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OSHA News Release
2004 - 11/02/2004 - OSHA Announces New Partnership to Protect Workers on Two Roadway Construction Projects in Buffalo and Cheektowaga, NY |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 2 News Release: USDL 04-2194-NEW/ BOS 2004-261 Tuesday, November 2, 2004 Contact: Ted Fitzgerald Phone: (617) 565-2074 OSHA Announces New Partnership to Protect Workers on Two Roadway
Construction Projects in Buffalo and Cheektowaga, NY BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Enhanced safety for workers on two major roadway construction projects in the greater Buffalo area is the goal of a new partnership among the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Concrete Applied Technologies Corp. (CATCO), the New York State Labor Department and several labor unions. OSHA's Strategic Partnerships for Worker Safety and Health are part of U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao's ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of workers through cooperative relationships with groups including trade associations, labor organizations and employers. "This cooperative effort of government, industry and labor demonstrates our commitment to work jointly to protect workers involved in the reconstruction of two major western New York thoroughfares," said Art Dube, director of OSHA's Buffalo area office. "We seek to accomplish this through the identification and elimination of workplace hazards and the overall reduction of injuries and illnesses." One project is located at the busy intersection of Union Road and Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga, N.Y. The other is the reconstruction of Main Street (Rt. 5) from Hertel Avenue to Bailey Avenue in the city of Buffalo. CATCO is the general contractor for both projects. Under the terms of the partnership, CATCO and all subcontractors must meet stringent safety guidelines. They will maintain a site-specific safety and health program to control hazards associated with work adjacent to vehicular traffic, as well as cave-in hazards from trenching and excavations, exposure to silica, electrical hazards and fall hazards. All employees on the job -- supervisors and craftsmen or workers -- must have 10 or 30 hours of safety and health awareness training. Additionally, workplace injury and illness rates at these two projects must be at least 25 percent below industry rates for similar type of work. A qualified safety and health representative must be assigned by the general contractor to administer a site-specific safety and health program. OSHA will not target the two sites for planned or programmed inspections, though periodic unannounced inspections will be conducted to ensure that the terms of the partnership agreement are being met by all participating contractors. OSHA will also conduct inspections in response to reports of imminent danger, fatalities, catastrophic accidents or formal complaints. Signing the partnership were representatives of OSHA, CATCO, the New York State Labor Department, and the following labor unions: Operating Engineers Local 17, Laborers Local 210, Carpenters Local 289, IBEW Local 1249 and Cement Masons Local 111. Since the inception of OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program in 1998, more than 300 partnerships have been formed, impacting over 13,000 employers and 573,000 employees across the United States. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov. # # # Labor Department releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format upon request (large print, Braille, audio tape or disc) from the COAST office. Please specify which news release when placing your request at (202) 693-7765 or TTY (202) 693-7755. The U.S. Department of Labor is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit www.dol.gov/compliance. |
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