Javier Garcia, Environmental Health and Safety Manager, Joins the Dome Team

We couldn’t think of a better way to kick off Safety Week 2021 than with the announcement of Dome’s newest addition to our growing Safety Team. Javier Garcia joins us as the Environmental Health and Safety Manager, a new position at Dome rounding out our safety team. Based in Southern California, Javier’s experience, education, and skill set will be a welcomed addition to the team in Southern California and throughout the Bay Area.

Javier is no stranger to construction or the biopharmaceutical space, for that matter. With over 23 years of experience in various Environment Health and Safety roles on the client-side, he comes to Dome with a solid understanding of our team and has worked with us for several years prior. According to Javier, “We would have weekly meetings for the projects, so I knew the group. It was always a pleasure working with them. There were usually like three general contractors on-site, and from my perspective, I thought Dome was the top one. It was always a pleasure working with Dome, and I’m looking forward to being a part of the team.”

In this new role, Javier will focus on supporting and training our project teams. He will be helping our teams and trade partners identify potential hazards and plan for the safe and efficient execution of the construction activities. In addition, Javier will be assisting in managing and implementing Dome’s safety programs and helping to keep our programs current and effective. “We don’t want incidents to happen, but if they do happen, we have to address them correctly. Find the root cause and establish the corrective actions. And the last part is to share the lessons learned locally and across our entire company,” Javier shared. He has a positive approach to safety and is a big believer in enhancing our safety culture through his coaching style.

Javier Garcia

Environmental Health and Safety Manager

In 2019, Javier’s biopharma experience inspired him to go back to school to pursue his Master’s in Bioengineering. When we asked what sparked his interest, Javier explained, “The initial idea was because I was working at Kite Pharma, and I wanted to understand the process better, but it’s still applicable here at Dome since a lot of our clients are in the space. Being able to understand the different projects, labs, and processes will be a benefit!” Exemplifying our approach to supporting our project teams with our safety resources.

As he gets acclimated and continues learning the ‘Dome Way,’ his main priority will be establishing relationships. To do that, he’ll be visiting the job sites to get to know our people, the people we work with, our trade partners, and our clients. “A lot of times us safety guys, we’re known as “safety cops.” I want to establish relationships with the people that we work with; that way, they feel comfortable coming to me for anything they may need, and they’re not intimidated,” Javier explains.

Less than a month in, and Javier is already starting to foster relationships with his fellow ‘Domites.’ He told us, “Dome really wants to get to know the employee and what they think about the company and get feedback. Just the other day, I received an invitation to meet the CEO, Rob, one on one. I’ve never seen that before. So that resonates well with me and how I view people. The company’s most important asset is the people, and I think we’re aligned in that aspect. It’s pretty incredible how much time Dome spends training new employees, and people have been reaching out to me to make sure I have everything I need. It was unexpected, to be honest with you.”

Javier was also impressed by the strong safety culture that was apparent when he joined. He reiterated the importance of the people, saying, “I think that is the key ingredient, compared to other companies that I’ve worked for – treating people a certain way, teaching them a certain way. And ultimately, after that teaching and coaching, letting them go and saying, ‘hey, it’s your turn to do this, and now it’s your turn to teach it to someone else who is going to join the company.'”

Javier’s ultimate goal is to have everybody on the same page regarding safety and plans to continue visiting each site periodically, of course. Looking ahead, he’d like to integrate regular safety meetings to sustain safety continuity throughout teams. He also looks forward to connecting with our subs on a deeper level so they can maintain open communication about safety, adding, “I think that’s very important to hold a tight relationship to take the safety culture to a different level. I see a lot of good things here at Dome, but I’m still on the outside looking in, so I see a lot of opportunities as well.”

More about Javier


Do you have a motto or a mantra?

I guess it would be, for the profession that we're in, “What do you do when no one is looking?” Sometimes I walk into these spaces, and I see guys working by themselves with all their PPE on, and it’s amazing because they could cheat, but they don’t. It’s like lying to yourself.

What would be your dream vacation?

You know what, I’ve always been interested in going to Australia because it’s desert, and there are kangaroos and koalas and stuff like that. Reminds me of Crocodile Dundee. So it’s on my list to visit one day.

Finish this sentence. On Sunday mornings you can usually find me

I guess I’d say, joining my parents for breakfast on Sunday mornings.

Any last thoughts?

The last thing I’d like to say is that safety is 24/7. It doesn’t have to end when you leave work. I mean, you’re driving home, there’s COVID, there’s stuff you can learn outside of work and bring it to the office, as far as safety. And some of what you learn at work about safety, you can bring it home. So, basically, safety 24/7, that’s my message.