Award named in honor of worker tragically killed on Phoenix jobsite

Kitchell recently honored one of its subcontractors for a heroic safety act that illustrates the company’s commitment to safety as part of its “Samuel Monge Safety Award,” in the name of a worker who was killed in 2010.

On Friday, Dec. 7, the inaugural award was given to Kyle Heinzel, a project manager with St. Louis-based Intertek-PSI and a subcontractor on one of Kitchell’s current projects. Heinzel, who is trained on various life-saving techniques, saved the life of a colleague with an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on the job site in Indiana. Heinzel’s colleague was resuscitated because construction crews had an AED on the site and Heinzel had significant training in life-saving techniques.

As a follow up to this lifesaving action, Kitchell will institute AEDs on all its future jobsites, which is widely believed to be a first for the industry.

“Jobsite safety and the safety of workers is always our No. 1 priority,” said Kitchell Contractors President Steve Whitworth. “We’re proud to recognize Kyle and his heroic actions and hope it inspires others to be prepared to respond and prepare for life-threatening situations.”

Kitchell flew Heinzel to Phoenix to receive the award at its annual year-end meeting.

Samuel Monge was tragically killed on a Phoenix construction site in 2010. Today, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers in construction and underscores Kitchell’s unwavering commitment to a safe workplace.