1. Who should complete the STEP submission?

STEP is an industry-leading health 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, 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 Companies that achieve a STEP level but prefer their status remain unpublished may opt-out of public recognition and/or promotion by their chapter(s).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 Health and Safety Excellence Award (NHSEA) – Companies applying for the 2026 National Health and Safety Excellence Award must have participated in STEP at the Gold, Platinum or Diamond level in 2026.

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

Excellence in Construction Awards (EIC) – Neither AQC status 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
braun@abc.org