Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC) is a national association of merit shops, with chapters all over the continental U. S., Hawaii, Alaska and Guam. Their philosophy is based in the system of free enterprise, and that any kind of price or wage fixing, in either the public or the private sector, are detrimental to that system.
Companies that are members of the ABC are able to take advantage of member discounts, the ABC Insurance Trust, the membership directory (for networking) and many other benefits- including safety training.
Safety Training Evaluation Process Program
The ABC developed the Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) to promote safety at the employer level. It includes an evaluation of their safety processes and policies on twenty key components. This provides insight to the employers on the quality of the programs they have in place, and tools to implement or enhance safety programs. ABC can boast that ABC STEP participants are safer than the construction industry average, according to a comparison of STEP Participants’ Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics industry average for the construction industry.
ABC Rhode Island and United Alliance Services
Taking safety one “step” further, the Rhode Island Chapter of the ABC has teamed up with United Alliance Services to provide expert advice on their Safety Committee. Marc Bianco, EVP of Technical Services for United Alliance Services serves as the Chairperson on the committee. The committee is comprised of area leaders in the industry, including New England Drywall, National Lumber, J.J. Cardosi, Tradesmen International, Interstate Electric, and Furey Roofing. Objectives of the committee include updates on new safety compliance requirements, notifications of upcoming industry safety events, and offering OSHA Construction Outreach ( 10 and 30 hour) classes to the ABC RI membership.
ABC and ABC RI have done a lot to improve safety in their membership companies, and are setting the bar for the industry as a whole. United Alliance Services is proud to support them in this endeavor. When it comes to safety, a rising tide surely does lift all boats. In the picture above you can see Marc Bianco at an ABC event standing next to the sponsor board.