Safety First, Bidding Next: How Safety & Compliance Wins Contracts

Consider this! Two contractors working for a construction firm bid for projects in the same city —we’ll call them Mark and Bob. 

Both contractors have operated with their firms for over 15 years, employ qualified workers, and boast high-level capability to take on major commercial jobs.

Here’s where things change. Bob has entirely surpassed Mark’s business in recent years and consistently lands contract after contract. Why? If both have all the resources needed to complete a job, why does Bob continue to stand out? 

The difference lies in how each prioritizes safety and compliance.

While Mark may meet basic training and licensing requirements, Bob has made worker protection central to his company’s culture. Rigorous oversight, extensive use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and investment in safety and compliance training drive Bob’s profits well above industry averages. 

In this blog, we’ll explore precisely how safety and compliance and its management can help you win contracts. We also detail how to position your safety record to get more projects (some with recurring business partnerships). 

How Your Safety Record Can Edge Out Competition

What can set your construction company apart when project qualifications appear equal when bidding for projects? Your safety and compliance track record. 

With growing scrutiny on job site dangers and liability concerns, prioritizing safety is crucial in sustaining a competitive edge. Let’s look at why that is. 

A Good Safety Record Presents You as a Lower Risk Liability

Contractors frequently operate in risky and hazardous environments. When accidents happen, it doesn’t just impact your employees; it costs money, time, and resources for your organization.

Naturally, companies are likely to pursue bids from contractors who are at a lower risk. They want to see a track record that makes them trust you enough to hire your firm for the job. 

You Build Trust with Your Clients

Let’s go back to our opening story with Bob and Mark. Another reason Bob may consistently win bids that Mark can’t is that relationships have already been built between him and his clients. 

Winning a bid with major clients can lead to recurring hires for future jobs. While providing quality work is undoubtedly one way to get there, safety and compliance are your gateway to creating relationships with hiring clients and winning their business. 

Using Contractor Management Services to Maintain Prequalification

Firms that leverage contractor management services have the upper hand. That advantage comes through the form of getting and staying prequalified. 

A company needing OSHA-related work will choose someone with a longer and higher safety record. That’s why firms that leverage contractor management services to manage and maintain their accounts have a leg up on firms that don’t. 

Navigating contractor management platforms like *ISNetworld®, Avetta®, and Veriforce® can be an intricate task. Using a service (like Safety Services Company!) that manages these platforms for you can help your ongoing prequalification so you can confidently secure jobs.

Marketing Your Safety Record

Contractors who meet the required qualifications around safety training, compliance auditing, and incident rates will stand out from the crowd during bidding. 

So, promoting certifications like an Experience Modification Rate (EMR) below 1.0 demonstrates significantly lower past claims than the industry average.

At the same time, publishing three years of OSHA logs that reveal decreasing incident trends proves a commitment to continual improvement. 

Metrics like these offer tangible proof to clients that you take safety seriously. Rather than representing just another bidder, you become a lower-risk, preferred partner.

How We Can Help

Do you need help managing prequalification platforms amidst competing field priorities? We understand that meeting and maintaining the criteria can be an intricate task for contractors who need to focus on being in the field. As industry-leading contractor management services, we can help! Contact us today and learn how we can manage your *ISN®, Avetta®, Veriforce®, and other contractor management platforms!