February 11, 2011

Hamilton-Halton Construction Association salutes safety achievements

PATRICIA WILLIAMS

staff writer

The Hamilton-Halton Construction Association (HHCA) recognized the health and safety achievements of eight member firms at its annual general meeting.

The association, which represents 390 companies active in the industrial, commercial and institutional sectors, presented health and safety achievement awards in three categories based on annual person-hours worked.

“Receiving an award involves much effort and hard work on behalf of an entire company,” said HHCA vice-president Jim DiNovo of BML Multi Trades Group Ltd.

“Members make the financial and managerial investment to achieve results. They focus their employees on the goal of first-class health and safety performance.”

Firms’ safety programs are evaluated by the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association (IHSA).

“I would like to congratulate all of the winners for a job well done,” said IHSA health and safety consultant Stephen Laffrade, who has conducted audits for the HCCA safety awards for a number of years.

“Each year, the scoring gets more and more difficult. Participating contractors are receiving such excellent scores. This year, I had to round off each score to three decimal points to obtain the winner. Even then, the scores were so close that we had to determine ties in each category for the first time ever.”

In category I (500,000+ person-hours), awards were presented to three firms: Aecon Industrial, a full-service industrial contractor; Comstock Canada, which provides total electrical and mechanical services for a wide range of projects; and Dufferin Construction Co., one of Canada’s largest heavy civil engineering contractors.

In category II (250,000 to 499,999 person-hours), the winner was Aluma Systems, which designs and supplies scaffolding, shoring and formwork products in Canada, the United States and internationally.

In category III (100,000 to 240,999 person-hours), awards were presented to four firms: Hillsdale Structures, a subsidiary of Alberici Constructors Ltd. set up to expand the firm’s structural steel erection capabilities; John Kenyon Ltd., a firm which traces its roots back to the turn of the 20th century; McGowan Insulation, a leader in the field of mechanical insulation contracting and asbestos abatement and Safway Services, a scaffolding company.

This year’s winners were presented with plaques by HHCA president Domenic Mattina and Laffrade.

Over the years, DiNovo said, many of the award recipients have been part of the construction association’s safety group program, designed to help firms develop a sound workplace health and safety program.

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