Several dozen field personnel attended the ISEC Mental Health Stand-down on March 26.
a jobsite safety issue is a validation of a cause he has personally championed for years. Working his way up from apprentice and then journeyman carpenter at ISEC to his current role as Safety Manager for ISEC’s California operations, where he is responsible for the safety of nearly a mil- lion work hours on jobsites from San Di- ego to San Francisco, Noriega has helped the company achieve industry-leading safety records over more than a decade. AGC of California has recognized ISEC’s outstanding safety program with a first place Construction Safety Excellence Award in the specialty contractor category in each of the past two years. During his time at ISEC, Noriega has developed a reputation for going above and beyond in strengthening the com- pany’s safety culture and demonstrating an approach that focuses not just on compliance, but on personal connection and caring. Under his purview, nearly 60 field supervisors have attained the Safety Training Supervisor Construction (STSC) certification.
California Constructor recently talked
with Noriega about his journey in the industry, why he thinks it’s important to elevate mental health and safety today more than ever, and what ISEC hoped to achieve with their first annual mental health stand-down and other initiatives.
California Constructor: Tell us a little about your journey to become a construction safety professional, and why it’s important to you to connect with field workers in order to support and build a safe work environment on ISEC jobsites?
Mario Noriega: Before I came to work at ISEC, I was a plant manager for a rec- reational vehicle (RV) company, and was always good at managing people. When the RV industry had a downturn and that company closed, I decided to get into a construction trade. I came into ISEC as a first-year apprentice in the carpenters’ union, then worked for several years to become a journeyman carpenter. Because
“I think there is more dialogue and there are more conversations that are being had now, out in the field, about mental health issues. When I speak to employees, and I’m talking about mental health, I feel comfortable to be able to be open and say, hey, I went through this with my family or in this situation. I think just opening up… helps take away the stigma.”
– Mario Noriega, ISEC Safety Manager
CALIFORNIA CONSTRUCTOR MAY/JUNE 2025
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