I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

July 19, 2007

Alliance Overview

The alliance will provide CIB/AGC members and others with information, guidance and access to training resources that will help protect employees, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to construction industry hazards related to falls, being crushed, electricity, and amputations.

Implementation Team Members

The Implementation Team Members included the Peoria OSHA office's Compliance Assistance Specialists and representatives from Central Illinois Builders Safety Committee.

II. Implementation Team Meetings

On September 18, 2007 Brian Bothast and Peggy Zweber, Compliance Assistance Specialists, met with several members of the Safety Committee to develop a suitable action plan for the alliance. The group agreed to develop three training sessions and made arrangements for facilities, promotion and presenters.

On January 23, 2008 and June 25, 2008 Brian Bothast participated in implementation meetings with representatives from the Safety Committee.

III. Activities and Products

Evaluation Period

The evaluation period was from July 19, 2007 to July 19, 2008

Alliance Activity

Three training session were organized for members and subcontractors of the Central Illinois Builders group. OSHA representatives conducted the training sessions.

On December 5, 2007, Karl Armstrong (CSHO) presented a training session on OSHA's national and local emphasis programs. Karl discussed excavation hazards, fall hazards, lead, silica, amputation hazards and hazards associated with powered industrial vehicles.

On January 23, 2008, Brian Bothast (CAS) presented a training session on OSHA's recordkeeping requirements, common errors, developing an effective safety and health program and the Voluntary Protection Program.

On March 5, 2008, Peggy Zweber (CAS) presented a training session on OSHA's construction related fatalities and the top ten OSHA violations in the construction industry.

Alliance Products

OSHA representatives provided participants with a variety of useful resources including: trench cards (describing the sloping requirements on one side and general trenching requirements on the other side), roofing cards (describing residential roofing requirements), cheat sheets for items that are not recordable, a safety and health program scorecard for evaluating their existing safety and health program and general handouts related to OSHA standards.

IV. Results

A. Impact of the Alliance activities and products

The Peoria Area OSHA Office was able to reach out to personnel with safety and health responsibility and decision makers at central Illinois construction companies at a time of the year when construction activity is diminished.

The Central Illinois Builders group provided the publicity and facilities for the outreach sessions. OSHA's participation allowed the Agency to reach effected workers to provide an understanding of the requirements and the methods to control related hazards.

The presentations focused on ensuring participants gained an understanding of the requirements for issues covered by local and national emphasis programs, improving safety and health programs and controlling hazards that have caused work related fatalities. At the sessions, OSHA representatives also answered questions on a variety of safety and health topics. The implementation team indicated the alliance has helped Illinois construction firms to understand and address hazards.

B. Activity and the number of individuals reached or trained

Total participation was 58.

V. Upcoming Milestones

At the June 25, 2008, implementation meeting the Safety Committee indicated the alliance was valuable and several additional ideas were advanced to improve hazard identification and control.

Report prepared by: Brian Bothast