From Compliance to Culture: Construction Safety Innovation for a Changing Industry.

Dr. Brian M. Kleiner

Preston and Catharine White Director and Professor

Virginia Tech

Dr. Brian M. Kleiner is the Vorster-Kleiner Director of the Myers-Lawson School of Construction at Virginia Tech. A professor in the College of Engineering, Dr. Kleiner is a member of the National Academy of Construction (NAC). He has been recognized for his contributions to safety, health and well-being in construction and for his leadership in construction education, research and innovation. His career achievements include: the 2022 A.R. Lauer Safety Award, which is the top safety honor from the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES), where he is a Fellow. He was also named the 2014 Distinguished Professor by the Construction Industry Institute (CII). Construction safety has advanced through regulations, technologies, and training, yet lasting improvement requires a deeper focus: culture. This keynote brings together lessons from research and industry to demonstrate how safety culture can be cultivated as a strategic advantage and an ethical mandate. We will explore the evidence base behind effective safety leadership, communication, and workforce motivation, while also sharing real-world applications from construction projects. Attendees will gain both conceptual frameworks and practical strategies for strengthening safety culture—transforming safety from a compliance-driven obligation into a shared organizational value among contractors and trade partners. By bridging academic knowledge with on-the-ground experience, this session highlights how research and practice together can create safer, healthier, and more resilient construction workplaces.