Region 3 News Release: 09-532-PHI (osha 09-61)

May 29, 2009
Contact: Leni Fortson
Phone: 215-861-5102

U.S. Labor Department's OSHA partners with Marlette Homes to enhance workplace safety and health for employees

LEWISTOWN, Pa. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) today announced that it has partnered with Marlette Homes in Lewistown to assist the company in creating safety and health management systems that will protect employees from injuries and illnesses.

"This partnership will equip Marlette Homes with the tools needed to improve worker safety and health by developing systems designed to help both management and employees more effectively identify, reduce and eliminate workplace hazards," said Bryan Seal, director of OSHA's area office in Harrisburg, Pa.

Marlette Homes specializes in building, selling, financing and insuring manufactured homes.

As part of the partnership agreement, Marlette Homes will promote, institute and maintain a safety and health management system based on OSHA guidelines including management, leadership and employee involvement; risk analysis; hazard prevention and control; and training. The company also will work to reduce or maintain its injury and illness rates to levels that make it eligible to apply for OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs in two years.

This partnership will be in effect for two years. For more information, contact OSHA's Harrisburg Area Office at 717-782-3902.

OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program is part of the agency's ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of workers through cooperative relationships with trade associations, labor organizations, employers and employees. More than 1.4 million workers and nearly 28,000 employers across the United States have participated with OSHA in more than 585 strategic partnerships since the program began in 1998.

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.

###

U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department 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.