OSHA joins contractors to improve safety
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Associated Building Contractors (ABC) have entered into a partnership that officials from both organizations say will become the industry model for how OSHA works with ABC member construction contractors with exemplary safety records.
Calling it "a template for future collaborations" in his announcement, OSHA administrator Charles Jeffress said OSHA area offices and ABC local chapters will be the key players in creating local partnerships that implement the provisions of the agreement. Under terms of the partnership, ABC will create a "platinum" level safety designation for select members. Platinum will be the highest in a four-step ABC program designed to recognize its safest contractors. In order to reach platinum status, contractors must meet these stringent safety guidelines:
• an occupational injury and illness rate of less than 8.0 lost work days per 100 workers, calculated in the usual fashion according to OSHA instructions (industry average is 8.8);
• a site-specific written safety and health program, based upon either American National Standards Institute or OSHA guidelines, that includes employee involvement;
• training for employees on hazards specific to their jobs;
• effective supervisor training modeled on OSHA’s 10-hour construction safety course;
• designated safety personnel who receive training equivalent to OSHA’s 30-hour construction safety training course;
• a track record that includes no willful or repeat serious violations in the last three years, and no fatalities or catastrophic accidents in the last three years that resulted in serious citations.
In return for meeting those criteria, OSHA, after a verification inspection, will do the following:
• will not target the site for a planned or "programmed" inspection within the next 12 months;
• conduct an unplanned inspection only in response to reports of imminent danger, a fatality or catastrophic accident, and a signed complaint;
• handle all other complaints, except in cases of serious injuries, by telephone and fax;
• not issue penalties for nonserious violations that are promptly abated;
• reduce any citation by the maximum amounts for good faith, size, and history.
The agreement designates that local ABC safety committees visit construction sites to verify data submitted by contractors seeking to become platinum members. The national ABC safety director will conduct random verification visits and submit annual reports to OSHA’s construction directorate. In turn, OSHA will inspect fewer than 10% of the sites to verify program compliance.
ABC, which represents nearly 22,000 members nationwide, estimates that nearly 240 members could meet the criteria for the program.
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