BrandSafway Houston receives Diamond STEP Award

The BrandSafway Houston Branch has received a Diamond Level Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) Award, the highest award given out by the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC), in recognition of its safety practices and results. This is the fourth time this branch has received this award, having also earned it in 2018, 2017 and 2016.

“We work very hard to make sure everyone throughout the BrandSafway organization is focused on safety,” said Paul Amedee, vice president of global environmental, health and safety. “Whether it comes in the form of Stop Work obligations, toolbox talks or any other program, to be effective, we all have to own safety, and we must hold each other accountable for that ownership. Safety always has to come first.”

“We’re excited and honored to receive the award,” said Steve Wilson, U.S. regional vice president. “It’s a reflection of the safety culture that our leadership and craft employees live and breath 24/7. They make safety paramount everyday, and it shows.”

With the goal of implementing or enhancing safety programs that reduce jobsite incidents, the ABC grants STEP awards after a branch achieves a number of key safety benchmarks that are measured through a detailed questionnaire and application process.

According to ABC’s annual Safety Performance Report, applying STEP processes dramatically improves safety performance among participants, regardless of company size or the type of work being performed, and can reduce recordable incidents up to 85 percent, making the best performing companies 680 percent safer than the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average.

“As an industry, it is our responsibility to ensure our workers go home every day in the same – or better – condition than when they arrived on the jobsite,” said Greg Sizemore, ABC vice president of health, safety, dnvironment and workforce development. “By participating in STEP, BrandSafway leadership has demonstrated a commitment to creating the conditions for everyone to do their work without incident. By implementing proactive safety measures, such as toolbox talks, extensive training, and sound substance abuse policies, BrandSafway is committed to consistently raising the bar when it comes to safety performance.”