NSC recognizes trio of DEI Safety Champions

New Orleans — AtkinsRéalis, Tetra Tech and L.M. Sessler Excavating & Wrecking Inc. are the recipients of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Safety Champion award, presented by the National Safety Council.

The organizations were recognized Monday during the Opening Session of the 2023 NSC Safety Congress & Expo. The award honors those who integrate “DEI safety initiatives into their culture and core business strategies through major business initiatives where they strive not only to ensure physical safety, but foster an environment where every employee feels secure, welcome and included,” NSC says.

The award highlights achievement on three levels:
Culture: AtkinsRéalis was selected for embedding DEI into its organizational culture. Among the endeavors of the engineering, design and project management organization: hosting an annual week that celebrates employees’ differences. The most recent theme was “Deepening your commitment to being an ally.”
People: Tetra Tech was recognized for fostering increased diversity within its workforce of safety professionals. Tetra Tech offers multiple employee resource groups, including those for Black, Latino, LGBTQIA+ and military veterans, while an organizational council monitors and offers recommendations on DEI practices. The organization provides consulting, engineering, program management, construction management and technical services focused on supporting the need for water, energy and natural resources.
Program Innovations: L.M. Sessler sought to improve its safety inspection process, boost employees’ safety knowledge, and increase worker involvement in hazard recognition/identification and corrective actions. The organization developed an app to improve collaboration in safety inspections as well as, at the request of field employees, a tracker to chart workers’ training and licensing. Additionally, L.M. Sessler developed a series of documents on hazard identification and modified its corrective action process to allow for feedback from field workers.

“Equitable workplaces are safer workplaces. It’s why a key tenet of the council’s workplace practice focuses on helping employers adapt safety solutions to their unique environment to support all employees,” said NSC President and CEO Lorraine M. Martin. “The National Safety Council is recognizing and celebrating those that have embraced the intersecting nature of safety and equity because everyone deserves to work in an environment where they feel welcome, included and safe. These inaugural winners aren’t just making this a reality for their workers each day, but they have also provided a valuable DEI blueprint we hope other organizations will follow to create safer workplaces for all.”