Layton (right) with Adrian
Cole (left) and Chris Muralt
(middle), also with Scott
Construction.
Layton with some of
the crew who worked
on the Georgia Hotel
in Vancouver.
P E O P L E
WORKING BEHIND
THE SCENES
Myrna Layton is senior health and safety
co-ordinator with Scott Construction Group in B.C.
The self-described 'queen of chaos' has more than
23 years of experience in the industry.
Q
How did you get into health and safety and why?
A
It literally fell into my lap. I was a bartender and I had left my place of
employment. I had no idea what I was going to do next… One of my
regulars [at the bar] must have seen something in me and his girlfriend
booked me in for this course. I passed the course on Tuesday and she had me
working on a job site on Wednesday. This was 23 years ago; I have been with
Scott Construction this entire time.
Q
What do you like the most about being a safety professional?
A
Every day is different. Some days, when I am with the trades, I'm focused
on physical acts, but the next day it could be completely technical and I'm
caught up in paperwork. I'm learning something new every day. It's not
the same every day because people are different and job sites are different.
Q
How do you promote safety outside of work? (hobbies, etc.)
A
One of my hobbies is target shooting — you definitely want to stop and
think about what you're doing. That's where this job comes in handy. As
you get older and more involved in safety, you tend to stop, think and assess
wherever you are and what you're doing. I've found that my job has made me
very aware of what's going on around me.
Q
What motivates you to do your best at work every day?
A
The people and their families. We all know stories of people who have
been severely injured on the work site. I never want to be the person
where someone has died because of what I did or didn't do on the job. I like the
people I work with and I'm setting the example. If I want them to work at their
best, then I have to perform at my best.
Q
What are your career aspirations?
A
With this recent promotion, I am pretty much right where I want to be.
Even though I am in this public business, I am very much an introvert. I
enjoy being the woman behind the scenes. I feel no need to be the top dog
— it's never been an aspiration of mine that my face is on the cover of
magazines. People need to know themselves and know where they excel.
M Y S A F E T Y M O M E N T
www.thesafetymag.com/ca 31
