Sean Keaney didn’t set out to become a safety professional. He got his start thanks to a conversation with his old basketball coach, who offered him an internship inspecting auto shops in New Hampshire. That opportunity launched his career in safety—a path that eventually brought him to Wise Construction, where he now serves as Director of Safety.
Today, Sean leads safety efforts on some of the most high-risk construction sites in the Northeast. His team works in hospitals, labs, and pharmaceutical facilities, where the buildings are highly controlled environments and even small disruptions can have serious consequences. It’s the kind of environment Wise is known for handling well.
Along the way, Sean has found Wise to be more than just a place to work. It's a company that creates real opportunities to lead, grow, and build trust. Both on the job site and across the organization.
Safety by Nature, Not Just by Rule
Sean shared why Wise has been a strong place to grow his career in safety. At Wise, it’s not about finishing jobs as fast as possible. It’s about doing them the right way. He says the team takes planning seriously, thinking through key details like ventilation, infection control, and fire protection from the very beginning.
That kind of preparation matters when you're installing ductwork above an active surgical suite or tearing out a corridor near a NICU. “The bigger GCs I’ve worked for are all about go, go, go,” he said. “At Wise, there’s real thought behind everything. That makes all the difference.”
A Safety Culture That Starts With the C-Suite
At Wise, safety isn’t something handed down from the top. It’s something everyone owns. The CEO checks in on weekend work, like crane picks. Assistant PMs talk with executives just as easily as they do with the foreman on site. There’s no red tape, just clear, open conversations.
“The communication is wide open,” Sean says. “It’s not about who’s higher up. It’s about making sure the job gets done right and done safely.” That level of involvement sends a clear message: safety isn’t someone else’s job. It’s everyone’s responsibility and everyone takes it seriously.
From Cop to Coach
Early in his career, Sean was often the only safety rep on large, busy job sites. He quickly realized that yelling didn’t work. What did work was listening, asking questions, and showing respect. “Most people want to do the right thing,” he says. “If they don’t feel like you’re out to get them, they’ll come to you before something goes wrong.”
Instead of calling people out, he focused on recognizing what they were doing right. And when something went wrong, he treated it as a chance to fix the issue, not a reason to punish. That approach built trust. Workers brought up concerns early, knowing Sean would follow through.
Changing the Way Safety Gets Measured
Sean isn’t interested in low-value, “pencil-whipped” inspections. He believes those generic checklists don’t show what’s really happening on a job site. That’s why he’s pushed Wise to focus on safety observations instead.
Each observation is tied to a specific location, task, and subcontractor. Over time, the data reveals clear patterns, like who’s leading on safety, where support is needed, and how teams are performing across jobs. “Now I can see which superintendents are pushing safety, and which subs are consistently performing,” he says. “It’s not just a snapshot. It’s a pattern.”
Leading by Example at Every Level
True safety culture doesn’t come from rules. It comes from leadership that’s present, connected, and consistent. At Wise, that leadership shows up on job sites, not just in meetings. Sean points to the small-company feel and the genuine interest leadership takes in every job, big or small.
“The CEO’s asking how your weekend went. Everyone pitches in. There’s no task too big or too small for anyone here.” At Wise Construction, safety isn’t a program or a policy; it’s part of the job, part of the team, and part of every conversation. Sean Keaney’s story shows what it looks like when leadership, planning, and trust come together on every site, every day. It’s a reminder that a real safety culture starts with people and grows through trust.
Learn more about Wise Construction and their Highwire Gold Safety Award.