SAFETY & QUALITY

We have made the safety of our employees an integral part our safety, quality and productivity policies and procedures. I.B. Abel has one of the most robust safety programs in the industry and we ensure that our safety protocols are followed by all of our employees and sub-contractors that we work with. Our goal is zero injuries and zero incidents. To achieve that, we use many rigorous protocols and principles that we thoroughly educate and train our employees on before they go out to the field. We believe strongly in the continuous improvement cycle and learning from past incidents.

I.B. Abel certifications:

  • Electrical Safety (NFPA 70E)
  • First Aid Basic Life Support and CPR
  • OSHA Construction Outreach Trainer
  • OSHA 10 and 30 Construction Outreach
  • OSHA Transmission and Distribution
  • 12 Certified Utility Safety Professionals (CUSPs)
  • NJATC Rigger Signalman

Safety training and education provided to I.B. Abel employees:

  • Safety Handbook with expectations and guidelines
  • Overview of Human Performance Principles
  • 10 hours of OSHA Construction Safety and Health training
  • Weekly “Toolbox Talks” to communicate safety updates to employees
  • Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Training
  • MSHA Part 46 Training for Mine Properties
  • Commercial Motor Vehicle Driver Training
  • Equipment Operator Training
  • Aerial Lift Training
  • Forklift Training

Guiding principles:

  • People are fallible and even the best people make mistakes.
  • Error-likely situations are predictable, manageable and preventable.
  • Individual behavior is influenced by organizational processes and values.
  • People achieve high levels of performance largely because of the encouragement and reinforcement received from leaders, peers and subordinates.
  • Events can be avoided through an understanding of the reasons mistakes occur and application of the lessons learned from past events (or errors).

I.B. Abel, Inc. has built strong, lasting relationships with its customers upon a foundation of safety and transparency. Our commitment to safety and quality has allowed us to maintain a consistent customer base for more than 100 years. I.B. Abel, Inc. is committed to setting high quality objectives in support of our strategic direction and continually improving our Quality Management System.

Our teams of talented employees have the utmost integrity while preforming their jobs. Each team member is expected to act as a competent person and they’re empowered to stop any job when an unsafe situation arises or they are unsure. We believe strongly in the continuous improvement cycle and learning from past incidents.

Our commitment to safety is supported by statistics. Since 2010, we have reduced our OSHA rates by 400% and nearly eliminated lost time injuries, while concurrently tripling our workload.

I.B. Abel’s behavior-based program, which reinforces positive behavior, is essential to superior Human Performance (HuP). We reward employees for openly reporting and sharing best practices, good catches, and near misses and share this information with our customers, local unions, and other industry organizations. This public recognition creates a constructive safety culture and drives us toward zero incidents.

Our Safety & Quality Department is the driving force behind leadership, planning, education, HuP, and safety expertise for each business unit at I.B. Abel. Our ultimate goal is to master the delicate balance between safety, quality, and cost efficiency in our service to the utility, communications, and electrical construction markets.

The Safety & Quality Department supports this goal with the following tactics:

  • Site-Specific Safety Plans
  • Thorough Safety-Focused Preconstruction Meetings
  • Safety- and Task-Specific Training and Coaching
  • Human Performance Training and Coaching
  • Employee On-boarding Including Safety and Human Performance Expectations
  • Pre-Task Hazard Analysis
  • Site Safety and Quality Audits
  • Safety Committee Comprised of Management, Supervision, Craft Labor and Administration
  • Management and Safety Committee Review of All Incidents
  • Regional Safety Teams
  • Post Incident Investigation and Root Cause Analysis
  • Lessons Learned Used for Continuous Improvement
  • Employee Safety Bulletins and Incident Alerts
  • Program Measurement, Incident Data Analysis, and Risk Management Metrics
  • Safety and Quality Stop/Timeout Hotline – provides real-time peer check
Power lines
For questions or concerns regarding safety & quality, please contact:
safetyandquality@ib-abel.com.