News Releases

District Promotes Safety for Small Business Contractors

Published April 5, 2013
Tracy Lawson, (standing) president of Lawson & Associates, Inc. and a certified Safety and Health Professional (CSHP), presented a free, four-hour training session geared primarily for small business contractors in Hawaii to teach them how to write and execute effective Accident Prevention Plans (APP) for Corps construction contracts. Her Woman, Veteran-Owned, state of Hawaii Disadvantaged Business is based in Mililani, Hawaii

Tracy Lawson, (standing) president of Lawson & Associates, Inc. and a certified Safety and Health Professional (CSHP), presented a free, four-hour training session geared primarily for small business contractors in Hawaii to teach them how to write and execute effective Accident Prevention Plans (APP) for Corps construction contracts. Her Woman, Veteran-Owned, state of Hawaii Disadvantaged Business is based in Mililani, Hawaii

By Cathy Yoza, Honolulu District Deputy for Small Business

FORT SHAFTER, HAWAII - Seventy-two people eagerly crammed into a Honolulu District conference room in early February to attend the Corps’ latest Safety and Health Training for Small Business Contractors.

The free, four-hour training is geared primarily for small business contractors in Hawaii and teaches them how to write and execute effective Accident Prevention Plans (APP) for Corps construction contracts. Many District engineers, other Corps staff, and large business contractors also attended.
 
Tracy Lawson, president of Lawson & Associates, Inc. and a certified Safety and Health Professional (CSHP), presented the training. Her company is a Woman, Veteran-Owned, state of Hawaii Disadvantaged Business based in Mililani. It has six full time, local safety consultants who specialize in assisting small, medium and large businesses achieve efficiency in operations through well-managed safety and risk programs.

“We greatly appreciate Tracy’s leadership in the training sessions and showcasing her expertise to promote safety and health in all aspects of construction,” said Honolulu District Safety Manager Jeff Cochran. “Tracy’s exemplary knowledge has contributed to Small Business contractors’ safety awareness.  Our small business contractors have not experienced a lost time accident since the training began in 2002.  Our District’s safety goal is to ensure that contractor’s go home safely to their families every day, and we’re thankful for those contractors who participated in the training.”

Lawson said she conducts the training because, “I want to contribute to the betterment of my community.”

“If I can help more business leaders understand why safety is really a part of the overall management system of their organization versus just a program or set of rules, then it gives me a sense of accomplishment because now they are motivated to become more efficient,” Lawson said. “Safety is about leadership and putting processes in place to ensure people's lives are a priority. It's not always about money and getting more business. With this, it really is about getting people to see safety from a different perspective.”

The Honolulu District has sponsored this type of training three times a year since 2002. The training is coordinated by Cochran and Cathy Yoza, Honolulu District Deputy for Small Business Programs.  The training is always provided free to attendees.

This training also fulfills annual safety training requirements for contractors and District staff.
 
The Corps’ number one priority is safety. 

The next training session is scheduled for June 2013. For more information, contact Jeff Cochran at 808-835-4009 / Jeff.Cochran@usace.army.mil or Cathy Yoza at 808-835-4020 / Catherine.L.Yoza@usace.army.mil .

 


Contact
Cathy Yoza
808-835-4020

Release no. 13-008