TRADE NEWS RELEASE
Tuesday, January 9, 2001
CONTACT: Bill Wright
PHONE: (202) 693-1999

OSHA AND ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS FORM PARTNERSHIP TO IMPROVE SAFETY IN CONSTRUCTION

The safety and health of construction workers took center stage today when the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) entered into a formal partnership that officials from both organizations say will help focus efforts to make construction sites safer across the nation.

The Construction Health and Safety Excellence (CHASE) agreement was signed by OSHA Administrator Charles N. Jeffress and AGC Executive Vice President and CEO Stephen E. Sandherr.

"This partnership not only formalizes our cooperative relationship," Jeffress said, "but stands as a statement of principles, symbolizing our commitment to work together to improve safety and health on construction sites. Mutual trust and respect are key to our efforts to provide safe and healthful working conditions for those who build America's infrastructure."

Under terms of the partnership, AGC will create three tiers of safety and health performance -- Red, White and Blue. To reach "Blue" status, contractors must meet stringent safety and health guidelines that include:

• an occupational injury and illness rate 10 percent less than the industry average (average for 1999 was 8.6);
• a comprehensive site specific written safety and health program -- which includes employee involvement, based upon OSHA or American National Standards Institute (ANSI) guidelines;
• agreement to serve as mentors to contractors who have yet to attain "Blue Status";
• ensuring employee involvement in all aspects of the contractor's safety and health program, including self-audits, job hazard analysis, safety training and mishap analysis;
• safety and health orientation for new employees and training for all employees on hazards specific to the contractor's work site;
• effective safety training for supervisors;
• designated safety personnel who have received training equivalent to OSHA's 30-hour construction safety and health course; and
• a safety and health record which includes no willful or repeat serious violations in the last three years, and no fatalities or catastrophic accidents in the last three years that resulted in serious citations.

In return for meeting these criteria, OSHA, after making a verification inspection, will:

• not target the site for a planned - or "programmed" - inspection within the following 12 months;
• conduct an unplanned inspection only in response to reports of imminent danger, a fatality or catastrophic accident, and a signed complaint;
• handle all other complaints, except cases of serious injuries, by telephone and fax;
• not issue penalties for other-than-serious violations that are promptly abated; and
• reduce any citation by the maximum amounts for good faith and history.

The agreement requires that local AGC safety committees visit construction sites to verify the proficiency of the applicant contractor's safety and health program. The national AGC safety director will also conduct random oversight visits and submit annual reports of the partnership goal achieved to OSHA.

Jeffress said that OSHA area offices and AGC local chapters will be able to use provisions of the CHASE agreement to create local partnerships.