As noted earlier, safety is a particular priority for Zachry, and today we’ll highlight one of the ways the company shows this — the Heart of Zachry awards.

These honors are based on world class safety performance, and go to sites that have an impeccable record. And “world class” is not an exaggeration. The criteria, which include having no lost-time accidents, are based on the demanding requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

The awards were launched in the Industrial Services group a decade and a half ago, and expanded to the Construction group in 2010. All the employees at winning sites get Heart of Zachry medallions in five different metallic shades — pewter, copper, brass, silver and gold. These represent the number of successive years the site is being recognized for, with pewter for first-time winners through to gold for those winning for five straight years.

The result has been a measurable improvement in safety performance, and also in attitude. It has to be said that across the industry as a whole safety is not always given top priority, and supervisors and foremen are not exactly welcoming when frontline workers raise concerns. But Zachry encourages this upfront approach, making it very clear that it is the right thing to do.