A new police headquarters building in Illinois will rise under the scrutiny of a safety partnership comprised of OSHA and the contractors, consultants, carpenters union and municipality that are involved with the project.

OSHA says the partnership with Leopardo Construction Cos., Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation, the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters and the city of Hanover Park will alow it to promote effective safety and health programs during the construction of the Hanover Park Police Headquarters.

"This partnership reflects our mutual recognition of the importance we place on construction workers' safety and health," said Kathy Webb, OSHA's area director in North Aurora, Ill. "We want to ensure all construction companies are prepared to effectively control the workplace hazards their employees may encounter. Partnerships such as this one help develop effective safety programs, and improve open and continuous communications among OSHA, employers and workers."

Leopardo is the lead contractor for the Hanover Park Police Headquarters construction project. The partnership will focus on identifying and controlling safety hazards, improving safety and health programs, and providing a safe and healthful environment through increased training, implementation of best work practices, and compliance with applicable OSHA standards and regulations.

Under OSHA'sStrategic Partnership Program, the agency joins with employers, workers, professional and trade associations, labor organizations and other interested stakeholders in formalized agreements designed to encourage, assist and recognize partner efforts to eliminate serious hazards and achieve model workplace safety and health practices. Each partnership establishes specific goals, strategies and performance measures to improve worker safety and health and can be focused on improving safety and health in major corporations and government agencies, at large construction projects and for entire industries.

The program is available to private sector industries and government agencies in locales where OSHA has jurisdiction. For more information on this and other cooperative OSHA programs, visitwww.www.osha.gov/dcsp/compliance_assistance/index_programs.html.