Steve, the safety man, accosted me on my last journey to the American Tobacco Historic District campus. He noted that my hard hat did not sport a sticker signifying that I had completed a course in procedures for safe conduct on a worksite.

Kenny Watson, a Bovis superintendant qualified in safety instruction, spent a half hour briefing me in his office about the necessity to be aware of precautions on a sixteen acre campus of buildings housing one million square feet of floor space. These are buildings that date back to the nineteenth century, not all up to current codes for safe occupation.

I learned the value of wearing leather shoes, long pants, shirts with at least four inch sleeves and the evacuation route in case of an explosion or fire. Bovis also has a zero tolerance for alcohol or drugs on this worksite. This is not necessarily an unsafe site, but in a project of this magnitude, heavy equipment is everywhere, moving both earth and material.

Safety harnesses are standard procedures in many areas, especially on roofs, on sky crane lifts, and where floors and roofs are being replaced.

I spied one worker, all decked out in a safety harness, apparently just resting as he propped one leg on the base of one leg to the water tower. It would be easy to assume this man was taking a break.

He was not taking a break.

His watchful eyes were on men doing work overhead where old roofing material was being lowered to ground level. He was hard at work, observing every move that was being made so he could instantly alert co-workers of any surprising danger that might result from material falling where not expected.

OSHA often cites construction companies for work related violations. To the credit of Bovis, the lead contractor for this project, OSHA has cited this job for its record on following safety procedures.

Thanks to Steve, the safety man, his colleague, John, and Kenny Watson, I'll be more aware the next time I venture to the roof of the Bull Building. I'm not supposed to get near an open edge that doesn't have a 42 inch retaining wall.

I thought I knew how to be careful, but the safety lesson was invaluable in informing me of the need to be alert at all times.