Approximately 4,000 construction workers are about to be a little bit safer, due to a partnership formed recently between the Georgia Institute of Technology Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program, Holder Construction Co., Associated General Contractors of Georgia Inc. and OSHA.

The agreement, which was signed earlier this month, is intended to protect and educate workers on construction hazards during the second and third construction phases of the State Farm at Park Center project in Atlanta. The massive, multi-year project includes the demolition of an existing building and the construction of a 1 million-square-foot corporate office building and 2.5 million-square-foot parking deck. In addition to thousands of workers, about 50 subcontractors will also be on-site. 

The partnership will:

• Develop effective safety and health training programs and procedures.
• Reduce injury and illness rates.
• Increase the number of employers with effective safety and health management systems.
• Increase the monitoring of health hazards at the worksite.

“Partnerships like these provide a top-down emphasis to ensure a safer and healthier workplace for construction workers,” said William Fulcher, OSHA’s area director in the Atlanta-East Office. “The partnership at the State Farm at Park Center project is a great opportunity for knowledge and skills to be passed down to smaller employers so their workers are better protected, not only for this project but for years to come.”

More participation from construction community

Developed jointly, the partnership is consistent with OSHA’s long-range efforts to develop a contractor/government partnership approach to safety management. OSHA says it allows for better use of agency resources and innovation in safety management and encourages more participation in the safety process from the construction community.

Through its Strategic Partnership Program, OSHA works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, labor organizations and other interested stakeholders to establish specific goals, strategies and performance measures to improve worker safety and health. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/partnerships/index.html.