E. Kent Halvorson has a belief that safety is not just statistics, but a corporate culture.

That culture consists of shared beliefs, practices and attitudes. The company says it is an invisible force that shapes workers’ behaviors. It’s a combination of: management and employee attitude, policies and procedures, supervisor responsibility and accountability, safety planning and goals, actions in response to unsafe behavior, employee training and motivation, and employee involvement.

Last year, Halvorson reviewed its policies and procedures to make sure they were current and relevant. Then, the company re-wrote its safety manual to make it more easily understood. Halvorson also started a substance abuse program last year that includes pre-employment drug testing, mandatory post-accident testing and reasonable cause testing.

To reward its workers for safe behavior, the company started a safety incentive program with quarterly and annual prizes.

Other safety measures instigated in 2000 include: working as a partner with state jobsite inspectors; revising jobsite checklists and performing regular inspections involving the superintendent and other employees; and strengthening relationships with subcontractors by including them in safety meetings.

The company recently began a monthly newsletter that involves all employees and their families. The publication is mailed to workers’ homes and includes several safety articles, along with birthdays and anniversaries. Halvorson says the newsletter develops stronger relationships be-tween employees, which causes them to look out for each other more on the job.

Halvorson put in more worker hours in 2000 than the previous year and managed to lower its number of accidents by 71 percent. The number of lost-time accidents dropped to zero.