July 30, 2020

WILMINGTON, NC – Balfour Beatty’s US Civils team safely achieve more than four million hours without a lost time incident in the southeast operating region. This safety milestone and record celebrates five years of safely delivering construction projects and the company’s commitment to its Zero Harm culture to protect the safety and well-being of project teams, trade partners, and the public. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines a lost time incident as an accident or injury that causes an employee to miss work, which can delay production and project delivery. This milestone achievement is particularly unique in the heavy civil construction industry as recordable incident rates average approximately 3.4, according to the National Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Balfour Beatty’s US Civils southeast region team credits their recent safety achievement to the company’s Zero Harm safety practices in the workplace and continuous education and activities such as safety stand-downs, campaigns, and training programs focused on decreasing the Fatal Four – falls, struck by an object, electrocutions, caught-in/between incidents and injury-management. This milestone safety record is also attributed directly to the team’s commitment to making safe work choices, and exhibiting safe behavior that reinforces the company’s “See Something, Say Something” principle that personally empowers the team and project site visitors to speak up to make their workplace safer.

“Our team’s people-first commitment to protect people through achieving safety goals has contributed to this milestone over the past five years,” said Eric Yates, environmental, health, and safety manager in the southeast. “Most of our employees train and actively practice aggressive injury management so everyone receives immediate medical attention even for the smallest injuries. This prevention technique keeps minor injuries from becoming bigger issues that could impact project delivery. As we celebrate this achievement, we will continue to remain focused on safe jobsite and workplace practices to keep our Zero Harm safety culture intact and safely deliver projects for our clients.”

The four million hours without a lost time incident is all more impressive, considering the sheer volume of work being performed by the team. Projects that reflect this safety milestone include 421 Temporary Bridge Install from Hurricane Florence, Back River Bridge Replacement, Broad Run WRF, CATS BLE Civil A, Fall Line Freeway, Fayetteville Outer Loop, Havelock Bypass, Jimmy Deloach Parkway, King George Blvd, Lake Kilby WTF, Maysville Bypass, Military Cutoff Extension, NC-133, NEWPPP, Patapsco 845 WWTP, Patapsco 852 WWTP, Patapsco 855 WWTP, Sampit Bridge Replacement, Seneca WWTP, Southeast Region Equipment Yard, Surf City Bridge Replacement, Western Branch WWTP and Wilmington I-140 Bypass.

“I would like to personally thank every staff worker for their efforts and contributions toward helping us achieve this milestone,” said Mark Johnnie, Southeast Region vice president at Balfour Beatty. “Reaching five years without a lost-time incident is a testament to what our teams are capable of when we put safety first. As we celebrate this milestone, we are reminded that each day everyone’s job is safety and I commend our entire team’s commitment to maintaining a strong Zero Harm culture, a stand-out example of all Balfour Beatty projects and teammates across the nation.”