Region 4 News Release:   USDOL: 01-165
September 20, 2001
Contact: Charlie Anderson
Phone: (404) 562-2254

ATLANTA, GA. -- The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration will sign a partnership agreement with the Georgia Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) to improve safety and health at Georgia construction sites. The statewide partnership, which provides incentives to ABC's "Platinum Partner" contractors who have exemplary safety and health programs at their work sites, involves three Georgia OSHA offices -- Atlanta-West, Atlanta-East and Savannah.

The partnership signing will occur on Monday, September 24, at 2:00 p.m. at ABC's Georgia headquarters, 100 Hannover Park Road, Suite 100, Atlanta. OSHA's Assistant Secretary John Henshaw will attend the signing ceremony.

Cindy A. Coe, the agency's Atlanta regional administrator, commented, "This Partnership recognizes employers in the construction industry that have exemplary safety and health programs, ones that set an outstanding example for the industry to follow. By entering into this agreement, the member Partners have committed themselves and the resources needed to ensure employee safety and health in the construction industry. OSHA is pleased to have the opportunity to work with these employers and employees."

The Associated Builders and Contractors' program designates its safest contractors as platinum partners. To reach this highest level of safety performance, contractors must meet stringent safety and health guidelines including:

• a three-year history without fatalities or catastrophic accidents that resulted in OSHA citations related to the incident;

• a three-year history without OSHA citations classified as willful or repeated;

• an occupational injury and illness rate below 8.0 percent;

• a site specific, written safety and health program, with significant employee involvement including a means to encourage involvement of non-English speaking employees;

• designated safety personnel who have completed 30-hours of training relating to construction safety;

• site supervisors who have completed 10-hours of training relating to construction safety, and

• effective employee training programs which include recognition and abatement of hazards specifically associated with the employee's job.

As an incentive for attaining platinum status with the ABC, companies become eligible, after an OSHA verification audit, to be removed for 12 months from OSHA's randomly-selected job site inspections in Georgia. OSHA will also inform complainants about the partnership and explain the option of handling complaints by "phone and fax," and will conduct on-site inspections only in response to reports of imminent danger, fatalities, catastrophic accidents, signed employee complaints, or complaints alleging serious injuries.

The three OSHA area offices and directors involved in the partnership are:

• Atlanta-West, 2400 Herodian Way, Suite 250, Smyrna, GA 30080-2968
  Area Director - Susan Johnston Phone: (770) 984-8700

• Atlanta-East, LaVista Perimeter Office Park, 2183 N. Lake Parkway, Bldg. 7,
  Suite 110, Tucker GA 30084-4154
  Area Director - G. T. Breezley Phone: (770) 493-6644

• Savannah, 450 Mall Blvd., Suite J, Savannah, GA, 31406-1418
  Area Director - Teresa Harrison Phone: (912) 652-4393

Associated Builders and Contractors is a national association representing approximately 22,000 contractors in 82 chapters across the country. The Georgia chapter, which can be reached at (770) 587-0955, comprises 442 employers.