Andy Collins leads Meridian Engineering’s safety function, shaping the strategy, systems, and operating standards that protect people while enabling consistent, high-quality execution across the company’s heavy civil, industrial, and mining work. His role focuses on embedding safety into how work is planned and performed—so teams can operate confidently, efficiently, and without unnecessary risk.

At Meridian, Andy partners closely with executive leadership, operations, and field teams to strengthen proactive hazard identification, reinforce stop-work responsibility, and align safety expectations with real-world operating conditions. His approach emphasizes prevention, accountability, and practical controls that support safe production rather than slow it down. Safety is treated as a core part of execution, not a parallel function.

Andy brings deep experience across both MSHA and OSHA environments. He began his career in emergency services, serving as a firefighter with three departments, where he developed strong skills in risk assessment, incident command, and high-consequence decision-making. He later transitioned into industrial safety as a Safety Specialist at the Sierrita Freeport-McMoRan Copper Mine, supporting complex, high-risk mining operations.

During his time at Freeport-McMoRan, Andy also served as an Emergency Response Team Coordinator, contributing to site emergency preparedness, incident response readiness, and cross-functional coordination. His work included supporting incident management efforts and translating lessons learned into corrective actions and systemic improvements.

Andy is known for a field-grounded, people-centered leadership style that balances regulatory rigor with operational realities. He builds trust with crews, strengthens safety leadership at all levels, and fosters cultures where employees are empowered to speak up, intervene, and take ownership of safety—every day.