Clark Builders Group Wins Fifth Consecutive Safety Training and Evaluation Process Award

BELTSVILLE, Md.—On Friday, Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) honored Clark Builders Group (CBG) with its fifth consecutive Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) Award. This is CBG's third STEP Award at the platinum level and follows two previous gold level victories.

"ABC's Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) is designed to help our members achieve world-class safety programs and performance through stringent performance criteria and, most importantly, the industry-leading 20 Key Components self-evaluation," says Chris Williams, director of safety at ABC. "Over the years, Clark Builders Group has used STEP to create a safety program that outperforms those of their peers, as evidenced by their recognition at the STEP Platinum level in 2012, 2013, and 2014."

The award speaks to CBG's steadfast dedication to the safety of all parties involved in the construction process from start to finish. CBG approaches safety as an ongoing philosophy, focusing on preventive best practices as opposed to reactive measures. Through site-specific safety orientations for all employees, weekly toolbox safety talks, the implementation of site safety committees, and continuous tracking of near misses in order to adapt policies accordingly, CBG has maintained an incident rate of zero over the 2013 year. To make sure all employees are informed of all safety-related procedures, CBG will be creating a customized orientation video that accurately reflects these new policies and the company's dedication to safety.

"We are honored to be recognized for the fifth time by the STEP Awards. As two of CBG's core values, safety and training have always been main day-to-day motivations," said Jerry Philips, safety director at CBG. "We are constantly looking for ways to improve and always strive for the highest possible standard of safety at our company."

Established in 1989 by the ABC National Environment, Health & Safety Committee, the STEP program is viewed as one of the highest recognitions of construction safety and training. Developed by contractors, for contractors, the program combines OSHA required safety data with self-assessments in order to capture the full range of a company's safety efforts. In order to receive the award, CBG had to disclose any worksite accidents that occurred within the prior year and complete a comprehensive form rating various components of OSHA standards such as employer involvement, safety program goal setting, and responsibility of safety personnel. Additionally, in order to achieve Platinum level, CBG had to earn an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) of 0.9 or less, which is used for insurance purposes to gauge both past cost of injuries and future risk.

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