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U.S. Department of Labor | |
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| Occupational Safety & Health Administration | ||||||
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OSHA News Release
2003 - 08/04/2003 - Labor, Management and Government Forge Partnership on Buffalo City Schools Construction Project |
OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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Region 2 News Release: BOS 2003-190 Monday, August 4, 2003 Contact: Ted Fitzgerald Phone: (617) 565-2074 Labor, Management and Government Forge Partnership on Buffalo City Schools Construction Project
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Providing enhanced safety and health protections for hundreds of construction workers in Buffalo is the goal of a partnership agreement signed this past week by labor, management and government. The Buffalo area office of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the partnership will positively affect workers on an upcoming project to renovate existing schools and build new ones. OSHA Health and Safety partnerships are part of Secretary Elaine L. Chao's ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of workers through cooperative partnerships of labor unions and employers. The City of Buffalo Schools Project is expected to take 10 years to complete at a cost of approximately $1 billion. At its height, it is estimated that more than 150 contractors will be working on-site with approximately 500 - 700 employees. The signing took place at the Buffalo Vocational Technical Center, one of 11 schools slated for renovations in the first phase of the project. "Partnerships such as this one are the cornerstone in our efforts to enlist both the business and labor communities' help in making sure workplaces are safe and healthy, now and in the future," said Patricia K. Clark, OSHA's Regional Administrator. "We must all work together for the common good - that of reducing injuries and illnesses in the workplace across the board." "This model provides a new collaborative approach to managing safety and health that will assist both OSHA and the construction industry in our joint efforts to prevent serious injuries, illnesses and fatalities," said Art Dube, OSHA's Buffalo area director. "This partnership will also result in a higher caliber, better-trained construction workforce here in western New York." The partnership agreement outlines a cooperative effort to implement a comprehensive safety plan, site-specific training for all workers on applicable hazards and regulations, and ongoing site monitoring by a safety team. The partnership agreement offers incentives to those contractors on the project who meet the enhanced requirements for safety and health performance. Other goals of the project include the reduction of injury rates by 3% for each year of the project, zero fatalities, minimum training requirements for all workers and supervisors on the project, and conducting gap analyses to identify deficiencies within contractors' safety and health programs when compared to the comprehensive safety plan and bringing substandard programs up to par. The partnership will remain in effect for the life of the project. Signing the agreement were representatives from OSHA, the Buffalo Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO, Louis P. Ciminelli Management Company, Inc., and the New York State Department of Labor Division of Safety and Health's Consultation Program. # # #
The information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone: (617) 565-2072. TDD (Telecommunications Device for the Deaf) Message Referral Phone: 800-347-8029. |
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OSHA News Release - Table of Contents |
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