GCGV: Inspirational Safety Video

The Problem

Getting employees and contractors to pay attention to HSE communications can often be a challenge. The GCGV development was, at the time, the world’s biggest petrochemical plant building with tens of thousands of workers involved.

The potential for incidents, injuries and potential fatalities at the GCGV site was high, since construction involves many high-risk activities where safety can never be taken for granted. Traditional training methods often focus on compliance, rules, and technical checklists, but leaders at GCGV identified a different challenge:

• Workers needed to understand safety not only as procedures but as a mental discipline.
• Distractions, complacency, or lack of focus on the job could result in serious injuries, equipment damage, or worse.
• GCGV wanted to engage workers at a deeper level, inspiring them to approach their tasks with the same mindset as professionals who rely on peak performance under pressure.

We were challenged by the SSHE team at GCGV to come up with an approach which would engage the audience and could be used as the basis of an impactful HSE campaign.

The question was how to shift safety messaging from being purely instructional to motivational and relatable, ensuring the message truly resonated with the workforce.

The Solution

We came up with a series of sports men and women and even used a stan-up comedian. The message was about concentration and being in the moment whether you’re a soccer player, race track driver or a crane operator at GCGV.

This line of thinking resulted in a highly inspirational safety video, designed to reframe safety as a matter of mental presence and awareness.

The project was structured in three stages:

• Leadership Introduction
  • Bill Cheeks, GCGV President at the time: opened the film, emphasizing leadership commitment to safety.
  • GCGV SSHE Manager: followed with statements reinforcing the importance of safety on-site.
• Athlete and Performer Segments
  • Sean Salisbury – Former NFL Quarterback
    Shared his perspective on the challenges of being a quarterback, a role requiring constant quick thinking and the ability to overcome obstacles such as opposing players. His experiences highlighted the parallels with construction work, where quick decisions and awareness are equally critical.
  • Orlando Canizales – Former IBF Bantamweight Champion
    Featured as a professional boxer who reached the highest level of his sport, holding the International Boxing Federation bantamweight title. His career required extreme focus and discipline, connecting directly with the mental state needed to stay safe in high-risk construction environments.
  • Satara Murray – Professional Soccer Player (NWSL)
    Appeared as a player in the National Women’s Soccer League. Her career in professional soccer depends on awareness of surroundings, teamwork, and focus under pressure, all qualities equally vital to workplace safety.
  • Cordell Secrest – Professional Race Car Driver
    Featured as a driver whose profession requires precision, awareness, and the ability to make quick, calculated decisions at high speed. His perspective highlighted the parallels with construction work, where focus, discipline, and constant awareness are essential to avoiding mistakes and staying safe.
  • Geoff Blum – Former Major League Baseball Player and World Series Champion
    Included as a professional baseball player whose career required consistent focus and awareness over long seasons. His example reinforced how discipline and attention carry over into safe work practices.
  • Raymond Orta – Comedian
    Contributed as a professional comedian, describing how live performance demands full presence and adaptability in front of an audience.
• Multiple SSHE Leadership Staff & Professional Athlete Interviews
  • Tied all the stories together by explaining the shared need for mindfulness, focus, and presence across sports, performing, and construction work. Emphasizing that every action has consequences, and safety depends on individuals being mentally aware of their impact on themselves, their equipment, and those around them.

Impact and Value

The GCGV Predictable Performance inspirational safety video redefined how safety could be communicated, moving beyond instructions to inspire a mindset of presence, focus, and accountability. By drawing parallels to the worlds of professional sports and live performance, the film conveyed a powerful message: just like athletes and performers, construction workers must remain mindful and aware at all times to deliver predictable performance and ensure the safety of everyone on site.

Overall, SHIIFT’s efforts in this project resulted highly successful campaign that resonated well with the multicultural Texan workforce.