Balfour Beatty Construction Achieves Prestigious North Carolina Safety Status
RALEIGH, N.C., October 25, 2012 /3BL Media/ - In recognition of Balfour Beatty Construction’s outstanding health and safety practices, the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) recently awarded the company’s Carolinas division with its prestigious “Building Star” (Safety Through Achievement and Recognition) designation.
During an exclusive ceremony held October 24 in Raleigh, North Carolina’s Commissioner of Labor, Cherie Berry, formally recognized Balfour Beatty Construction’s “Building Star” status. Berry presented representatives from Balfour Beatty Construction with a plaque and three “Building Star” flags, which will be prominently displayed on project sites in North Carolina.
One of these projects includes Gateway West Apartments, a mixed-use development in uptown, Charlotte. Star participant sites have occupational injury and illness incidence rates far below the state and national averages for comparable projects.
“Our relationship with Balfour Beatty Construction is cherished and one with shared values of making workplace safety and health the utmost priority,” said Berry. “Balfour Beatty Construction is a world-class company, and it shows. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership into the future.”
The Carolina Star program, a state version of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Voluntary Protection Program, represents a partnership among employees, management, and the NCDOL. Companies are chosen for acceptance into the Star program based on an extensive application, a review of their health and safety program, employee and subcontractor interviews, and site evaluations.
Balfour Beatty Construction submitted its application to the state in May 2010 and was officially approved for participation on August 29, 2012. In recognition of Balfour Beatty Construction’s leadership in workplace safety, the NCDOL chose Chris Bunch, loss prevention manager for the Carolinas division, to give a presentation regarding the Star application process at its September 2012 Safety Conference.
Balfour Beatty Construction’s safety program is known as Zero Harm, which is defined as zero deaths, zero injuries to the public, and zero ruined lives. Balfour Beatty Construction’s efforts in loss prevention and claims-management have resulted in incident rates well below industry averages in North Carolina and across the nation.
“We believe our focus on safety is as important as the quality, schedule, and even the profitability of our projects,” said Pat Dean, division president for Balfour Beatty Construction in the Carolinas. “We are honored to partner with the North Carolina Department of Labor and OSHA to achieve our ultimate goal of ensuring all employees go home as safely from our jobsites as when they arrived.”
About Balfour Beatty Construction
A leader in the U.S. commercial construction industry, Balfour Beatty Construction provides general contracting, at-risk construction management, and design-build services through more than 2,400 professionals nationwide. The company has been cited as a Top 10 Green Builder by Engineering-News Record and as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For® by FORTUNE magazine, each for three years in a row. The company is part of London-based Balfour Beatty plc, a global leader in professional services, construction services, support services, and infrastructure investment, with more than $18 billion in annual revenues. To learn more about the company visit balfourbeattyus.com.
Project Inquiries: balfourbeattyus.com/partners
