The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announces the recipients of the 2022 Safety Excellence and Craft Training Excellence Awards. “Our members are dedicated to the safety and health of their employees, and these award programs provide them with the recognition they deserve for going above and beyond in the name of safety and training,” said Bryan McClure, Chairman of SEAA’s Safety and Education Committee. For both awards, World Class is issued to the highest achieving companies. Premier is the second level, followed by Gold. “Our industry is in a transition period where more and more people are showing interest in our field,” said McClure. “Good safety records, comprehensive training aligned with long-term career paths, and awards recognitions, are among the criteria that prospective employees consider when deciding where to apply. Beyond the inherent value of being a safe company, it’s also a great marketing tool in a highly competitive market.” Safety Excellence The Safety Excellence Award goes to eight SEAA member companies in three categories with excellent 2021 safety records. Recipients were selected based on evaluations of their EMR ratings, OSHA 300A statistics, and safety program processes over the last three years. Scoring was based on points assigned to a multi-criteria analysis, conducted in blind review by members of SEAA’s Safety & Education Committee.  Craft Training Recognition Two companies were recognized for their craft training programs. Applicants were evaluated on the portability of credentials, availability of apprenticeship programs, training, and recruitment efforts. Evaluations for the Craft Training Excellence award are made in comparison to other companies of similar size, based on the number of ironworkers employed from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2021. Note that there were not submissions by employers in all size categories for 2022. “This year we have re-allocated craft training grants to be awarded to the World Class Craft Training winners. Each company receives $2,250 to use for implementation of future training projects,” said Pete Gum, SEAA’s Executive Director. “These companies have shown their commitment to training and we want to help them to continue these efforts.”  About Steel Erectors Association of America
Founded in 1972, SEAA is the only national trade association representing the interests of steel erectors, fabricators, contractors, and related service providers. The association promotes safety, education and training programs for steel erector trades, including its Ironworker Craft Training curriculum. The association works in partnership with other steel construction, design, and steel product organizations to protect the interests of those who construct steel structures. Learn more at www.seaa.net. The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announces the winners of its 2022 Projects of the Year. Entries could be submitted in four classes for Structural Construction based on contract value for that portion of the job. In addition, the association opened a new category this year for Miscellaneous Metals in two classes. This category includes bridges, decking, ornamental steel, reinforcing steel, and steel fabrication projects.
In all, seven companies were recognized for effectively solving unique jobsite challenges while safely completing projects. (Note, there were no submissions this year for Class II Structural or Class I Miscellaneous Metals.) Project submissions are chosen by an independent panel of judges. The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) kicked off its 50th Anniversary on April 8, 2022, at the conclusion of its 2022 Convention & Trade Show in Charleston, S.C., with a celebration on the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier. Today, the association releases a video presentation and historical timeline that documents the last 50 years.
 May 6, 2022 (Winston-Salem, N.C.) The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) announced at its annual membership meeting on April 7, 2022 in Charleston, S.C., the slate of officers to serve from 2022 to 2024. The slate was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors.
 The Roman philosopher Seneca once said, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” When companies approach compliance preparedness with this thought process, they are overwhelmingly successful in their interactions with OSHA.
Here are three tips to not only survive but thrive when OSHA visits your site.
Get more details about implementing these three tips and additional details. 1. Define who is your competent person onsite for hazardous activities. When an OSHA compliance safety and health officer arrives onsite for a scheduled visit, employee complaint or accident, they will want to know who the company’s competent person for those hazardous activities is. An OSHA "competent person" is defined as "one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them" [29 CFR 1926.32(f)]. The two key words to this definition are “capable” and “authorization.” Companies will be able to demonstrate capability by the training the employee has had and work history. Authorization is demonstrated by companies defining who these competent persons are during the preconstruction process. 2. Provide formal and ongoing training for employees on hazardous activities. OSHA will request employee training records for hazardous activities during an investigation. Companies will be well served to provide formal training for all employees prior to putting them to work. For Steel Erectors, the must have training prior to starting work will probably involve:
3. Train employees on what to expect from OSHA visits and their rights under the law. When employees know what to expect they will be less apt to make compounding mistakes when dealing with OSHA. The rights of workers during an inspection are:
A full list of workers’ rights published by OSHA can be found here. While this list doesn’t encompass everything a company needs to do to prepare for an OSHA visit, by being proactive on the front end of projects, companies will save time, money, and their reputation if OSHA ever does visit. Resources: OSHA Worker Rights and Protections Worker Rights Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 OSHA Workers Rights Pamphlet 1960.26 - Conduct of inspections This Safety Flash was contributed by Bryan McClure, Senior Safety Consultant, Trivent Safety Consulting, in cooperation with SEAA’s Safety Committee. It is designed to keep members informed about ongoing safety issues and to provide suggestions for reducing risk. Best practices are gathered from a variety of sources. They may be more or less stringent than individual corporate policies and are not intended to be an official recommendation from SEAA. Always get approval and direction from your company officers on any new practice or procedure as these best practices may not work for all situations. Everyone benefits when a worker avoids injury. Submit your ideas for Safety Flash to admin@seaa.net
 February 21, 2022 (Winston-Salem, N.C.) The Steel Erectors Association of America (SEAA) hosted nearly 300 students from five school districts and several dozen military veterans for its construction career fair in January 2022. SEAA’s Long Range Planning Committee spearheaded the event, which was hosted by member company Adaptive Construction Solutions, Inc., at their training facility in Houston, Texas.
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