The Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama and its partners held a grand opening ceremony for the Fall Protection Institute of Alabama on Wednesday. This facility will be the first of its kind in the entire Southeast.
Currently, Alabama construction companies are forced to send their employees to Austin, TX, for training and certification. Falling on the job site is the number one cause of fatalities in the construction industry nationally.
ABC of Alabama Board Chairman Tim Harrison said, “ABC of Alabama made a conscious decision to put safety in our strategic plan, and now we’ve made a conscious decision to ensure that we are effectively addressing the leading cause of fatality in our industry, workplace falls.”
ABC of Alabama and the Academy of Craft Training partnered with 3M Fall Protection and BL Harbert International to develop a hands-on, real-world training environment that takes fall safety beyond the classroom and into a simulated workplace setting.
Harrison continued, “We owe it to the families of every one of our employees to ensure they go home safely to their families daily, and a facility like this will make that happen.”
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries report, the construction industry reported 1,075 fatalities in 2023. In that year, slips, trips and falls accounted for more than 39 percent of all construction fatalities, making them the leading cause of death on job sites.
At the heart of the Institute is a state-of-the-art training tower that replicates real job site conditions and allows students and professionals to earn industry-recognized fall protection certifications.
“At some point, leadership has to say, regardless of cost, our industry will be safe. This facility stands as proof of that commitment,” said Harrison. “Until our employees are safe, nothing else matters. Our industry values a culture that puts people over profits.”
For the first time in the organization’s history, the Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama was awarded the Strategic Plan Chapter Performance Award for 2024–2029 at ABC National’s Annual Convention in Las Vegas, primarily due to its comprehensive approach to worker safety.
Associated Builders and Contractors of Alabama represents the state’s merit-shop construction industry, which creates 200,000 jobs and accounts for 5 percent of the state’s economic output.
