About

ZISA®: Honoring Excellence in Union Construction and Maintenance

EACH FALL, THE UNION CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY GATHERS IN WASHINGTON, D.C. TO HONOR THE “BEST OF THE BEST” – THE TRIPARTITE TEAMS WHO ACHIEVED ZERO INJURIES ON THEIR INDUSTRIAL CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS IN THE PREVIOUS CALENDAR YEAR.

Established in 2000 by the National Maintenance Agreements Policy Committee, Inc. (NMAPC), the Zero Injury Safety Awards® (ZISA®) is an annual recognition program celebrating those union contractors, labor representatives and owner-clients who work together in a tripartite fashion to create injury-free job sites.

 

We believe these phenomenal achievements – once thought to be impossible – are the direct result of the mutual cooperation, respect and willingness to collaborate that are found within the NMAPC and the union construction industry in general. The winners’ hard work, cooperation and dedication to the zero injury philosophy prove once again that union construction and maintenance are the safest and best options on the market.

 

ZISA® is recognized nationwide as union construction and maintenance’s premier award for industrial safety. It is a showcase for the best our industry has to offer, and reaffirms our commitment to sending our craft workers home safely each and every day. Below you will find information on the history of this prestigious awards program, delve deeper into the underlying zero injury philosophy and learn how owner-clients, contractors and labor representatives can become a part of this amazing safety success story.

Aiming for Zero

The evolution toward a zero injury safety culture in union construction and maintenance began in the mid-1980s, when owner-clients began to realize the true cost of on-the job injuries, which often ran into the tens of millions of dollars annually. Owners who in the past had taken a hands-off approach to the safety standards of their contractors began to get more involved. The importance of protecting workers – not to mention the potential cost savings – prompted them to take action.


As one longtime union contractor put it, “If you can’t be safe, if you can’t develop a safety culture within your organization, if you can’t lead safety within your organization, you’re not going to be in business.”


Leaders in the industrial construction and maintenance fields began studying the methods of those companies that managed, seemingly against all odds, to consistently complete large projects without a single employee injury.


Finally, in 1999, the NMAPC decided to begin formally recognizing industrial projects that were completed with zero injuries as a way to emphasize the quality of union construction. Veteran safety consultant Emmitt Nelson, who pioneered the use of the zero injury concept, worked with the NMAPC Safety and Health Subcommittee to create a set of guidelines for recognition. The next year, the Zero Injury Safety Awards® were born…and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Benefits of ZISA®

As the industry’s premier safety recognition program, ZISA® provides a host of benefits to contractors, labor representatives and owner-clients. First and foremost, ZISA® emphasizes our industry’s commitment to jobsite safety in a public and highly visible manner, year in and year out. Recognition is a huge motivator. It pushes all tripartite members to work even harder and leads to increasingly better safety performance down the road. Before the concept of zero injury gained widespread acceptance, no one thought it was possible to complete a complex construction project on time and on budget without a single injury. Now the question is not “Can we do it?” but “How far can we take this?”


For contractors, a Zero Injury Safety Award® is an invaluable marketing tool. It shows potential clients that they understand the importance of safety and have the knowledge, commitment and experience necessary to achieve the ultimate pinnacle of performance: an injury-free job site.

For labor representatives, a Zero Injury Safety Award® proves once again that union craft workers are the safest and best-trained option available to contractors and owners. In an increasingly competitive market, winning a ZISA® is not only a badge of honor – it provides unions with a crucial competitive edge.


For owner-clients, a Zero Injury Safety Award® confirms that safety is a priority for everyone involved in the project – and that production and quality will not be compromised.

A Zero Injury Safety Award® is much more than an attractive piece of hardware to place on a desk or inside a trophy case. It is greater than the sum of its parts – a physical reminder that when everyone works together and commits to a single goal, nothing can hold them back.

ZISA® BY THE NUMBERS

Total injury-free hours recognized:

396,039,685