TenCate company Hellas Construction, Inc. achieves world-class safety performance

TenCate company Hellas Construction, Inc has achieved Bronze Level in Associated Builders and Contractors’ STEP Safety Management System. Founded more than three decades ago, STEP is a proven system that provides the framework to measure, strengthen and build industry-leading safety programs that enable top-performing ABC members to achieve incident rates nearly six times safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics construction industry average.

Ismael A. Maese, Director of Health & Safety at Hellas Construction, Inc: “We implemented a plan that would see the growth and positive change in safety culture to meet the high demand of our product to our customers. Our employees welcomed the plan, Senior Leadership gave me their dedicated support to not only build our team but to implement the changes to better us as a national employer in the construction sector. In the brief time we have been capable of not only being recognized nationally with the Bronze Level Award, but we have also implemented a regional recognition for all our operational offices.”

STEP participants measure their safety processes and policies on key components through a detailed questionnaire with the goal of implementing or enhancing health and safety programs that reduce jobsite incidents. Over 12 months, the Hellas Construction Inc. Safety Team helped curve the Total Recordable Incident Rate from the previous year to a level never seen in the company’s 20 years. Minimizing hazard exposures in the field while conducting job safety awareness training that included mock OSHA Site Audits.

“Safety is a journey, and that journey is possible because of systems like STEP, which enables ABC member contractors like Hellas Construction Inc. to actively build health and safety into their culture, creating industry-leading, holistic safety programs to protect their workers and deliver for their clients,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC vice president of health, safety, environment and workforce development. “STEP measures performance on key components, strengthens and expands best practices and builds safety culture. Our people are our greatest asset, and I commend Hellas Construction Inc. for consistently fulfilling those commitments to raise the bar of safety performance.”

According to ABC’s annual Safety Performance Report, STEP participants, regardless of company size or type of work, can reduce recordable incidents up to 83%, making the best-performing companies 576% safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average. Ratings range from Diamond, the highest, to Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Participant.