe grew up in his family's glove business and has spent his career helping companies understand why hand injuries consistently rank as the number one or two injury on site. What is the real difference between a jobsite with almost no hand injuries and one that cannot get them under control? Joe says it comes down to "really getting employee input into solving that problem." In this episode, they dig into PPE myths, worker psychology, supervisor accountability, training failures, cultural barriers, and the practical steps contractors can take starting now. Joe Geng is Vice President at Superior Glove and a longtime hand safety expert who has spent his career helping companies reduce workplace hand injuries. Growing up in his family's glove business — founded by his father in 1961 — he developed a deep understanding of both hand protection and the broader safety challenges workers face on the job. He is the author of Rethinking Hand Safety, a book focused on the myths, behaviors, and practical strategies that shape real-world safety culture on jobsites across North America. Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Talk the TAUC podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.  Discussion points: * (00:00) Kirk Westwood introduces Joe Geng of Superior Glove * (02:14) Why hand injuries top the jobsite injury list but still get treated as an afterthought * (03:48) Growing up in the glove business and discovering the industry's real safety problem * (06:09) Joe reveals the one thing that separates low-injury sites from high-injury sites * (09:26) Worker psychology and how the best safety managers flip naysayers into advocates * (11:24) Where the accountability for glove compliance actually lives on a jobsite * (15:49) The stubborn myths about gloves that are still costing companies money and injuries * (24:27) The single most practical change contractors can make to reduce hand injuries starting tomorrow * Share with someone who would be interested, like, and subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Resources: Rethinking Hand Safety: Myths, Truths, and Proven Practices by Joe Geng: https://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Hand-Safety-Truths-Practices/dp/1544506252 [https://www.amazon.com/Rethinking-Hand-Safety-Truths-Practices/dp/1544506252] Superior Glove: superiorglove.com [http://superiorglove.com] TAUC Calendar of Events [https://tauc.org/calendar/]TAUC Website [https://tauc.org/]Kirk Westwood TAUC [https://tauc.org/personnel/kirk-westwood/]The Construction User Magazine back issues [https://tauc.org/the-construction-user-back-issue-archive/]The Construction User podcast archive [https://tauc.org/news/podcast/]

From Plan to Project: Navigating Execution Realities in Complex Builds

If the best plan doesn't survive contact with reality, what actually separates the teams that adapt from the ones that fall apart? Host Kirk Westwood sits down with Becky Chahal, Operations Leader at DPR Construction in the San Francisco Bay Area, to dig into what actually happens when a project moves from preconstruction into execution. Becky brings over two decades of field experience across healthcare, life science, data centers, and higher education — and she doesn't sugarcoat it. From early stakeholder alignment to labor curve management and modular prefabrication solutions, she walks through how DPR tackles complexity before it becomes a crisis. What separates the teams that adapt when schedules fall apart? According to Becky, it starts long before boots are on the ground. "The more that you can break down those silos early on is really key to driving a complex job quickly." What's the one planning assumption every contractor should revisit right now? Becky Chahal is an Operations Leader with DPR Construction in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she manages the delivery of highly complex projects across demanding market conditions. With extensive experience in labor coordination, schedule management, and stakeholder alignment, Becky works at the intersection of planning and execution—helping project teams adapt to real-time challenges while maintaining productivity and trust across trades and owners. Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Talk the TAUC podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.  Discussion points: * (00:00) Becky Chahal breaks down DPR's core markets and her path from intern to operations leader * (04:48) Where project planning breaks down and why traditional delivery methods fall short * (06:25) How construction technology has evolved from BIM and clash detection to 4D sequencing and AI * (09:57) Labor availability, workforce retention, and DPR's Building Belonging initiative * (11:10) Becky shares a real-world modular prefab success story on a California medical office building * (18:50) Why owner transparency and early tough conversations are the foundation of lasting relationships * (22:52) Becky's number one planning lesson — go slow to go fast * Share with someone who would be interested, like, and subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Resources: DPR Construction — www.dpr.com [http://www.dpr.com] Vantage Data Centers — www.vantagedc.com [http://www.vantagedc.com] TAUC Calendar of Events [https://tauc.org/calendar/]TAUC Website [https://tauc.org/]Kirk Westwood TAUC [https://tauc.org/personnel/kirk-westwood/]The Construction User Magazine back issues [https://tauc.org/the-construction-user-back-issue-archive/]The Construction User podcast archive [https://tauc.org/news/podcast/]

Labor Cost Trends in 2025: What CLRC’s Settlements Data Means for Contractors

at would happen if both sides walked into bargaining looking at the same data? CLRC has it — and it's completely free. In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Carey Peters of the Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC) — the organization behind the most comprehensive database of union craft wage rates in the United States. Peters, who has spent years tracking collectively bargained labor agreements across every major trade and region, walks through the newly released 2025 Year-End Settlements Report. First-year settlements averaged 4.7% for the third consecutive year, a sharp jump from 2.8% just a few years ago — a trend Peters ties to post-COVID inflation and what he calls "the contractor's cost conundrum." The conversation covers regional disparities, trade-by-trade breakdowns, and what contractors should factor into bids and budgets heading into 2026. Can the industry sustain a new normal — or are settlements finally about to pull back? Carey Peters is a representative of the Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC), a nonprofit research organization that provides objective data and analysis on collectively bargained labor agreements in the union construction industry. CLRC’s annual Settlements Report is widely used by contractors, labor relations professionals, and industry leaders to forecast labor cost trends, benchmark negotiated increases, and inform strategic planning across crafts and regions. Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Talk the TAUC podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.  Discussion points: * (00:00) Introduction to the 2025 settlements report - what it is, and why every contractor should know it * (04:53) The top-line numbers: 4.7% average settlements for three years running * (07:15) Why inflation — not the labor shortage — drove wage increases up after COVID * (11:26) Regional breakdown: the northwest leads and the northeast surprises * (13:04) Which trades are seeing the highest and lowest settlement increases * (16:00) How contractors can use CLRC data strategically for bidding and bargaining * (22:08) The contractor's cost conundrum: competing economic pressures at the bargaining table * Share with someone who would be interested, like, and subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Resources: CLRC 2025 Year-End Settlements Report: https://tauc.org/clrc-union-labor-costs-2025/ [https://tauc.org/clrc-union-labor-costs-2025/] Construction Labor Research Council (CLRC): clrc.net [http://clrc.net] TAUC Calendar of Events [https://tauc.org/calendar/]TAUC Website [https://tauc.org/]Kirk Westwood TAUC [https://tauc.org/personnel/kirk-westwood/]The Construction User Magazine back issues [https://tauc.org/the-construction-user-back-issue-archive/]The Construction User podcast archive [https://tauc.org/news/podcast/]

Safety Beyond the Jobsite: Suicide Prevention & Mental Health in Construction

"Hope is just as contagious, if not more so. If you can see that Joe got help and Joe's like me, it makes it a lot less daunting to ask for help." — Wendy Farmer Construction is one of the most safety-driven industries in North America — yet one of the most significant risks facing our workforce often goes unaddressed: suicide. In this episode of Talk the TAUC, host Kirk Westwood sits down with Wendy Farmer and Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas — clinical psychologist, suicide prevention expert, and founder of United Suicide Survivors International — to discuss suicide prevention and mental health in construction, not as an awareness campaign, but as an implementation strategy. The conversation explores evidence-based prevention strategies, peer-driven approaches that work in trade environments, and how to thoughtfully integrate the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline into company safety systems without stigma or fear. Mental health is not separate from safety culture. It is part of it. Wendy Farmer is a nationally recognized advocate and strategist in suicide prevention and workforce mental health. She works with industry leaders to translate research into practical, scalable systems that protect workers in high-risk professions. Wendy's focus is on implementation — moving organizations beyond awareness messaging into measurable structural change by integrating crisis response, leadership training, peer engagement, and behavioral health into existing safety operations. Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas is a clinical psychologist, internationally recognized suicide prevention expert, and founder of United Suicide Survivors International. With decades of experience advancing evidence-based prevention strategies across workplaces and high-risk industries, she specializes in translating behavioral science into actionable leadership practice — focusing on stigma reduction, upstream prevention models, and building cultures where asking for help is the norm. Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Talk the TAUC podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.  Discussion points: * (00:00) Why the construction industry leads the nation in suicide risk * (03:36) The "blurry Venn diagram" between construction workers and veterans explained * (06:41) Why awareness campaigns, posters, and toolbox talks aren't actually moving the needle * (10:09) How peer-to-peer and crew-based approaches create contagious hope on job sites * (16:26) Why mental health must be an executive-level conversation, not just an HR checkbox * (20:27) Understanding the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline and how to use it before a crisis hits * (26:46) Psychosocial hazards — the work-related root causes driving distress that leaders can actually control * (33:50) The one mindset shift every construction leader needs: treat mental health like a heart attack * Share with someone who would be interested, like, and subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Resources: 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org [http://988lifeline.org] Veterans Crisis Line — Press 1 when calling 988 Spanish-Language Crisis Services — Press 2 when calling 988 Construction Working Minds — constructionworkingminds.org [http://constructionworkingminds.org] Construction Mental Health & Wellbeing Conference — constructionmentalhealth.org [http://constructionmentalhealth.org] Dr. Sally Spencer-Thomas — sallyspencerthomas.com [http://sallyspencerthomas.com] TAUC Calendar of Events [https://tauc.org/calendar/]TAUC Website [https://tauc.org/]Kirk Westwood TAUC [https://tauc.org/personnel/kirk-westwood/]The Construction User Magazine back issues [https://tauc.org/the-construction-user-back-issue-archive/]The Construction User podcast archive [https://tauc.org/news/podcast/]

Cyber Risk in Construction: What Leaders Miss — and How to Fix It

Why are construction companies considered "low-hanging fruit" for cybercriminals? Kirk Westwood sits down with Mike Hamilton, founder of PISCES International, a nonprofit providing no-cost cyber monitoring for small governments and public utilities. With decades of experience as former Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Seattle and managing consultant for Verisign Security, Mike brings real-world threat response expertise to construction leaders. The conversation covers why construction companies are increasingly targeted, the three most common attack vectors, and what "good enough" cybersecurity looks like for organizations without massive IT budgets. Mike emphasizes one critical mindset shift: "The Internet is not a nice place. It's here to sell to you, steal from you and manipulate your opinion." Topics include ransomware mechanics, workforce development, and practical resilience strategies. Mike Hamilton is the founder of PISCES International, a nonprofit providing no-cost cybersecurity monitoring and threat intelligence to small governments, public utilities, and critical infrastructure organizations. A veteran cybersecurity leader, Mike previously served as Chief Information Security Officer for the City of Seattle and as managing consultant for Verisign Security. Through PISCES, he combines live threat response with workforce development, using real-world data to train the next generation of cyber analysts. His work focuses on making cybersecurity accessible, actionable, and resilient for organizations that lack dedicated IT security teams. Subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Talk the TAUC podcast is brought to you by The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC). Your host, Kirk Westwood, is Director of Marketing for TAUC. In each episode, we’ll explore the latest labor trends, industry insights, and important issues in the world of construction. Our guests are industry leaders, subject matter experts, and innovative visionaries discussing how we are building the ‘world of tomorrow.’ TAUC is made up of more than 1,800 contractor companies that utilize union labor for their projects, as well as local contractor associations and vendors in the industrial maintenance and construction fields. TAUC’s mission is to act as an advocate for union contractors and enhance cooperation between all parties to achieve the successful completion of construction projects.  Discussion points: * (00:00) Mike Hamilton on cybersecurity - What cyber risk actually means: the five business outcomes every leader should know * (08:33) The attacks you don't hear about: persistent access versus quick monetization * (10:37) When ransomware hits: what it looks like when nothing works * (15:26) The three ways hackers get in: social engineering, credential abuse, and vulnerability exploitation * (20:22) The single most important thing business leaders misunderstand about cyber risk * (27:01) Workforce development crisis: why cyber analysts are the fifth fastest growing job * (31:33) One mindset shift construction leaders can make tomorrow * Share with someone who would be interested, like, and subscribe now so you don’t miss an episode! Resources: PISCES International: https://pisces-intl.org/ [https://pisces-intl.org/] CYBERSECURITY RESOURCES * NIST Cybersecurity Framework: https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework [https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework] * California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA): https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa [https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa] * California Privacy Protection Agency: https://cppa.ca.gov/ [https://cppa.ca.gov/] GOVERNMENT & RESEARCH * Bureau of Labor Statistics: https://www.bls.gov/ [https://www.bls.gov/] * Pacific Northwest National Laboratory: https://www.pnnl.gov/ [https://www.pnnl.gov/] * CHIPS and Science Act: https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4346 [https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4346] * CHIPS Act (NSF): https://www.nsf.gov/chips [https://www.nsf.gov/chips] TAUC Calendar of Events [https://tauc.org/calendar/]TAUC Website [https://tauc.org/]Kirk Westwood TAUC [https://tauc.org/personnel/kirk-westwood/]The Construction User Magazine back issues [https://tauc.org/the-construction-user-back-issue-archive/]The Construction User podcast archive [https://tauc.org/news/podcast/]