“Blue collar, the roughest and toughest, yet the most emotional, they want to be cared about too.” - Justin Short, Safety Director, Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company I sat down with Justin Short, Safety Director at Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company, for a conversation that goes beyond compliance and into what makes safety work on the ground. Justin’s journey from the trades to the Air Force and back into construction has shaped a leadership style grounded in respect, connection, and real-world experience. We talk about what it takes to earn trust in the field, why leadership behaviour matters more than policy, and how safety professionals can bridge the gap between systems and people.

In this episode of The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management, I speak with Justin Short, Safety Director at Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company, about what it takes to build a safety culture that works in the field. Justin brings a perspective shaped by his early experience in the trades, seven years in the United States Air Force, and his return to construction safety leadership.

This conversation moves beyond policies and procedures and focuses on the human side of safety. Justin shares how his time in the field shaped the way he communicates with crews, why respect and connection drive better outcomes than authority, and how leadership behaviour can either build or break trust on a job site.

We also explore the operational realities of managing safety across dozens of active projects, each with different risks, teams, and regulatory requirements. Justin explains how he approaches this complexity, how he prioritises what matters, and how he builds systems that support people instead of slowing them down.

Here are some highlights from my discussion with Justin:

Why field experience changes how you lead safety conversations
The leadership behaviours that build trust on job sites
How poor leadership drives people away from safety roles
Managing safety across multiple active projects
Why knowing your people matters more than knowing every rule
How to balance enforcement with respect in high-risk environments

Episode Resources

Justin Short Profile
Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company Website
Michael Zalle on LinkedIn
Yellow Bird Website
The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Apple Podcasts
The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on Spotify
The Canary Report: Safety & Risk Management on YouTube