Kristi Hudson

Relentless Ally

Driving Safety Progress

In our line of work, there are a lot of requirements and regulations, especially when it comes to driving trucks and operating large equipment. These rules are important because they are meant to keep everyone safe. But who keeps track of all the criteria to ensure our teammates can perform that work?

Meet Kristi Hudson. Kristi is a safety assistant based in Fleming Island, Florida, who is working behind the scenes to ensure Balfour Beatty teams have the right credentials and are clear of violations to work on projects.

Every day, Kristi manages compliance with various regulatory agencies, safety requirements, driver records, auto and workers’ compensation claim fulfillment as well as other risk management tasks.

According to Rail Technical Director Roger Wilson, Kristi’s often difficult work is imperative as it enables the Civils business to complete self-perform work, which often increases a job’s efficiency and profitability. “She is an unsung hero,” he says.

Southeast Region Environmental Health and Safety Manager Eric Yates agrees. “She does a terrific job helping us manage our DOT program, MVRs and workers’ comp,” he says. If we need help with anything, Kristi is on top of it and makes sure that it gets done.”

How does she keep track of it all? Lists, lots of lists.

“The first thing I do each morning is check reports that come in through driver monitoring,” Kristi says. “There are a lot of bits and pieces I touch each day that keeps us moving and keeps us from issues.”

While you may think Kristi is buried in paperwork, she says the joy of the job is getting to work with a lot of people – even though she initially had reservations about the size of Balfour Beatty’s workforce.

“I was afraid to join a larger corporation for fear of becoming a number,” she explains. But since finally joining Balfour Beatty in 2020, she says she has no regrets because of the family atmosphere.

Kristi finds gratification working for an organization with a safety culture that truly cares about people, in particular, its drivers. She says while accidents are not ideal, she likes her role in helping move the claims process along quickly and getting our employees and others involved past the incident and back to their routine.