JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (March 23, 2021) — Stellar, a fully integrated firm focused on design, engineering, construction, refrigeration and mechanical services worldwide, received a 2020 National Safety Excellence Award from Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC).
The company was recognized with a Pinnacle award, the highest of three categories, placing Stellar among a select group of ABC contractor members whose achievements in the field of construction safety are considered exceptional. The firm was honored at the 31st annual Excellence in Construction® Awards during ABC Convention 2021 in Grapevine, Texas.
“At Stellar, safety isn’t just a box to check. It’s an integral part of who we are and the foundation for every project we pursue,” said Neil Ross, CSP, LEED A/P, Director of Safety. “Although the pandemic presented new challenges in keeping our projects and people safe, our teams rose to the occasion. That makes us even more proud to be recognized among the safest contractors in the nation this year.”
Despite working in high-risk categories such as roofing and welding, Stellar’s safety record is notably better than the industry average in at least two major safety benchmarks:
- Total recordable incident rate (TRIR)
- OSHA recordable injury and illness incident rates
Historically, Stellar’s TRIR and OSHA recordable injury and illness incident rates are half that of other firms in the industry.
The 2020 National Safety Excellence Award winners were selected from ABC member firms that achieved Diamond, Platinum and Gold status in ABC’s STEP safety management system in 2020. Awards are based on data submitted via the STEP applications, essay questions and video interviews with company executives about their corporate safety culture.
During the selection process, national safety winners were judged on:
- Self-evaluation scores
- Lost workday case rates
- Total recordable incident rates
- Leading indicator use
- Process and program innovations
- Video interviews conducted by members of ABC’s National Safety and Health Committee
“Stellar is creating the conditions for its people to do their job well in a safe, healthy and mentally fit environment,” said 2021 ABC National Chair of the Board of Directors Steve Klessig, vice president of architecture and engineering, Keller Inc., Kaukauna, Wisconsin. “A culture of both safety and total human health cannot exist without leadership choosing daily to not to compromise on safety, and ABC commends this safety leader in our industry for modeling this belief in every action.”
The National Safety Awards are presented in three major North American Industry Classification System code categories: NAICS 236 – Construction of Buildings; NAICS 237 – Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction; and NAICS 238 – Specialty Trade Contractors.
STEP, the standard for developing world-class safety management systems in construction, is designed to help both large and small contractors evaluate every aspect of their corporate safety and health programs and identify opportunities for improvement.
Safety engineer Zachary Mitchell accepted the award on behalf of Stellar’s Safety Team. CNA is the presenting sponsor of the National Safety Excellence Awards.
# # #
About Stellar
Stellar is a fully integrated design, engineering, construction, refrigeration and mechanical services firm that provides the industry’s most comprehensive range of self-performed services, including planning, design, pre-construction, construction, refrigeration, mechanical and utility, building envelope, and total operations and maintenance services. More than 700 Stellar employees worldwide design, build and maintain award-winning food processing plants, refrigerated warehouses, distribution centers, commercial buildings and military facilities. In addition to its Jacksonville, Florida, headquarters, Stellar operates support locations and offices throughout the United States. Stellar also serves Central and South America, Europe and India. For more information, visit stellar.net.
