STEP - Associated Builders and Contractors.

WELCOME
to the Online Submission Portal

Measure
your performance
on key components.

Strengthen
and expand
best practices.

Build
your safety
culture.

The online form must be used to apply for ALL levels (Diamond, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Participant); upon submission, you will receive your provisional STEP qualification level (pending final review by ABC staff). Members are REQUIRED to read and acknowledge understanding of the STEP data submission instructions prior to completing the online forms. Please fill out ALL fields before final submission.

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The information contained in each STEP submission is viewed only by ABC staff and is kept strictly confidential. ABC does not disclose any company-specific STEP information. ABC accumulates aggregate data through the program to determine collective safety trends and this information becomes part of ABC’s annual STEP data analysis, which serves as a member benchmarking tool.

Prepare for Success!

2025 STEP Submission Process

Walkthrough for submitting STEP data.

STEP Pre-Submission Checklist

With your OSHA 300A in hand, the STEP data submission process is quick and convenient. Gather these items needed for submitting your STEP Self Assessment:

2025 STEP FAQs

Frequently asked questions about the step safety management system.

1. Who should complete the STEP submission?

STEP is a world-class safety system and safety benchmarking and improvement tool. ABC encourages each participant to engage as many employees as possible in the process. Where possible, consider using a safety committee or a randomly selected and diverse sample of employees. For each of the Key Components of a worldclass safety management system, groups can either work on reaching a consensus or results can be averaged. More participants in the evaluation process will result in a truer assessment of your safety program and a more comprehensive look at areas for improvement.

2. What are the levels of STEP achievement?

There are six levels of STEP achievement: Participant, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. Companies that achieve a STEP level but prefer their status remain unpublished may opt-out of public recognition and/or promotion by their chapter(s).

3. When is the STEP submission due?

STEP submissions are accepted until December 15. However, in order to ensure receipt of your STEP certificate and achievement recognition at your chapter’s safety awards ceremony, submissions should be submitted online or returned to your local ABC chapter office by the chapter’s STEP deadline. Check with your local chapter to see when your deadline is.

4. Is there a fee to participate in STEP?

There are no submission fees for STEP involvement at the Participant, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Diamond recognition levels if you submit online at abc.org/stepapp.

5. Is the information submitted in the STEP process confidential?

Yes. The information contained in each STEP submission is viewed only by ABC staff and is kept strictly confidential. ABC does not disclose any company-specific STEP information. ABC accumulates aggregate data through the program to determine collective safety trends and this information becomes part of ABC’s annual STEP data analysis, which serves as a member benchmarking tool.

6. Does ABC National keep a copy of my submission?

ABC National retains copies of all paper STEP submissions for a period of five years and then destroys them. Information from all online submissions is stored in ABC National’s database in perpetuity.

7. Does STEP participation tie into other ABC recognition programs?

Yes, ABC has two recognition programs that tie into STEP participation:

National Safety Excellence Award (NSEA) – Companies applying for the 2025 National Safety Excellence Award must have participated in STEP at the Gold, Platinum or Diamond level in 2025.

Accredited Quality Contractor (AQC) – Companies seeking AQC status must have participated in STEP at the Gold, Platinum or Diamond level during the previous or current year.

Excellence in Construction Awards (EIC) – Neither AQCstatus nor STEP Gold, Platinum or Diamond recognition are required for submitting an entry in ABC’s national EIC awards program. However, EIC applicants do earn an additional two points in the judging process for participating in STEP at any level, as well as an additional two points for attaining AQC status.

8. Who do I contact if I have questions?

Contact your local ABC chapter first. If the chapter is unable to provide the specific information you need, or if you are referred to the ABC National office, contact:

Aaron Braun
Manager of Safety Programs and Initiatives
440 First St., N.W., Suite 200
Washington, DC 20001
(202) 595-1855
[email protected]

Fillable PDF STEP Application

For your use only, ABC STEP Safety Management System Self Assessment Tool is an online submission process. All information must be submitted through the portal.

For Contractors

For Suppliers

NAICS Codes and TRIR Thresholds for STEP Levels

NAICS Code	SIC Code	NAICS Category	STEP Silver Maximum Incidence Rate	BLS Average/ STEP Gold Maximum Incidence Rate	STEP Platinum Maximum Incidence Rate	STEP Diamond Maximum Incidence Rate
236110	1521, 1522	Residential Building Construction	3.75	2.5	1.875	1.25
236115	1521	New Single-Family Housing Construction (except Operative Builders)	3.75	2.5	1.875	1.25
236117	1531	New Housing Operative Builders	3.75	2.5	1.875	1.25
236118	1521	Residential Remodelers	3.75	2.5	1.875	1.25
236210	1541	Industrial Building Construction	2.4	1.6	1.2	0.8
236220	1542	Commercial and Institutional Building Construction	2.4	1.6	1.2	0.8
237110	1623	Water and Sewer Line and Related Structures Construction	3.9	2.6	1.95	1.3
237120	1623	Oil and Gas Pipeline and Related Structures Construction	2.25	1.5	1.125	0.75
237130	1623	Power/Communication Line and Related Structures Construction	2.4	1.6	1.2	0.8
237210	1629	Land Subdivision	2.55	1.7	1.275	0.85
237310	1611, 1622	Highway, Street, and Bridge Construction	3.75	2.5	1.875	1.25
237990	1629	Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	2.1	1.4	1.05	0.7
238110	1771	Poured Concrete Foundation and Structure Contractors	4.2	2.8	2.1	1.4
238120	1791	Structural Steel and Precast Concrete Contractors	5.4	3.6	2.7	1.8
238130	1751	Framing Contractors	8.25	5.5	4.125	2.75
238140	1741	Masonry Contractors	4.05	2.7	2.025	1.35
238150	1793	Glass and Glazing Contractors	3.75	2.5	1.875	1.25
238160	1761	Roofing Contractors	4.8	3.2	2.4	1.6
238170	1761	Siding Contractors	8.7	5.8	4.35	2.9
238190	1741, 1742	Other Foundation, Structure and Building Exterior Contractors	1.65	1.1	0.825	0.55
238210	1731	Electrical Contractors and Other Wiring Installation Contractors	3	2	1.5	1
238220	1711	Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning Contractors	4.35	2.9	2.175	1.45
238290	1796	Other Building Equipment Contractors	2.7	1.8	1.35	0.9
238310	1742	Drywall and Insulation Contractors	5.4	3.6	2.7	1.8
238320	1721	Painting and Wall Covering Contractors	2.4	1.6	1.2	0.8
238330	1752	Flooring Contractors	3.6	2.4	1.8	1.2
238340	1743	Tile and Terrazzo Contractors	2.25	1.5	1.125	0.75
238350	1751	Finish Carpentry Contractors	3.6	2.4	1.8	1.2
238390*	1751	Other Building Finishing Contractors	4.05	2.7	2.025	1.35
238910	1794	Site Preparation Contractors	2.85	1.9	1.425	0.95
238990	1799	All Other Specialty Trade Contractors	2.55	1.7	1.275	0.85
327320	3273	Ready-Mix Concrete Manufacturing	6.15	4.1	3.075	2.05
327390	3272	Other Concrete Product Manufacturing	4.95	3.3	2.475	1.65
423310	5031, 5939	Lumber, Plywood, Millwork, and Wood Panel Merchant Wholesalers	6	4	3	2
423320	5032	Brick, Stone, and Related Construction Material Merchant	6	4	3	2
423390	5039	Other Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers	6	4	3	2
423510	5051	Metal Service Centers and Other Metal Merchant Wholesalers	4.5	3	2.25	1.5
424720	5172	Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers	2.1	1.4	1.05	0.7
541380	8734	Testing Laboratories	0.9	0.6	0.45	0.3
		All Other Supplier Codes	4.05	2.7	2.025	1.35

Participant Level

a) Recognizes those who participate in STEP, but do not achieve the minimum Key Components self- assessmentscore1 requiredforBronze-level recognition.

b) Companies with ten or more employees must submit their 2024 OSHA Form 300A (“Summary of Work- Related Injuries and Illnesses”) for data verification purposes.5

c) Must have signed the Drug- and Alcohol- Free Workplace Pledge at drugfreeconstruction.org and have in place a documented substance abuse program that includes a drug/alcohol screening process.

Bronze Level

a) Minimum Bronze level Key Components self- assessment score1 required.

b) Companies with ten or more employees must submit their 2024 OSHA Form 300A (“Summary of Work- Related Injuries and Illnesses”) for data verification purposes.5

c) Must have signed the Drug- and Alcohol- Free Workplace Pledge at drugfreeconstruction.org and have in place adocumented substance abuse program that includes a drug/alcohol screening process.

Silver Level

a) Minimum Silver level Key Components self- assessment score1 required.

b) Companies with ten or more employees must submit their 2024 OSHA Form 300A (“Summary of Work- Related Injuries and Illnesses”) for data verification purposes.5

c) Must have signed the Drug- and Alcohol- Free Workplace Pledge at drugfreeconstruction.org and have in place a documented substance abuse program that includes a drug/alcohol screening process.

d) Incidence rate no greater than 50 percent above the national BLS average for the company’s NAICS4 code for the two most recently published years of BLS data. (For companies with fewer than 100 employees, a three-year average may be used. For companies with fewer than 50 employees, a 5-year average may be used).5

Gold Level

STEP Gold is open to ABC members who meet ALL of the following qualifications:

a) Minimum Gold level Key Components self- assessment1 required.

b) Incidence rate2 equal to or below the national BLS3 average for the company’s NAICS4 code for the two most recently published years of BLS data. (For companies with fewer than 100 employees, a three- year average may be used. For companies with fewer than 50 employees, a five-year average may be used).

c) Companies with ten or more employees must submit their 2024 OSHA Form 300A (“Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses”) for data verification purposes.5

d) Must have signed the Drug- and Alcohol- Free Workplace Pledge at drugfreeconstruction.org and have in place a documented substance abuse program that includes a drug/alcohol screening process.

Platinum Level

STEP Platinum is open to ABC members who meet ALL of the following qualifications:

a) Minimum Platinum level Key Components self- assessment1 required.

b) Incidence rate2 at least 25 percent below the national BLS3 average for the company’s NAICS4 code in the current submission year.5

c) No fatalities or in-patient hospitalizations (except for observation and diagnostic testing) within the current submission year. Also, no fatality or catastrophic incident within the previous three consecutive years, which resulted in an OSHA citation.

d) No serious, repeat or willful OSHA citations (federal or state) within the current submission year or the previous three consecutive years.

e) Companies with ten or more employees must submit their 2024 OSHA Form 300A (“Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses”) for data verification purposes.5

f) Must have signed the Drug- and Alcohol- Free Workplace Pledge at drugfreeconstruction.org and have in place a documented substance abuse program that includes a drug/alcohol screening process.

All STEP Platinum recipients are eligible to enter ABC’s National Safety Excellence Awards (NSEA) competition and the Construction Users Roundtable’s Construction Industry Safety Excellence (CURT/CISE) award competition.

Diamond Level

Candidates must meet ALL of the Platinum qualifications, as well as the following:

a) Incidence rate2 at least 50 percent below the national BLS3 average for company’s NAICS4 code in the current submission year and each of the past two consecutive years.5

b) Submit OSHA Form 300A (“Summary of Work- Related Injuries and Illnesses”) for years 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 for data verification purposes.5

All STEP Diamond recipients are eligible to enter ABC’s National Safety Excellence Awards (NSEA) competition and the Construction Users Roundtable’s Construction Industry Safety Excellence (CURT/CISE) award competition.

Appeals of STEP Level

In certain instances, a company may feel that the STEP qualification criteria cannot be reasonably met and unfairly prohibit their company from being recognized at the appropriate STEP level. A company may appeal their STEP level to the ABC National Safety & Health Committee, who will review the submission and supporting materials to make a determination for or against the appeal. Please note that ONLY the following criteria may be the cause of an appeal at this time:

• Total Recordable Incidence Rate (TRIR)

Provisional STEP Level

The company contact on file, along with all affiliated ABC chapters, will be notified instantly of their provisional STEP level upon submitting all required information. This is a provisional notification; final notification will occur once the STEP submission data has been reviewed and confirmed by ABC National.

1 Key Components Self-Assessment Score — ABC does not publish minimum qualification scores for the Key Components.
2 Incidence Rate — Represents the number of OSHA recordable injuries/illnesses per 100 employees a company experiences in a given calendar year. It is calculated with the following formula:
Incidence Rate = N x 200,000/Total hours worked by all employees in calendar year
“N” represents the total number of OSHA recordable incidents for calendar year (Lines G + H + I + J on OSHA Form 300A) The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has created an online Incidence Rate Calculator that may be accessed at https://data.bls.gov/iirc/.
3 BLS — For purposes of this submission process, see Bureau of Labor Statistics averages in the supporting document titled “NAICS Codes and TRIR Thresholds.” This resource is available for download on the landing page of the STEP submission portal at https://step.abc.org/.
4 NAICS — North American Industry Classification System. If you are unsure in which NAICS code your company should be classified, reference www.census.gov/naics/ for code definitions. NAICS code classification should represent the majority of the company’s primary work. A sampling of construction NAICS codes and corresponding national BLS incident rates is listed in the “NAICS CODES and TRIR Thresholds” document referenced above.
5 Note that, for companies with less than 100 employees who are submitting based on their three-year incidence rate average, you must submit your 2022, 2023 and 2024 OSHA Form 300A. For companies with less than 50 employees who are submitting based on their five-year incidence rate average, you must submit your 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022 OSHA Form 300A.

STEP Definitions

Behavior Based Safety – A process that creates a safety partnership between all employees that continually focuses their attentions and actions daily on their own safe behavior as well as the safe behavior of others.

Good Catch – The recognition and correction of a hazardous condition before it becomes a potential event. For example, a sheet of unsecured plywood was observed leaning against a column and corrective action was initiated.

Leading Indicator – A leading indicator is a measure preceding or indicating a future event used to drive and measure activities carried out to prevent and control injury.

Potential Significant Event (PSE, aka near miss/near hit) – using the example above, the unsecured plywood blew off the 40th floor of a high rise under construction, narrowly missing pedestrians on the street below.

Specialty Contractor – aka, subcontractor. ABC believes that the industry should recognize that they do deliver a specialty product and not a “sub”-par one.

Root Cause Analysis – (RCA) is a systematic process for identifying “root causes” of problems or events and a corrective action plan developed. RCA is based on the basic idea that effective management requires more than merely “putting out fires” for problems that develop but finding a way to prevent them.

Task Specific Planning Process – The task specific planning process is accomplished by utilizing the following five functions:

Define the Scope of Work
Analyze the Hazards
Develop and Implement Hazard Controls
Perform the Work within Established Controls
Provide Feedback and Continuous Improvement.

Pre-Planning for Project Safety – Pre-planning for Project Safety will ensure that safety is considered along with costs, schedules, quality and other important job goals. If safety is not included in the estimating and planning stage, then it’s less likely that it will receive much consideration during the actual construction process.

Recordkeeping and Documentation – Actions taken to comply with regulatory requirements and as part of an enterprise risk management strategy to ensure effective loss control through pro-active education and real time learning.

Supervisor Safety Meetings – The primary focus of the meeting is on the organization’s and/or project’s safety performance and what needs to be done to continuously improve. At the organization level, this meeting is led by a senior leader in the organization. At the project level it may be led by project manager, superintendent, safety professional, and/or front-line supervisor.