:: rawblogXport ::

:: Tuesday, August 26, 2003 ::

Albuquerque Tribune Online On the beam By Nancy Salem
Just eight years ago, New Mexico had one of the nation's worst records for worker spills and other construction-related injuries. But, safe to say, those days are history.

Another factor driving the safety movement is competition.

A low injury rate keeps a contractor competitive, said David Edwards, environmental health and safety director for J.B. Henderson Construction Co. in Albuquerque.

Big customers, like Intel Corp., the University of New Mexico and Sandia National Laboratories, in recent years have required contractors to have written safety programs and a low injury rate.

'When you go to bid work, you're at a huge competitive disadvantage if your injury rate is high. A lot of bids are hard-dollar bids, where the owner is looking for the best possible deal, and a company with a good safety record will be able to do a job with fewer interruptions than one without a good record,' Edwards said. 'Owners look at that.'

Proceedings Begin Into Trench Deaths Company attorneys contend any violations were the result of unpreventable employee misconduct, since Insituform Technologies has specific safety precautions in place, which are a requirement for employees working underground.

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