How Safety Luncheons Strength Construction Safety Culture at Gray

Celebrating Milestones, Prioritizing Safety 

Held at various milestones throughout a project, safety luncheons celebrate progress and prioritize well-being. Whether recognizing a topping-out ceremony or reaching a significant number of work hours, these events honor the dedication of our team members and trade partners. Safety luncheons provide a platform for discussing important safety topics, addressing site-specific hazards, introducing new procedures, and highlighting success stories. 

Why Safety Luncheons Matter: 

• Celebrate construction milestones and safe practices 

• Strengthen bonds among team members and trade partners 

• Highlight and reinforce safety procedures 

• Boost morale through recognition and rewards 

• Encourage open, honest conversations about jobsite hazards 

Adding Energy with Recognition and Raffles 

While the camaraderie and shared meal naturally lift spirits, some luncheons raise the stakes with raffles and giveaways. Prizes such as TVs, coolers, and even a four-wheeler have been raffled off at projects across the country to celebrate the hard work of our team members and trade partners. 

Some luncheons shift the focus toward education, featuring live demonstrations led by safety professions. During Construction Safety Week, jobsites across the country find meaningful ways to engage team members. Last year, for example, at a project in Cartersville, GA, our team used heavy equipment to crush an old car—a vivid and impactful way to demonstrate the power of our tools and the importance of using them safely. 

These events not only build stronger relationships, but they also open the door to real conversations about safety and reinforce our shared responsibility to keep each other safe every day. 

A Tradition of Jobsite Safety and Team Bonding 

As Gray celebrates 65 years in 2025, we’re reflecting on how safety luncheons have evolved alongside us. In the early days, these gatherings were simple: team members coming together under a small tent after a hot workday, roasting a pig, and connecting over shared stories. Over time, these simple cookouts became a cherished tradition, even inspiring a group of team members to form the “Meat Heads,” a crew dedicated to keeping the spirit of those early luncheons alive by smoking meat for safety events across our jobsites. 

 Today’s events may be larger in scale, but the heart remains the same: building relationships, honoring hard work, and promoting safety as a shared value. Some traditions, like roasting a pig, are just too good to leave behind. 

Why Relationships Are Key to Construction Safety Culture 

Every construction project brings together a new team dynamic. That’s why these moments of connection are essential to preserving and strengthening our safety culture. From the start, the Gray family recognized the importance of building strong, trust-based relationships on site. 

Stephen Gray, president and CEO of Gray, Inc., often promotes the “Three a Day” rule—encouraging team members to make three meaningful connections each day. It’s a modest but powerful way to build trust and foster a sense of shared responsibility, where watching out for one another becomes second nature. 

Commitment You Can Count On 

At Gray, safety is more than a checklist—it’s our No. 1 core value. Safety luncheons give us a powerful way to celebrate that commitment, recognize our people, and reinforce the human connections that make our jobsites safer. 

Want to see more of how Gray builds safety into every project? Explore our approach to construction safety culture and team member engagement. 

At Gray, we build safety into every project. Our approach to construction safety culture is embedded in everything we do, and safety luncheons are just one of the many ways we celebrate this commitment together.