Organizers for the Silver State's Governor's Safety Conference welcomed 
some 130 participants and vendors and hope to hold an en even larger event next year.

Conference Scores with Safety
By Joe Wheeler

           With a baseball theme and a handful of heavy hitters, the first annual Silver State Governor's Safety Conference scored big with attendees and sponsors.  More than 130 participants and 27 sponsors filled the ballroom of the Atlantis Hotel & Casino June 20 through 22, and left with the solid conviction that next year's event will be a grand slam.  "The bar is rising, and so are expectations in safety," Bill Brown said during the opening remarks.  Brown, a popular television anchorman for KTVN, opened the conference.

            "In the last 15 years, our population has tripled," Brown said.  "Construction is at a record pace, and Nevada is the fastest growing state in the union.  That means that your problems are growing at a record pace."  Recently, statistics on injuries and fatalities suffered on Nevada 's jobsites "boggled his mind," according to Brown, and led him to appreciate the importance of workers being trained to work safely.  Nevada suffered more than 100 serious injuries with 61 fatalities at a staggering cost of $1 billion dollars, according to Brown.

Associated with Safety

            Several associations took the lead in sponsoring the event.  Associated Builders & Contractors, Sierra Nevada Chapter and the American Society of Safety Engineers   spearheaded the conference.  They were joined by the Nevada Mining Association and Nevada Manufacturers Association in creating a new conference geared towards the professional safety person and risk manager. 

            "The scope of the conference was broad enough so that everyone involved in the safety field could get something out of it" event organizer Joe Adams said.  "We featured information on a wide range of subjects, from construction liability to training the Hispanic workforce."

Major Sponsors Pleased

            "The conference went off without a hitch, and everyone seemed pleased," said Larry Stewart, Safety Manager for one of Nevada 's largest worker's comp providers, Builders Insurance Company.  Builders Insurance was a major sponsor of the conference, essentially filling the void left by the SIIS, and Stewart's people presented several of the training sessions.  The insurer partnered with Alpine Insurance for the conference, and well-known insurance agent Art Davis of Alpine worked on the conference's Steering Committee and welcomed participants to open the event.  "We're already planning next year's event," Davis said.  "Speakers for 2007 are already signing up, and we think we'll completely sell our roster of sponsors."

Safety Awards Earned by Four Employers

            Associated Builders & Contractors Sierra Chapter recognized three members who earned the coveted "Platinum STEP" designation.  United Construction, A & K Earth Movers and Electrotech had passed the evaluation, "STEP" stands for "Safety Training & Evaluation Process," and fulfilled at least 20 crucial steps along the way.  "STEP Platinum companies are the safest in America ," said ABC National Director of Safety & Health Joe Visgaitus as he presented the awards.  "Out of 24,000 members, only 600 completed the STEP program last year."  Longtime electrical contractor Pioneer Electric was recognized as having earned the Silver STEP award. 

ABC National Director of Safety & Health Joe Visgaitus presented Electrotech safety Director Joe Adams with his company's STEP award in recognition of the company's outstanding commitment to safety. 

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