Heavy lifting without proper safety procedures can result in back injury; it’s the primary form of workplace injuries. One in five workplace injuries or illnesses involve a back injury. Since landscape laborers handle materials throughout the day (lifting, pulling, pushing and carrying), they are at risk for injuries if safety accommodations are not made and are not part of the company culture.

The 2016 Sustainability ELITE Award recipient is Environmental Designs, Inc. (EDI) for Wells Fargo Center. While Environmental Designs always strives to create low maintenance, sustainable and beautiful landscapes through best management practices, the Wells Fargo project was particularly appealing due to the clients desire to create a LEED certified space. In fact, they were not interested in doing the work at all if LEED could not be achieved. The goal was to create a low-water-use garden with permeable surfaces that would provide a peaceful and attractive getaway in the heart of downtown Denver.