ARTBA Contractors From Arizona, Nebraska, Utah Receive 2023 ARTBA Contractor Safety Awards

(WASHINGTON) – Transportation construction companies from three states were recognized Sept. 11 for their outstanding employee safety programs during the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s (ARTBA) national convention in La Jolla, Calif.

The annual ARTBA “Contractor Safety Awards” promote worker safety and health as core values of the transportation design and construction industry. In a new category, Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction was named safety program “Grand Champion.” The judges were impressed with the firm’s achievement of zero recordable injuries since 2022 as well as its ability to make immediate programmatic adjustments when potential hazards are identified.

Companies were competitively selected based on their accident and injury rates on worksites as reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); their Experience Modification Rates (EMRs) as determined by their insurance carriers; and their safety programs. Finalists from three categories based on personnel hours worked in the previous year were invited to present before a panel of industry judges. 

Selection criteria also included demonstration of key principles of safety excellence including management commitment, employee participation, incident investigation, auditing, planning and risk assessment. 

The awards were presented as follows: 

• Less than 500,000 personnel hours = J. Banicki Construction Inc., Phoenix, Ariz.    
• 500,000 – 1 million = Hawkins Construction Co., Omaha, Neb.
• Over 1 million = Ralph L. Wadsworth Construction, Draper, Utah

Established in 1985, the ARTBA Foundation is a 501(c) 3 tax-exempt entity designed to “promote research, education and public awareness” about the impacts of transportation investment.  It supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, management and education programs, roadway work zone safety training, special economic research and reports, American National Standards Institute-accredited transportation project safety certification, and an exhibition on transportation at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.