The NMAPC is adding a new category to its annual Zero Injury Safety Awards to recognize construction and industrial maintenance projects where at least one million injury-free hours are achieved during a single calendar year.

Beginning in 2011, those who qualify can apply for the special ZISA Million Hour Project Recognition Program as part of the online awards application process.

The four current ZISA categories - Gold, Silver, Bronze and Certificate of Merit - will remain unchanged and continue to honor tripartite alliances between a single contractor, owner/client and local craft or building trades council. By contrast, the Million Hour Project Recognition Program will constitute an entirely separate category to honor the collective efforts of the owner/client, multiple contractors, crafts and/or building trades working on a specific project.

"Our four existing ZISA categories do a great job of highlighting individual examples of tripartite cooperation and commitment to safety," said Wayne Creasap, NMAPC's Director of Safety and Health. "That's the primary reason why we created ZISA in the first place. Now, with this new and separate award category, we've come up with a way to recognize the same dedication to safety, only on a much larger scale. It will be awarded if the combined number of injury-free hours worked by all eligible contractors on a single project during the calendar year totals one million or more."

"The level of cooperation between the owner/client, contractors and the building trades on these large-scale projects is nothing short of amazing," added Steve Lindauer, NMAPC Impartial Secretary and CEO. "Instituting the ZISA Million Hour Project Recognition Program is yet another way to drive home the point that union construction is the highest-quality option on the market today."

Online registration for the 11th Annual Zero Injury Safety Awards opens January 1, 2011 at www.nmapc.org/zisa.

Below is a summary of the major criteria for the new program. If you have any questions, please contact Wayne Creasap at wcreasap@nmapc.org or (703) 524-3336 x123.

ZISA Million Hour Project Recognition Program Criteria

1. Scope and eligibility. In order to qualify, a minimum of one million aggregate injury-free hours must have been worked on the same project in a single calendar year by multiple eligible contractors (those who are signatory to either the National Maintenance Agreements or the National Power Generation Maintenance Agreements).

2. Consideration for multi-year projects. Ongoing projects will be evaluated on a "calendar year" basis only. In order to achieve recognition in a subsequent year, contractors would need to again achieve a minimum one million injury-free hours.

3. Who may apply. The owner/client, a general contractor or construction manager on the project may apply for the Million Hour Project Recognition. IMPORTANT: Construction managers must have a current "Letter of Understanding, Construction Manager Participation" on file with the NMAPC for the nominated project.

4. Application requirements. The submitting entity will be required to list all eligible contractors along with their respective approved Site Extension Request (SER's) for the nominated project. The submitting entity shall provide copies of OSHA 300 and 300A forms for all eligible contractors. There is no minimum number of hours required for a contractor to be included in the application.

5. Recognition limitations. A project can only be recognized under the ZISA Million Hour Project Recognition Program once per year.

6. Relationship to other ZISA categories. Eligible contractors may still apply for individual ZISA awards under the current categories.

7. Application fee. An application fee will be assessed for the administration of this program. The fee will be paid by the entity that submits the application. Fee rates are subject to change.

8. Award presentations. Once verified, Million Hour Project Recognition awards will be presented at the annual Zero Injury Safety Awards Gala in October.

November 19, 2010