1999 AGC of Washington Safety and Construciton Excellence Awards

Journal staff

Nine construction projects and six safety programs submitted by AGC of Washington member companies were honored for excellence at the 14th annual Safety and Construction Excellence Awards banquet held March 5 at the Bellevue Hyatt Regency Hotel.

This years panel of 10 judges reviewed entries and judged presentations in order to select the winners. Selected as the Grand Award Winner for Construction Excellence was Pacific Place by Lease/Sellen. The Grand Award for Safety Excellence went to Deeny Construction Company, Inc.

The AGC Safety and Construction Excellence Awards recognize skill in the construction process for projects completed in the previous calendar year. Judging criteria includes innovation in construction techniques or materials, sensitivity to the environment and surroundings, safety and loss control, excellent client service and management of a challenging project.

Safety entries required submission of company safety records for the past two years. They were evaluated for the level of employee and management involvement, special safety programs or training, innovative job safety promotions and management's commitment to safety.

Photo by Fred Housel

Winner: Lease/Sellen
Design Professional: NBBJ (Seattle) and Elkus Manfredi (Boston)

Built by the team of Lease Crutcher Lewis and Sellen Construction, the two companies saw the project as a must-do. They shared unique skills for building Pacific Place and a strong desire to participate in a landmark project that would revitalize the downtown core. The size and complexity of the project made collaboration and strong relationships critical.

The project includes a number of firsts. The 85-foot deep excavation is the deepest in Seattle's history. The one-million-square-foot retail center includes 325,000 square feet of rentable retail space and the parking garage for 1,200 cars is one of the largest in the region. Pacific Place is capped by a 15,000-square-foot skylight.

Over $60 million in tenant improvements performed by 25 different general contractors took place simultaneously with the shell and core work. At one point, 750 tradespeople were on the site, with work continuing around the clock. The logistical challenges were enormous, but the team developed a project site plan covering everything from street use and deliveries to clean-up and temporary electricity. Excellent project management allowed the team to complete the project two weeks ahead of schedule.

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Photo by John Stamets

Winner: Lease Crutcher Lewis
Design Professional: Architect Weinstein Copeland (shell and building systems) and Marvin Stein (tenant improvements for Expeditors)

The 1015 Third Avenue Building called for a 250,000-square-foot renovation and a 97,000-square-foot vertical and lateral expansion of an office building dating to the 1930s and 1950s. This was a true, fast-track project with 90 percent of the construction documents received several months after the June 1997 start. Nevertheless, the original project schedule and budget were met, even after the owner added $4.5 million worth of work to the scope of work.

An extensive recycling program salvaged all the copper and metalwork that had been used for piping and electrical conduits, as well as materials such as gypsum and concrete.

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Winner: The Natt McDougall Co.
Design Professional: Montgomery Watson

Located in a spot that had no equipment access, crews could only reach it by train. Work tasks had to be done with objects small and light enough for a worker to pack out to the site and handle while tied-off to the face of a vertical cliff. Even under such dangerous conditions, no accidents of any kind were logged.

Work was further complicated by differing elevations, making it impossible to prefabricate the tower legs. The team came up with the idea of adjustable legs, that could be fitted to size as construction progressed.

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Winner: GLY Construction
Design Professional: Mithun Partners

GLY excelled in controlling the schedule so REI's promised opening date did not change. They used shotcrete to meet REI's aesthetic requirements for a natural wood look and supported the company's environmental ethics.

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Winner: Wade Perrow Construction, Inc.
Design Professional: Taylor Gregory Architects

Wade Perrow Construction, Inc. renovated the church and built an addition, all while the church remained in use. In order to continue services each weekend, goals for the week had to be completed and the area cleaned.

After bidding and accepting the work, fire rating issues meant an extra 1,000 man-hours had to be added to the project, but only a two-week extension in the schedule could be granted in order to meet the Christmas Day opening.

WPC used over 14,000 man-hours without a time-loss accident, even though a large portion of the time was spent on shoring or using fall restrain/arrest procedures.

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New Building $3 million - $10 million:
Wa He Lut Indian School

Wa He Lut Indian School entryway.

M.A. Mortenson completed the design-build project in 11 months. The first goal was to raise the new structure above the 100-year flood plain.

A seven-foot deep excavation was necessary to reach bearing soil, then seven feet of soil was added above grade, all with environmental sensitivity to the Nisqually River.

To reflect Native American construction methods, the company used a pole peeling method on the structural pole columns and exposed timber in the ceremonial gathering space of the school.

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Outstanding General Contractor 100,000 to 200,000 Worker Hours:
DPR Construction, Inc.

DPR also uses safety as a factor in subcontractor prequalification, has site-specific safety orientation and twice-daily safety audits.

Over 33 percent of its craftspeople are directly involved in improving safety performance. Every two months a safety committee, project safety leaders, and an incident review team meet.

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Grand Award for Safety Excellence and Outstanding General Contractor - Under 100,000 Worker Hours:
Deeny Construction Co., Inc.

The Grand Award winner for Safety Excellence was given to Deeny Construction Co., Inc. Safety is a passion at Deeny Construction. With no time loss accident in 2,307 days (almost seven years) or a WISHA violation since 1987, the firm claims to be the safest underground utility contractor in the state.

Deeny's safety program strong points include field supervisors who are competent-person certified and a generous safety bonus plan. Deeny crews start work each morning with the Safety Start of the Day Program developed by employees. Supervisors give out a safety saying, reminding everyone to work safely. Other highlights include certification for confined spaces and shoring, fall protection and updated MSDS information.

Deeny also won the award for Outstanding General Contractor, under 100,000 Worker Hours.

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Remodel/Tenant Improvement $3 million - $10 million:
Martha and Mary Nursing Home

Having provided comprehensive preconstruction services during a five-year planning/design phase, W.G. Clark renovated 70,000 square feet of space, constructed a 28,000-square-foot addition, built a new boiler plant, integrated three generations of mechanical systems and capped the building under one roof. Crews completed work in an existing building which was occupied by the elderly and infirm. By using mini-schedules, W.G. Clark managed to complete the project without affecting bed space.

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Outstanding Subcontractor Over 200,000 Worker Hours:
Ceco Concrete Construction, L.L.C.

The company holds twice weekly safety meetings, new employee orientation and training, forklift and scissor-lift training and a field safety incentive plan. A key element in Ceco's highly interactive safety plan is to modify behavior, encourage safe work practices and eliminate at-risk behavior.

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Most Improved General Contractor:
J.R. Abbott Construction, Inc.

J.R. Abbott Construction logged almost 235,000 hours, and its accident rate continues to decline from 1.19 in 1997 to 0.74 in 1998 per 10,000 hours worked.

The company succeeded by making safety the responsibility of all employees, not only employees in the field.

Some of the ways the Safety Leadership Team has met its goals include: an accident rate poster to help employees progress toward zero accidents; a value-based paradigm shift with zero accidents as the only option; requiring all office personnel visiting a job site to wear hard hats and boots; having a full-time safety director; adding language to subcontracts to enhance safety; and budgeting for safety equipment and training.

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Diversity Development Recognition:
W.G. Clark Construction Co.

At W. G. Clark Construction, diversity is both welcomed and encouraged.

In combination, women and minorities make up 29 percent of the company's workforce. Since many of the firms employees are Hispanic and speak English as a second language, Clark provides bilingual signage and bilingual personnel for better training and safety orientation.

The company actively seeks out women and minorities through programs such as the King County Work Training Program, Rainier Job Service Center, Welfare to Work and CAMP, the Central Area Motivation Program. Through internships and pre-apprenticeship programs, the company has recruited several minorities and women who have begun careers in construction.

Chris Clark, chairman of W.G. Clark, serves on the oversight committee for the Contractors Resource Center being planned for Seattle's Central Area and has served as a mentor to an African American general contractor since the inception of the program. As board members of the Central Area Boys and Girls Club, Chris Clark and Vice President of Field Operations Mike Sotelo have been instrumental in fundraising and developing an 18-station computer learning center.

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Contribution to Community Recognition:
Ferguson Construction

Last summer, the company participated in two significant community/charitable fundraising events: the 1998 Mariners Golf Tournament for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and the American Lung Associations 1998 Climb for Clean Air.

As a co-sponsor for the golf tournament, Ferguson's $10,000 contribution enabled the foundation to make a major step in waging its battle against the disease. At a dinner and auction following the tournament, sponsors, players, Mariners and Mariners staff all contributed to raise a record $275,000. From Ferguson's sponsorship of the initial tournament in 1995, overall contributions in excess of $750,000 have been realized.

Ferguson Construction donated a total of $34,100 to the Climb for Clean Air. The climbing team solicited $11,000 from subcontractors, suppliers and associates and Ferguson donated the balance. Eleven people from the company, who also each made a $3,000 personal commitment to the American Lung Association, trained for the Mount Rainier climb. Reaching the summit was cause for a dual celebration, as the climbers celebrated Ferguson's 50th anniversary.

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Heavy/Highway/Utilities Over $10 million:
Duwamish River/First Avenue South Bridge Replacement/Rehabilitation

Winner: Atkinson Construction
Design Professional: WSDOT

The successes on the $27 million First Avenue South Bridge replacement and rehab project included minimizing traffic impacts to highway and marine traffic, excelling in safety, beating the schedule and controlling costs.

Daily and weekly scheduling meetings, monthly safety meetings and daily Take 5 for safety breaks, allowed Atkinson to control the schedule and budget, and resulted in an excellent safety record.

The success of this complex project depended upon the commitment to partnering between Atkinson, the WSDOT and subcontractors.

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Tank repair at the Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

Outstanding Subcontractor Under 100,000 Worker Hours:
Western Industrial Painting, Inc.

Western Industrial conducts weekly safety meetings specific to the tasks at hand. Attendance at meetings is verified and turned in with employee time cards.

The company uses the services of an outside consultant to train employees in areas essential for a painting contractor: confined space entry, respiratory protection and lead awareness.

As the company continues to work to provide a safe environment, its cost savings continue to grow.

The last two years reductions in the EMR have resulted in a savings of $1 per hour in costs.

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Outstanding General Contractor Over 200,000 Worker Hours:
M.A. Mortenson Co.

The program includes preplanning, orientation, incentives, drug and alcohol testing and investigation of near misses. Mortenson's success with the Zero Injury Program is being shared with their subcontractors through the GC/CM process.

They practice a Backstretch Program to combat cumulative trauma.

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Heavy/Highway/Utilities $3 million - $10 million:
UW Bothell /Cascadia Community College Co-Located Campus

Winner: Active Construction, Inc.
Design Professional: NBBJ

All this had to be done in a punishing schedule of 11 weeks to meet state deadlines for hydroseeding and to protect the salmon-bearing stream.

The teams leadership skills and daily planning helped all crewmembers to recognize the magnitude of the project and enable them to work with intensity toward the final goal. Communications occurred instantly by giving all personnel two-way radios. The site withstood the real test of site erosion and environmental control measures during Novembers record setting rainfalls.

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