Safety is part of everyday business at Tri-State Drywall, Inc. Our present Safety Program began in the fall of 1995. Management recognized the need to improve and update the existing company program.

A team of five employees, consisting mainly of field mechanics and foremen, was given the challenge to create an effective safety program that would serve the individual and the company alike.

Their efforts resulted in a program that includes clear standards, expectations, goals, and rewards. Members of the Safety Team presented their new program at a company-wide meeting in December 1995.

Today our safety Program continues to grow. We currently have a Substance Abuse Policy, which includes new-hire, random, and post-accident drug testing. A Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan was implemented in March 1996 to protect employees from potential exposure to viruses including HIV and Hepatitis B, which can be transmitted through blood.

New equipment including ladders, scaffolding, and guardrails are purchased regularly to ensure that employees are provided the safest possible access to their work. Training is done at weekly jobsite toolbox meetings and special training sessions at the office. Foremen are recognized and rewarded for making proactive efforts by running a safe project. Accident-free employees are rewarded regularly.

The Safety Program at Tri-State Drywall will continue to grow and expand, providing countless benefits. Our employees benefit through fewer accidents and lost time injuries. The company benefits through lower insurance costs, greater competitiveness and increased profitability. Customers benefit through a safer, more productive jobsite. Safe construction is successful construction.

By the end of 1996 the responsibility of the original T.Q.M. Committee on safety was replaced by a Safety Coordinator. Our program was again enhanced with CPR and First Aid training along with the position of Safety Manager, site visits, inspections and in-house safety awards. The way we do business was forever changed.

We embarked on an extensive training program for fall protection, encompassing the entire company as well as new hires. An in-house committee reviews all safety violations with penalties varying from lost wages to termination.

Today you can walk on any jobsite and immediately recognize Tri-State Drywall employees. They are the ones, at all times, wearing hardhats, safety glasses, and using proper fall protection.