OSHA, Contractor Partnership Recognizes Safety Programs

Aug. 2, 2000
OSHA and the southern New Jersey chapters of the Associated Builders and Contractors Association have agreed to recognize contractors with exemplary safety programs.

OSHA signed a "Platinum Partnership" agreement with the northern and southern New Jersey chapters of the Associated Builders and Contractors Association (ABC) in recognition of those contractors within the association who have demonstrated exemplary safety and health programs at their work sites.

"Falls continue to represent the leading cause of fatal accidents on construction sites. This partnership is a demonstration of OSHA''s commitment to work cooperatively with employers who proactively reduce fatalities from falls at their work sites, as some of these ABC contractors have done," said Patricia K. Clark, regional OSHA administrator.

Platinum contractors are required to meet strict safety guidelines, including:

  • having an occupational injury and illness rate less than 8.0;
  • having a site specific written safety and health program, based upon either American National Standards Institute or OSHA guidelines, that includes employee involvement;
  • providing training for employees on hazards specific to their jobs;
  • providing effective supervisor training modeled on OSHA''s 10-hour construction safety course;
  • designating safety personnel who receive training equivalent to OSHA''s 30-hour construction safety training course; and
  • having 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.

More than 150 employers belong to the two New Jersey chapters of ABC, which together, employ more than 1,500 workers at construction sites throughout the state.

OSHA provides incentives to employers to enter into platinum partnerships, including:

  • not targeting job sites for a planned or programmed inspection within the next 12 months;
  • conducting an unplanned inspection only in response to reports of imminent danger, a fatality, or catastrophic accident, and a signed complaint;
  • handling all other complaints, except in cases of serious injuries, by telephone and fax;
  • not issuing penalties for non-serious violations that are promptly abated; and
  • reducing any citation by the maximum amounts for good faith, size and history.

ABC is a national association representing approximately 22,000 contractors in 83 chapters across the country. The association signed a national partnership agreement with OSHA in February.

by Virginia Sutcliffe

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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