Joseph Kopko, safety director at Emcor’s Scalise Industries, has been recognized by the National Safety Council as a Rising Star of Safety for 2011.

The NSC Rising Stars program recognizes 40 honorees younger than 40-years-old as tomorrow’s safety leaders. They are selected for commitment to safety, influence on safety culture, and creation of safety initiatives producing measureable outcomes.

Kopko is responsible for spearheading all safety programs at Scalise. He has over 10 years of experience and holds a certified safety professional designation from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals. He is an outreach instructor for both general industry and construction 10- and 30-hour courses, and regularly participates on specialty safety committees within the construction industry.

“At Scalise and within the entire Emcor organization we have worked hard to develop a culture of safety,” said Mark R. Scalise, president and CEO. “We are passionate about the safety of our workers and have made a commitment to the goal of achieving zero accidents so they may return home safely every day. Through Joseph’s leadership we have leveraged a sustained reduction in total recordable injuries of over 70 percent.”