The company must meet the Excellence Award criteria. Finalists are reviewed and audited by a third party panel based on application evaluation and overall contributions to safety culture in Northwest Indiana as a whole. Your company must also have representation in the NWIBRT Safety Subcommittee and/or Safety Sub Teams. 80% attendance is required to achieve Excellence Award status and be considered for the Contractor of the Year Award.

Top finalists in consideration for the Contractor and Company of the Year awards will be invited to the March 4, 2025 awards committee meeting at 9:30AM to present their application and answer questions.

Engineering or specialty companies must have demonstrated unique capabilities that are performed prior to, during, and after construction. Winners in this category must have a safety record that surpasses regional and national levels and must produce a culture of partnership and teamwork with regard to safety among their construction peers.

Top finalists in consideration for the Contractor and Company of the Year awards will be invited to the March 4, 2025 awards committee meeting at 9:30AM to present their application and answer questions.

The company must meet Achievement Level for the last three years and demonstrate an acceptable safety management system. Your company must also have representation in the NWIBRT Safety Subcommittee and/or Safety Sub Teams. 80% attendance is required to achieve Excellence Award status and be considered for the Contractor of the Year Award.  If 80% is not achieved, company will be eligible for Recognition and Achievement Awards.

The Company must first meet the criteria for Recognition Level. The company must have DAFW, DART, and TRIR lower than the average of our NWI Regional Contractor community and demonstrates on acceptable safety management safety.

The Company’s OSHA Days Away from Work (DAFW) Rate, Days Away Restricted and Transferred Rate (DART), and Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR), must be below the most current national industry average rates for the company’s NAICS code as established by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Those average rates are:

• “DAFW” (Days Away From Work). A DAFW case is a subset of OSHA recordable cases where the injury/illness is severe enough that the individual loses time away from his/her job by being away from work.
• “DART” (“Days Away, Restricted or Transferred”). A DART case is a subset of OSHA recordable cases where the injury/illness is severe enough that the individual loses time away from his/her job by being away from work, on restricted duty, or is transferred to another job function because of the injury.
• “TRIR” (Total Recordable Incident Rate). TRIR equals the division of all recordable cases by the hours worked, multiplied by 200,000 for standardization.

Earning the Progress Award is all about showing continuous improvement. A company must show an improving DAFW, TRIR, and DART rate for the past three years.

Winners of the Innovation Award have played a proactive role in developing a new safety initiative at a jobsite. Also, NWIBRT will recognize a company who creatively manages workplace safety by developing and implementing effective safety programs, processes, and procedures. For the Safety Innovation Award, your company must have played a proactive role in developing a new safety initiative.

In regards to Owner (Host) Companies, we are looking for how they require, motivate and/or reward the contractor community.

We will consider new programs, methods, or applications of technology as examples of what sets the safety innovator apart from others. Describe innovative and creative solutions that effectively solved industry safety challenges and problems.

The Life Saver Award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated heroism and skill in saving or attempting to save a life without regard for his/her own personal safety. The award focuses on the humanitarian efforts of an individual either at or away from work.

An Outstanding Craft Person Safety Leader exemplifies dedication to safety. Please submit separate application for each craft person you are submitting.

The Site Safety Leader of the Year Roger Walters Memorial Award is presented to a safety representative that has demonstrated extraordinary contributions to the safety of the workers in Northwest Indiana. We are not looking for a single great act, but a person whose everyday diligence and dedication goes above and beyond creating a safe working environment.

The company has developed a quality safety program and has communicated that program to contractors throughout their facilities. Additionally, the winner of this award has encouraged and motivated contractors to improve their own safety programs and practices, demonstrated creative and innovative resolutions to safety concerns, and has taken a proactive approach to communicating with contractors working inside their facilities.