Manhattan Mechanical Services set a new standard as the first merit shop contractor to receive the Three Rivers Manufacturers’ Association (TRMA) Platinum Award, solidifying its place as the premier mechanical services contractor in the industry.

As a leading manufacturing association, TRMA focuses on promoting manufacturing excellence and improving the general manufacturing climate. The association recognizes and awards industrial contractor companies that exhibit high-level safety practices at TRMA manufacturing plants. These companies achieve OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) recordable rates below the national average.

To qualify for the Platinum Award, a contractor must hold a three-year average OSHA recordable rate of 0.6 or less and a three-year Lost Workday rate of 0.2 or less in 2022.

In addition, the contractor must have held an OSHA recordable rate of 0 in 2022 for work completed at TRMA facilities, with a minimum of 250,000 total man-hours worked in the past three years.

According to Manhattan Mechanical safety manager Nate Hassett, the company’s ever-evolving and improving safety program involves more than just rules and regulations.

“This award is truly a tribute to our team,” Hassett said. “Anyone can update the safety manual and implement new safety strategies. Our team shows ownership of our safety program, engagement from all the employees and management, open communication, and training that has built our leading safety culture.”

Manhattan Mechanical Services’ total recordable incident rate (TRIR) is 0.00, with over 2.5 million man-hours. The premier merit shop company is heading into its fifth consecutive year with zero OSHA-recordable incidents. Its experience modification rate (EMR) is at 0.63.

New-hire safety training: Recently, the merit shop contractor updated its new-hire process, involving a safety orientation during the onboarding process for new employees at the company’s Manhattan, Illinois, or East Chicago, Indiana, facilities. The safety department then conducts an internal meeting with new employees to address safety policies and procedures before diving into Manhattan Mechanical’s safety culture.

The next step takes place on-site where the new hire meets with one of the safety managers for another site-specific safety orientation. The new hire is then partnered with a seasoned employee having five or more years of experience until the hire meets the high level of criteria needed to work independently on-site.

Manhattan Mechanical Services is an Accredited Training Sponsor and an Accredited Assessment Center through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER). The merit shop contractor utilizes the NCCER curriculum in standardized training programs and provides extensive, ongoing in-house training in all safety standards and protocols, including working from heights, hole watch, fire watch, lockout tag out (LOTO), confined space entry, dropped objects, safe driving, use of ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCI), and much more.

The merit shop contractor’s impressive safety record can also be attributed to its proactive approach to safety. Manhattan Mechanical uses leading indicators, loss-prevention observation cards, and job safety assessments (JSAs) to assess and mitigate risks and hazards on the job site before work begins. This also identifies the key components of safety on the site, such as safety showers, alarm systems, etc.

Through weekly safety meetings, toolbox talks, and frequent job-site visits, the Manhattan Mechanical safety team relays safety protocols effectively and efficiently to ensure the team recognizes on-site risks and hazards.

Manhattan Mechanical’s commitment to safety promotes a sense of community and shared responsibility among team members, strengthening and building upon the solid foundation of their safety culture. By making safety a top priority and embracing the motto “if it can be done, it can be done safely,” the team has created a culture of safety that permeates every aspect on and off the job.

Winning multiple awards: In addition to the TRMA Platinum Award, Manhattan Mechanical Services received the Gold Award, which acknowledges companies that decreased their OSHA recordable incident rate by at least 25% in 2022. This reduction applies not only to work done at TRMA plants, but also encompasses the overall company recordable incidence rate.

The Meritorious Award for high-risk work (fabrication, installation, construction, etc.) acknowledges contractors that achieve a total OSHA recordable incidence rate of 0.6 or less working at TRMA facilities, and achieve an overall recordable incidence rate of 2.0 or less in 2022.

Manhattan Mechanical’s outstanding safety efforts have also been recognized and awarded by the Associated Builders and Contractors, ExxonMobil, and the Four Corners Construction Group.