Partnership Joins Labor, Management to Reduce Employee Injury

Sept. 13, 2000
OSHA signed a partnership agreement recognizing contractors at the Westchester County Courthouse site in New York for their exemplary safety and health programs.

OSHA signed a partnership agreement yesterday afternoon with New York State, building trade unions and URS Corp of New York City covering construction work at the Westchester County Courthouse.

The agreement recognizes those contractors who are committed to having exemplary safety and health programs, including site-specific safety and health training for employees.

"One of OSHA''s goals, as outlined in the agency''s strategic plan, is to reduce serious injuries by 15 percent in the construction industry," said Patricia Clark, regional OSHA administrator. "This partnership, which is unique because it includes not only private sector employers, but also two New York State government agencies and the local building trade unions, is a demonstration of OSHA''s commitment to work cooperatively with employers and employee groups who are proactively making an attempt to reduce injuries at their work sites."

Each participating contractor at the courthouse construction site will be required to meet stringent safety guidelines, including:

  • appointing an on-site safety representative;
  • submitting a comprehensive safety and health plan to URS for approval prior to commencing work on the site; and
  • conducting daily self inspections and maintaining records of those inspections.

OSHA provides incentives to the contractors who enter this partnership including:

  • not targeting the job site for a planned or programmed inspection within the next 12 months once a verification inspection has been completed;
  • conducting an unplanned inspection at the site only in response to reports of imminent danger, fatality or catastrophic accident and a signed complaint; and
  • responding to all complaints by contacting the employer by telephone and faxing a letter to the employer outlining the complaint.

The Westchester County Courthouse Phase II/III Project in White Plains includes the construction of a 255,000 square feet three-story courthouse annex, and the rehabilitation of the existing 285,000 square foot 22-story courthouse tower.

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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