URS’ Safety Trained Supervisor Program

Tight economic times push companies to cut all “non-essential” costs. Safety training is often sliced to the bone. Cutting safety training is counterproductive, according to Brad Giles, Vice President of Environmental Safety, Health and Security at the Energy & Construction unit of URS Corp (formerly Washington Group International), one of the world’s largest engineering and construction firms. “Maintaining a safe workplace is a top priority for us at URS,” said Giles. “It’s the right thing to do for our employees and it’s the right thing for our business.”

Workplace accidents and injuries cost American business $1 billion in direct costs and $4 billion in indirect costs every week. The human cost from serious accidents and fatalities is devastating. The Safety Trained Supervisor program (STS) has been instrumental to our strong safety management system,” said Giles. The results have been dramatic. Since implementing STS training, URS has enjoyed its most profitable years ever, dramatically reduced its operating costs and fostered a strong safety culture throughout its global enterprise. “We estimate our direct cost savings in workers comp expenses were in the range of 80% to 85% since the STS program has been in place. Indirect savings due to increased productivity and other factors significantly impacted our profitability.”
 


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