Pete Wiggins Contributor Bio

Bio

Pete was one the two principal officers of the franchisor company, and created key operation systems that enabled non-contractors to operate this complicated design/build business specializing in outdoor structures.

In 2010 he and his business partner became part of SMI Safety with the mission of growing and improving the company’s prequalification service. They re-branded the service under the name FIRST, VERIFY and have continued to grow the business while completely revamping the software.

FIRST, VERIFY clients are in manufacturing (food, farm equipment, computer chip), brewing, utilities, retail, ethanol/biodiesel and commercial construction. Companies include GPC, Archer Daniels Midland, Green Plains, Gordmans, GlaxoSmithKline, Boston Beer, PPL-EU (Pennsylvania Power & Light), American Crystal Sugar, AGCO and more.

Articles by Pete Wiggins

How Online Safety Orientations Can Benefit You

Switching to online safety orientations can seem daunting, but there are advantages. Find out how to overcome the limitations of classroom training.
6 Ways to Minimize Your Risks When Hiring a Contractor

Bringing in outside contractors comes with some risks. Find out what steps you can take to minimize them.
Quiz: The Contractor Management Gauntlet – What’s Your Risk?

Using outsourced labor? Find out where your blind spots are - and what you might be missing.
What’s Wrong with In-House Prequalification Systems?

In-house prequalifications can be a hassle for a growing company. Learn about their limitations and the alternative you should be considering.
The Case for Prequalifying Contractors and Suppliers

Accidents happen every day and, according to current statistics, human error is behind more than 85% of them. For every 300 near misses, there are on average 29 minor injuries and one serious injury or fatality (see Why...
The Truth About Certificates of Insurance

If you deal with contractors or suppliers, here's what you need to know about certificates of insurance (COI).

Q&A by Pete Wiggins

What’s the biggest advantage of a good prequalification system?

There are many advantages to a good prequalification system, so it may be hard to select one above all others. Since it comes down to safety, for the worker and for the business, let's start with compliance.Compliance...
Why don’t in-house contractor prequalification systems work?

Doing your prequalification in-house might seem like a sensible option, but it may not be the most effective one.
Can implementing a rigorous safety culture actually reduce costs?

One of the of the easiest ways to reduce cost is to cut the cost of your insurance premiums. Many companies don’t recognize that insurance costs are controllable costs – they’re not a fixed expense, and insurance makes up a...
How do you go about changing the culture?

Changing a company’s safety culture is not easy to accomplish, but it doesn’t have to be too difficult. Over the years, we have seen companies make significant changes in this respect. Those who were successful realized that...