|
U.S. Department of Labor | |
||||
| Occupational Safety & Health Administration | ||||||
 |
|
OSHA News Release
2003 - 07/21/2003 - OSHA, Mass. AGC, and Building Trades Partner for Increased Safety and Health at Bay State Construction Sites |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
|
Region 1 BOS 2003-177 Monday, July 21, 2003 Contact: Ted Fitzgerald Phone: (617) 565-2074 OSHA, Mass. AGC, and Building Trades Partner for Increased
Safety and Health at Bay State Construction Sites BOSTON, Mass. -- Enhancing safety and health at Bay State construction sites is the object of a unique partnership agreement among the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Associated General Contractors of Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Building Trades Council, AFL-CIO. The Massachusetts Construction Health and Safety Excellence (CHASE) strategic partnership is an extended, voluntary, cooperative relationship among OSHA, employers, employees and employee representatives to encourage, assist and recognize contractors' efforts to eliminate serious hazards and achieve high levels of safety and health protection at construction sites throughout Massachusetts. CHASE has three major goals: an annual three percent reduction in the number of injuries, illness and fatalities among participating AGC contractors, with an emphasis on the four leading causes of construction site deaths; an increased number of contractors implementing effective safety and health programs and providing effective safety and health training; and recognition for contractors with exemplary safety and health programs and effective site-specific safety and health plans. Massachusetts AGC contractors who wish to participate in CHASE must, at a minimum, establish and maintain effective safety and health programs that feature management leadership and employee involvement, hazard analysis, hazard prevention and compliance with applicable OSHA standards. They must then meet additional rigorous criteria to be eligible to participate. There are three levels of participation, based on a successful applicant's level of safety and health commitment. Each level brings with it incentives from OSHA to encourage continuous safety and health improvement by participants. Incentives can include OSHA's not issuing citations for non-serious violations that are corrected during an inspection; providing the maximum good faith penalty reductions where violations are cited; special recognition from OSHA and the AGC; and exemptions from most programmed OSHA inspections. "This partnership encourages contractors to achieve and sustain a high level of occupational safety and health without reducing existing protections for workers," said Brenda Gordon, OSHA's area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. "It will allow OSHA to shift its focus to those contractors and workplaces where safety and health are not given the same high priority." Signatories are Gordon; Richard Fazzio, OSHA's Methuen area director; Ronald Morin, OSHA's Springfield area director; Robert L. Petrucelli, President & CEO, AGC of Massachusetts; Timothy LeBlanc, Chairman-Safety Committee, AGC of Massachusetts; and Joseph A. Dart, President, Mass. Building Trades Council, AFL-CIO. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is dedicated to saving lives, preventing injuries and illnesses, and protecting America's workers. Safety and health add value to business, the workplace and life. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. # # #
The information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (617) 565-2072. TDD (Telecommunications Device dor the Deaf) Message Referral Phone: 800-347-8029. |
|
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
 Back to Top |
www.osha.gov | www.dol.gov |
Contact Us | Freedom of Information Act | Customer Survey Privacy and Security Statement | Disclaimers |
||
| Occupational Safety & Health Administration 200 Constitution Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20210 |
||
