These companies provide a safe working environment for tens of thousands of employees, protect the environment and act as advocates for worker health and safety.

America's Safest Companies, founded in 2002, is a corporate award honoring the safest companies in the United States. This year's list of honorees includes Adolfson & Peterson Construction, Armstrong World Industries Inc., Cummins Inc., Dow Corning Corp., Flowserve Corp., Hannay Reels Inc., Jordan Construction, Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Lydig Construction, Milliken & Co., Safway Services LLC and STP Nuclear Operating Co. Representatives from the 2010 America's Safest Companies received their awards at a reception Oct. 4 at the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego.

“I loved the award and we're thrilled by getting it, but the evening of networking at the reception was worth the price of coming out and spending a couple of days with my team there,” said Mike Snyder, director of corporate safety, industrial hygiene and loss prevention at Dow Corning Corp.

“I brought with me five safety practitioners, and they also got to go to the National Safety Council's annual conference. So for them, it was a wonderful experience, and they were just absolutely thrilled to participate in the Monday evening event. You did it perfectly.”

To be considered one of America's Safest Companies, organizations must demonstrate support from management and employee involvement; innovative solutions to safety challenges; comprehensive training programs; evidence that prevention of incidents is the cornerstone of the safety process; and communication about the value of safety.

“The difference between a near-miss and a fatality is 1 second, so it is important to create a mindset amongst all employees that makes them intolerant of any potentially unsafe situation,” said Fred Rippy, national safety director of Adolfson & Peterson. “With our company's focus on safety, we are careful to prevent accidents by looking out for each other and taking action when we see potentially unsafe behaviors or conditions.”

EHS Today commends the sponsors of America's Safest Companies — Gold Sponsor MCR Safety and Silver Sponsor PureSafety — for their commitment to promoting safe work environments and for their support in recognizing the country's safest workplaces.

ASC Company Profiles