The Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA) has presented the 2021 John M. Beck Award to the Gordie Howe International Bridge project.
The award, presented at the IHSA annual meeting, recognizes the contributions that project-based Joint Health and Safety Committees (JHSC) in the Ontario construction industry has made to health and safety in the previous year.
“Safety is a core value at Bridging North America and our success stems from the commitment of our joint health and safety teams and all staff. Relentless and consistent engagement is required to create the safety culture we aspire to achieve,” adds Michael Hatchell, the CEO of Bridging North America.
The judging committee, including members of IHSA’s Provincial Labour-Management Health and Safety Committee, highlighted the “extraordinary leadership, initiative, creativity, and innovation in developing policy, procedures, tools, or communications for protecting the health and safety of workers on the construction site.”
The award is named after John M. Beck, founder and chairman of Aecon Group Inc. A graduate in Civil Engineering from McGill University, Beck has more than 50 years experience in the construction industry in Canada and internationally. His background includes corporate leadership in numerous construction activities including heavy civil projects and public-private partnerships for the development of infrastructure, such as airports, toll roads and transit systems.
“The health and safety of our entire team has always and continues to be of primary importance. This award validates the effort and dedication of our joint health and safety teams to ensure that all employees remain safe on the job and can return home to their families at the end of each workday,” said Bryce Phillips, CEO of WDBA.
On June 25, BNA and their subcontractors celebrated three million hours of work without a lost time injury (LTI). An LTI is an important key safety indicator for any construction project. This is in addition to the safety precautions put in place to protect against the spread of COVID-19 as part of a robust health and safety regime to ensure workers are safe on the job site.
In 2021, the project team has also received awards for its commitment to environmental stewardship, the project Community Benefits Plan, communications excellence, and its internship program.