2008-10-08 02:37:01 -

www.improvingplantlife.com - For NMAPC Grace Markley, 917-549-3246 or 303-394-2366 gmarkley@philosophycommunication.com This year, the construction industry's most celebrated safety award goes to 72 companies for a record-breaking 20,288,778 combined injury free work hours. The Zero Injury Safety Awards (ZISA) honor companies for safe jobs worked under a National Maintenance Agreement (NMA) for the year 2007.

This year's top award - The Gold Star - goes to Solid Platforms, Inc., working with the Indiana/Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters Northern Office at BP Products North America's Whiting Refinery in Whiting, Ind. At 2,569,267 hours, the three groups set a record for the most injury free hours ever worked. BP's Whiting Refinery is familiar with safety - they also won last year's Gold Star award.

"BP is extremely proud to receive this prestigious award two years running for our Whiting Refinery," said Jason Lammer of BP Products North America, Inc. "BP makes safety a part of every jobsite, every day. Our two Gold Star Awards prove we are responsible for ensuring safe jobsites for all employees."

The National Maintenance Agreement is a labor-management tool that delivers up to fourteen different skilled trades to a jobsite under one agreement. NMAs have become common in many of the country's largest industrial and manufacturing construction settings, as evidenced by the 2 billion hours worked since its inception.

Silver Star Awards go to Solid Platforms working with the Indiana/Kentucky Regional Council of Carpenters at BP's Whiting Refinery for a different project at the refinery. Silver Stars will also go to APComPower, Inc. and the Greater Cincinnati Building Trades Council at the East Kentucky Power Cooperative in Maysville, KY, and McCarl's, Inc., working at PPL Corporation with the Central Pennsylvania Building Trades Council in York, PA. Solid Platforms accumulated a whopping 633,743 injury free hours, APComPower 509,938 hours and McCarl's 509,938 hours to attain their Silver Stars.

"Those working in the construction industry continue to be astounded by the sheer number of injury free hours worked under an NMA. Topping twenty million injury free work hours and breaking yet another ZISA safety record shows how dedicated all of the owners, contractors and craftspeople are who make safety the number one priority on jobsites," said NMAPC Impartial Secretary Steve Lindauer.

Six Bronze Star winners clocked a total of 1,707,641 hours of injury free work. Additionally, a whopping 62 teams of owners, contractors, and craftspeople received certificates of merit and workday plaques to honor safe worksites. ZISA winners display a common trait - an unwavering commitment to achieving a perfect safety record by preventing on-the-job accidents. The "Zero Injury Concept" was coined by NMAPC at the first ZISA ceremony in 2000.

This year's award ceremony will be held on October 29, 2008 at the National Building Museum in downtown Washington, D.C. To register for the program, visit nmapc.org/safetyawards/.

For more information about how the NMA provides safe and cost-effective construction projects, visit www.improvingplantlife.com.

Zero Injury Safety Awards Showcase the Safest Workers in a
Dangerous Profession