Choate Construction Company is incredibly honored to be named the Grand Award Winner of The Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Willis Towers Watson (WTW) 2022 National Construction Safety Excellence Awards (CSEA). Choate was also awarded first place in the Construction Management division for firms with more than 700,000 work hours. Presented by WTW at the AGC Annual Convention in Grapevine, Texas, the national awards recognize firms that excel in safety performance, occupational health management, demonstrate leadership and control of risks.
“This great honor would not be possible without the unwavering dedication of our trade partners, project teams, and safety professionals. They work daily to maintain the highest standards of safety on each jobsite and ensure everyone goes home safely and more safety conscious at the end of every day,” says Matt Brewer, Choate President & CEO. “It is because of their commitment, and the continuous training and guidance embedded within our OneLife safety identity that Choate’s safety culture is what it is today.”
After completing a comprehensive application to be selected as a finalist by the national AGC Safety & Health Committee, Choate was invited to compete in person at the AGC National Convention by giving an oral presentation in front of a panel of five judges, including CSP Director of Safety and Health of the AGC Kevin Cannon; Executive EHS Director of Boeing Tony Militello P.E., CSP, CQE; Global Construction EHS Manager of Google Jim Smoltz; CSP SVP Construction Risk Leader North America of WTW Mike Fredebeil and WTW President of Safety & Risk Advisors David Wessin.
The CSEA selection process offers a more holistic look into the safety practices of each applicant, going beyond just incident rates. By a panel of peers, Choate Construction was judged for: Company Management Commitment, Active Employee Participation, Safety Training, Work Site Hazard Identification and Control, and Safety Program Innovation.
“It’s an immense honor for Choate to be recognized as the Grand Award Winner for the Construction Safety Excellence Awards,” says Chad Hart, Choate Corporate Safety Director. “AGC has been an invaluable partner for many years, directly contributing to the success of our OneLife safety program and identity. Through consistent training and Choate’s partnerships with organizations like OSHA, our trade partners and project teams continue to exhibit best practices in safety on every jobsite, ensuring every team member goes home safely at the end of the day. Special thanks to WTW for their sponsorship to this event which helps companies strive to improve their safety performance year to year.”
Over thirty years of safety management across thousands of jobsites has shown that simply inspecting for hazards or instituting regulations will not achieve the goal of fundamentally altering the individual mindset. Since its creation in 2014, OneLife, Choate’s safety identity and program, has become a rallying cry to move from compliance-based safety to safety that focuses on commitment — safety that touches the heart. To achieve its goal, OneLife offers continuing education, consistent messaging, and close partnerships with various safety organizations, resulting in recognizably low injury and illness rates.
