Accidents Happen: How Documentation Protects Your Team + Your Business
Description
In construction, it’s not a question of if something will go wrong—it’s when. Shawn Watts learned that the hard way after nearly losing his leg in a jobsite accident he never saw coming. In this candid, practical talk, Shawn shares how his own experience as a rebar guy-turned-safety-software-founder shaped his belief that documentation is one of the most powerful tools we have to protect crews and companies.
From missed toolbox talks to lost forms, the gaps in how we track safety are often what lead to liability—and even tragedy. This session will walk through the real costs of accidents (beyond the obvious), how poor documentation puts your business at risk, and what “good” documentation looks like in the real world.
To ground this in reality, Shawn will be joined by a Corfix customer who will share how an incident on their site could have become catastrophic—but wasn’t, thanks to thorough documentation through Corfix. The session will close with a short, live Q&A on the role of digital safety tools in reducing risk.
Attendees will walk away with:
- A fresh perspective on why even experienced teams are vulnerable
- The top safety documentation practices that reduce liability
- A real-world case study on how digital tools helped a contractor avoid major fines
Speaker
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Shawn Watts
Shawn Watts is the Co-Founder and CEO of Corfix, a construction safety software company built to reflect the realities of life on site. A former ironworker with over a decade of field experience, Shawn’s perspective shifted dramatically after a near-fatal workplace accident in 2019. That incident became the catalyst for Corfix — a tool designed to address the friction between jobsite work and digital oversight, especially around safety, documentation, and compliance.
Shawn guided Corfix from a concept in an accelerator to a venture-backed company, helping contractors modernize operations without sacrificing practicality. He frequently speaks and writes on the intersection of construction and technology, sharing insights with trade organizations and industry associations on topics like building software for boots-on-the-ground crews, the tension between safety and compliance, and managing liability through smarter systems.
He continues to advocate for tech that puts workers first. Shawn lives in Ottawa, Canada, where he leads the Corfix team in their mission to modernize construction, one jobsite at a time.