Georgia Utility Contractors Association, Inc. held its 2009 GUCA Hard Hat Safety Award Gala on Thursday, March 18, 2010 to honor the 2009 Hard Hat Safety Award recipients. Awards were presented to members dedicated to making safety a priority for every employee. GUCA members and guests gathered at The Loudermilk Center in Atlanta to celebrate safety awareness and recognize the overall winner from the chosen category winners.

The GUCA 2009 Hard Hat Safety Award is composed of categories based upon type of work, plant or pipeline construction, and if company man-hours exceed or stay below 100,000 or 400,000 hours.

"Category winners are chosen on a number of judging criteria including written safety program, number of employees who have received OSHA required training such as Competent Person Excavation, Confined Space Entry, and First Aid/Blood Borne Pathogen Training," noted Scott Brumbelow, GUCA Assistant Executive Director.

As with all awards there must be an overall winner, and DeKalb Pipeline Company, Conyers, went above and beyond others and consistently put safety in the forefront for each employee and for each job undertaken by the company.

DeKalb Pipeline Company has been in business for 50 years and has always valued the importance of safety. While employing more than 25 employees, DeKalb Pipeline is committed to making safety and the welfare of its employees first and foremost every day. "Our employees see the commitment that we have made regarding their safety, and they have a sense of comfort knowing that we are concerned about their well-being. Motivation to work safely stems from this commitment; therefore our employees take care and caution when on the job site. With the tightening economy, safety is even a greater concern. It is more important than ever to find cost savings and with a good safety program, your savings are tremendous. We are fortunate that our employees have taken a vested interest in safety," said James King, President, DeKalb Pipeline Company.

The association is proud of all the members who help raise the bar for safety and set the standard for the utility construction industry. GUCA members are exposed to hazards each and every day, and GUCA continues to reward the members that go beyond what is expected by OSHA.

Georgia Utility Contractors Association, Inc. is a non-profit state trade association located in metro Atlanta representing more than 350 contractor and affiliated firms statewide. For more information about GUCA, please visit www.guca.com.