Governor Recognizes Cianbro for Commitment to Workplace Safety Bookmark and Share

April 20, 2011

AUGUSTA - Maine Governor Paul LePage today recognized Cianbro, a Maine-based civil and heavy industrial construction company, for its efforts in providing a safe and healthy work environment for employees. At a State House ceremony, the Governor joined Maine Department of Labor officials in certifying the company under the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).

The certification covers work at the Cianbro Ricker's Wharf facility in Portland. The site includes three acres of storage and fabrication facilities as well as a crane pier and deepwater frontage. It serves as a support service facility for projects throughout the region and is capable of performing most major maintenance functions.

Cianbro has always strived to be a model employer for Maine workers - providing good wages and benefits, offering training and advancement opportunities, and maintaining rigorous safety practices," said Governor LePage. "As a result of their efforts at Ricker's Wharf, the facility had zero recordable injuries during their certification period, compared to a national average of 7.9 for their industry sector. It is a remarkable accomplishment given the nature of the work performed there."

"At Cianbro, we measure the success of our organization in several different ways. The most important is our safety record," said Cianbro Chairman and CEO Peter Vigue. "It is Cianbro's goal to send our people home in the same condition in which they come to work. That is our moral obligation to every person on our team. Beyond that, working safely is an obligation we have to our industry, our clients, and our subcontractors. Going forward, we will continue our quest to be the safest and healthiest company in America."

"Cianbro is part of an elite group of Maine employers who have demonstrated high standards and industry leadership in creating a safe and healthy workplace for employees," said Laura Boyett, Commissioner of the Maine Department of Labor.

The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) offers incentives to private sector employers that take a proactive approach to workplace safety. The SHARP certificate is granted to employers who have demonstrated exemplary achievements in workplace safety and health by receiving a comprehensive safety and health consultation visit, correcting all workplace safety and health hazards, adopting and implementing effective safety and health management systems, and agreeing to request further consultative visits if major changes in working conditions or processes occur that may introduce new hazards. Employers meeting these specific program requirements may be exempt from general scheduled Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections for two years.

SafetyWorks! consultants worked with Cianbro to improve safety in all operational areas with a focus on injury prevention. Specific safety improvements involved developing of comprehensive safety training programs, scheduling site inspections and preparing job specific safety plans and hazard identification tools.

Cianbro is an employee owned company and a leading health and safety innovator providing construction and service solutions to clients throughout North America. With the ability to self-perform all aspects of heavy industrial and civil construction projects, Cianbro also provides steel & pipe fabrication, modularized construction, construction management services, and a variety of services for the refinery and petrochemical industry.

SafetyWorks! is an outreach program of the Maine Department of Labor designed to reduce job-related injuries, illnesses and deaths. The program provided safety and health training to over 10,000 Maine workers last year and consultation services to hundreds of employers. SafetyWorks! services are voluntary and offered free of charge.

For more information about the SHARP program or any of the other free safety and health services offered by the Maine Department of Labor SafetyWorks! program, call (207) 623-7900 (TTY: 1-800-794-1110) or visit www.safetyworksmaine.com.