Frederick Mason III, ABC

The Rhode Island chapter of Associated Builders & Contractors (ABC) has decided to make member participation in ABC’s Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) a top priority in 2016. Already, four members have signed up to participate this year.

“Whether a company is beginning its safety journey or continuing to strengthen its ongoing safety performance, the STEP program provides them with the direction they need to reach world-class safety,” said ABCRI immediate past chair Lynn Kent of Robert F. Audet, Inc.  Kent will lead the chapter’s drive to increase member participation this year.

STEP provides companies an opportunity to measure their safety programs’ progress through 20 key components of self-evaluation.  It also helps identify areas of improvement and benchmarks performance with other ABC members.

There are many benefits from participating in STEP, which:

• Gives an organized approach to analyze and further develop a company’s safety and loss prevention program.

• Offers an objective method to measure a company’s safety program improvements from year to year.

• Enables companies to benchmark their firms’ safety record with similar companies and industry averages.

• Provides companies with safety performance recognition that can be used as an important business development tool with potential clients.

• Helps reduce a company’s incidence rates and days away, restricted or transferred (DART) rates.

• Helps companies lower their experience modification rate (EMR…better known as “mod factor”), which can lower annual workers’ compensation insurance rates.

ABC’s mission is to help its members win work and perform their work safely, ethically and profitably for the betterment of the communities in which we live and work.  As part of ABC’s commitment to helping member companies achieve world-class safety, ABC is proud to partner with CNA – a leading commercial insurance carrier serving the construction industry for over 60 years – to provide unprecedented access to safety tools designed to help strengthen members’ safety and health programs.

ABC and CNA work together to bring the newest and best resources to ABC members.  From interactive toolbox talks for use on mobile devices, to International Association for Continuing Education and Training credits towards certifications through CNA’s School of Risk Control Excellence webinars, ABC and CNA are working together to help all ABC members build world-class safety programs.

Based on their STEP scores, participating ABC members can achieve one of six levels of safety:  Participant, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond.  Each level requires a certain level of achievement in the area of safety.  The rewards can be great, with getting everyone home safe and sound each day tops among them.  Not only can a company display its certificate of achievement in its place of business, it can use the results to demonstrate to potential clients, regulators and public officials just how committed the company is to the safety of its employees and customers.

To learn more about ABC and the STEP Safety Program, visit www.abc.org/STEP.

Frederick Mason III is the president of ABC Rhode Island.