Nick Vranak
MS, Vice President – Safety, Kokosing Materials Inc.
Nick is a seasoned safety professional with 30+ years of experience driving safety excellence across heavy civil construction and industrial operations. A proven leader in developing and implementing enterprise-wide safety and risk management programs that significantly reduce incident rates, costs and improve operational efficiency. He demonstrated success in achieving OHSAS 18001 certification, lowering TRIR by up to 60\%, improving EMR performance, and providing cultural leadership at the operational level. Nick is skilled in leading large teams, managing complex projects, and aligning safety strategy with business objectives. His expertise spans behavioral-based safety, insurance optimization, and regulatory compliance, with a strong track record of delivering measurable operational and financial results while advancing a culture of safety 24/7.
Nick's sessions
Integration is the Key to Long-Term Success
Wed, Oct 21, 9:45 AM to 11:00 AM - Salon 9/10
Guided by safety leaders Nick Vranak and Tony Morres, SafeStart has become more than a training initiative at Kokosing—it is now embedded into daily operations, leadership practices, and workforce interactions across the organization. This interactive session will combine real-world examples, live audience polling, and Q&A discussions to take participants on the journey of how Kokosing integrated key SafeStart concepts—states, errors, CERTS, and the BIG 3—into leadership development, field observations, incident analysis, and high-hazardous-energy management (STKY – Stuff That Kills You). Participants will gain practical insight into how the adoption of SafeStart Now, Safety 24/7 Stories, SafeTrack observation concepts and their structured Safety 24/7 Conversation (Observe-Accentuate-Explore-Emphasize-Agree) helped create sustainable engagement and long-term ownership of safety at every level. The session will also explore how Kokosing continues to strengthen integration through leadership alignment, Power BI analytics, and innovations like RiskTalk (an AI-supported pre-shift meeting app). Participants will leave with practical ideas for connecting safety systems, leadership behaviors, and everyday conversations to create lasting cultural change and long-term safety success in their own facilities.
Presented by
Nick Vranak, Kokosing Materials Inc.
Tony Morres, Kokosing Materials Inc.