Scottsdale, Az. (December 7, 2012) – Jeremy Bethancourt, Program Director and co-founder of ACTA Safety in Scottsdale Arizona, and a board member and active supporter of Kids’ Chance of Arizona, was recently appointed to the U.S. Secretary of Labor’s Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH).

ACCSH, established under the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, advises the Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis and Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels, on construction standards and policy matters.

Bethancourt, who has been involved with Kids’ Chance of Arizona (KCA) since 2007, was appointed to ACCSH earlier this fall as a representative of the public sector – one of 15 members of the committee that meets at least twice a year in Washington, D.C. He will serve a two-year term. Bethancourt visited Washington, D.C. last week for work group meetings and full committee meetings on Thursday and Friday.

“I am excited for the opportunity it gives all of us to positively impact worker safety,” said Bethancourt. “In addition, this is a chance to elevate public awareness of the Kids’ Chance mission at both the state and national levels.”

Bethancourt has been involved in the construction industry for nearly 20 years, and has provided safety and health training to thousands of workers during that time. He notes that, “Several of the organizations I work with have increasingly come to understand the value and importance of worker safety — one group in particular is a huge supporter of KCA, and I am grateful to be able to represent the state while continuing to advocate for worker safety at the federal level.”

Kids’ Chance of Arizona is a § 501(c)(3) organization founded in 1997 by professionals who had an affiliation with workers’ compensation in Arizona, attorneys, brokers, underwriters, self-insurers, rehabilitation specialists and nurses interested in helping the young men and women experiencing difficult circumstances due to catastrophic work-related incidents. Kids’ Chance of AZ is governed by an all-volunteer board and raises scholarship funds through donations from individuals, corporations, foundations, annual fundraising events and various organizations that are active in workers’ compensation matters. To date Kids’ Chance of AZ has provided scholarships totaling more than $330,000 to the dependents of Arizona workers who were killed or seriously injured while providing a service to their employer.