Photo Courtesy of Nels Akerlund Photography

Open space plans are intended to promote collaboration at Wisconsin Energy Institute.

While constructing the $48-million facility, workers logged nearly 400,000 man-hours with zero recordable incidents, an achievement the general contractor attributes to nine best practices initiated before and during sitework. In addition to staffing for safety and management commitment, the contractor's zero-injury policy involves pre-project and pre-task planning, orientation and specialized training, worker involvement, subcontractor management, accident and incident analysis, and a safety evaluation and reward program.

Wisconsin Energy Institute, Madison, Wis.

Key Players

Owner University of Wisconsin, Madison

GC Mortenson Construction, Brookfield, Wis.

Designer Potter Lawson, Madison; HOK Architects, St. Louis

Structural Engineer Arnold & O’Sheridan, Brookfield, Wis.

MEP Engineer Affiliated Engineers Inc., Madison