OSHA Strategic Partnership Program<< Back to Partnership Closures: Region VI

Region VI

Associated Builders and Contractors Partnerships Utilizing the Safety Training and Evaluation Process

Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) was created in 1989 by the National Environment, Health & Safety Committee of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) to recognize ABC member companies with exceptional safety records.  It is a national program designed to assist its member construction companies in annually evaluating their safety and health management system performance and their safety and health training programs.  There are four levels of achievement in the STEP program: Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.  

STEP provides ABC contractor members with a consistent, effective tool to evaluate safety training programs by using 20 standard “key components” of safety.  Each key component focuses on specific safety and training areas essential to a successful, effective safety training program.  STEP highlights not only a company’s safety and training successes, but also helps to identify areas where companies can improve their efforts to build a stronger safety program.  STEP recognizes companies that go above and beyond Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements for a safe workplace.

The specific goals for STEP are:
  • Reduce by 3 % annually the # of injuries, illnesses and fatalities affecting participant employers with an emphasis on reducing injuries and fatalities resulting from falls, struck-by and caught-in mishaps and electrocution (focused four construction hazards)
  • Increase the number of construction companies that implement effective safety and health programs or improve programs
  • Decrease worker compensation costs and OSHA penalties for contractor participants
  • Improve jobsite safety and health commitment by subcontractors
  • Promote a higher level of employee safety and health training

OSHA partnered with ABC on a nationwide basis on February 11, 2000.   Upon the expiration of the national Partnership on September 1, 2004, OSHA and ABC agreed to continue the efforts by having local ABC chapters partner with the OSHA area office in its jurisdiction. 

For more information on the STEP program, please go to Associated Builders and Contractors’ webpage.

Below is a list of closed Region VI partnerships utilizing the STEP program.
Eastern Oklahoma Chapter
#155
   
Partners: Oklahoma Department of Labor
Date Signed: May 2, 2000 (renewed August 1, 2003)
Date Concluded: April 30, 2005
Contact Information: Oklahoma City Area Office, (405) 278-9560
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
Partnership Results:
After several years of efforts to recruit participating members, this Partnership was closed due to lack of participation.

Pelican, Bayou Chapters
#53
   
Date Signed: May 8, 2000
Date Concluded: June 30, 2005
Contact Information: Baton Rouge Area Office, (225) 298-5458
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
Participating Facilities:
  • Barriere Construction Company, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Basic Industries, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • BOH Brothers Construction Co., Inc., New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Broadmoor, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Cajun Constructors, Inc., Port Allen, Louisiana
  • Carl E. Woodward, LLC, Covington, Louisiana
  • Donahue Faveret Contractors, Inc., Mandelville, Louisiana
  • Durr Heavy Construction, LLC, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • F.H. Meyers Construction Corp., Harahan, Louisiana
  • Industrial Coatings Contractors, Prairieville, Louisiana
  • Industrial Specialty Contractors, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • MMR Group, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Pala-Interstate, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • SECO Industries, Inc., Belle Chasse, Louisiana
  • Shaw Constructors, Inc. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Triad Electric & Controls, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Westgate, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Partnership Results:
Due to insufficient data collection, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was unable to effectively evaluate the results and program impact of this Partnership.

Central Texas Chapter
#192
   
Date Signed: March 9, 2001
Date Concluded: April 13, 2006
Contact Information: Austin Area Office, (512) 916-5783
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
 

Participating Facilities:

  • Bartlett Cocke LP, Houston, Texas
  • Faulkner USA, Austin, Texas
  • SimplexGrinnell LP, Austin, Texas
  • SpawGlass Construction, Houston, Texas
  • White Construction, Houston, Texas
Partnership Results:
By the end of the Partnership, a total of 8,665 employees were impacted. Due to the efforts of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and ABC in assisting the participating members develop and implement effective safety and health programs, the aggregate Days Away, Job Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate reduced from 4.2 in 2002 to 2.5 in 2005, representing a 40 percent reduction.

Arkansas Chapter
#202
Date Signed: July 31, 2001
Date Concluded: April 18, 2006
Contact Information: Little Rock Area Office, (501) 324-6291
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
Participating Facilities:
None

Partnership Results:
After several years of efforts to recruit participating members, this Partnership was closed due to lack of participation.

Rio Grande Chapter
#231
   
Date Signed: September 10, 2001
Date Concluded: April 30, 2005
Contact Information: Albuquerque Area Office, (505) 248-5302
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
Participating Facilities:
None

Partnership Results:
After several years of efforts to recruit participating members, this Partnership was closed due to lack of participation.

Greater Houston Chapter
#234
Date Signed: July 19, 2002 (renewed January 25, 2005)
Date Concluded: January 25, 2008
Contact Information: Houston North Area Office, (281) 591-2438
Houston South Area Office, (281) 286-0583
or Regional Partnership Coordinator

Participating Facilities:

  • Austin Industrial, Houston, Texas
  • DE Harvey Builders, Houston, Texas
  • Harmony, LLC, Houston, Texas
  • Industrial Specialty Contractors, Houston, Texas
  • Manhattan Construction, Houston, Texas
  • S&B Engineers and Constructors, Houston, Texas

Partnership Results:
At the end of its term, this Partnership impacted six employers and their 36,680 employees.

Due to the efforts of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and ABC in assisting the participating members develop and implement effective safety and health programs, the aggregate Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR) and Days Away, Job Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate reduced by 42 percent and 68 percent from the evaluation period after its renewal to its final evaluation period prior to the termination of the Partnership.

Also, at the time of the Partnership’s conclusion, one participating member was serving as an OSHA Challenge administrator, and several actively pursued participation in the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) through the VPP Mobile Workforce Demonstration for Construction.

The Partnership concluded on October 29, 2007 because the participating members decided to focus on its participation in the Statewide Partnership instead of continuing to maintain two separate Partnerships.

South Texas Chapter
#245
   
Date Signed: September 17, 2002
Date Concluded: September 17, 2006
Contact Information: Austin Area Office, (512) 916-5783
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
 

Participating Facilities:

  • Casey Industrial, Pearsall, Texas
  • Metropolitan Constructors, DeSoto, Texas

Spaw Glass Constructors, Inc., Houston, Texas

Partnership Results:
At its conclusion, this Partnership impacted three employers and their 6,828 employees.

Due to the efforts of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and ABC in assisting the participating members develop and implement effective safety and health programs with special emphases on the four highest hazards for construction (falls, struck-by, caught-between, and electrocution), the aggregate Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR) and Days Away, Job Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate were 36 percent and 10 percent below the construction industry averages as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics during the final evaluation period prior to the conclusion of the Partnership.

Texas Coastal Bend Chapter
#296
   
Date Signed: August 27, 2003 (renewed January, 20 2005)
Date Concluded: February 28, 2008
Contact Information: Corpus Christi Area Office, (361) 888-3420
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
 

Participating Facilities:
  • Brock Maintenance, Inc., Beaumont, Texas
  • Protherm Services Group, Inc., Port Arthur, Texas
  • Rabalias Electric, Corpus Christi, Texas
  • REPCON, Inc., Corpus Christi, Texas

Partnership Results:
During the final evaluation period, this Partnership’s aggregate Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR) and Days Away, Job Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate were 94 percent and 95 percent below the national averages for the construction industry as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Additionally, one Partner, REPCON, is an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Challenge graduate and achieved Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) Mobile Workforce Star Demonstration recognition in 2006 and is currently pursuing Star status in the other OSHA regions where they operate.  Also, Brock Maintenance achieved Star status at Valero Corpus Christi as well as Valero Three Rivers, and at the time of the Partnership’s conclusion, it was pursuing Star status as Flint Hills Resources, Corpus Christi.

The OSHA provided assistance to the participating members.  For instance, the Compliance Assistance Specialist from the local Area Office regularly attended quarterly safety and health meetings to discuss local fatalities and injury trends along with providing updates and information on pending or new regulations and recently released letters of interpretation.  OSHA also participated on the planning committee for the Contractors Safety Awards Banquet and presented participation awards to the partners.


Pelican Chapter
#423
   
Date Signed: July 16, 2005; renewed January 26, 2009
Date Concluded: July 6, 2011
Contact Information: Baton Rouge Area Office, (225) 298-5458
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
 

Partnership Overview:

In July 2005 Baton Rouge Area Office entered into an OSHA Strategic partnership (OSP) with the ABC, Pelican Chapter. This OSP was renewed in January 2009 and concluded in July 2011. They made a commitment to work as partners to achieve construction workplace safety and health through shared strategies and objectives.

This agreement provided incentives to contractors that voluntarily participate in the ABC, Pelican Chapter Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) program and demonstrated implementation of effective safety and health programs. ABC, Pelican Chapter recognized participants based on their development and enactment of safety programs, policies and procedures. Implementation of this agreement was expected to result in an improved awareness to safety concerns, and decreased injuries, illnesses and fatalities for participant contractors with a resultant decrease in worker compensation costs as well as other direct or indirect costs.

Participating Facilities:

  • Cajun Industries, LLC, Port Allen, Louisiana
  • Industrial Specialty Contractors, LLC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Jacobs Field Services, North America Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • MAPP Construction, LLC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • MMR Group, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • PALA Interstate, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Shaw Maintenance & Construction Process, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Triad Electric & Controls, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Turner Industries Group, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Vector Electric & Controls, Inc., Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Partnership Goals:
ABC, Pelican Chapter and OSHA worked through the OSP to try to accomplish three key goals:

  • Reduce by 3 percent over the course of the partnership the DART (Days Away Restricted or Transfer) rate affecting participant employers, with an emphasis on reducing injuries and illnesses resulting from falls, struck-by and caught-in mishaps, and electrocution (focused four construction hazards). Upon signature of this agreement the most current three year average DART rate of those companies participating in the partnership will serve as a baseline.
  • Increase the number of ABC firms that participate in the STEP program.
  • Increase the number of companies participating in mentoring activities.

Partnership Results:
During the most recent evaluation period, this OSP impacted 10 employers and almost 30,000 employees.

To assist its participating members, ABC and OSHA provided training to employees and supervisors on various subjects including recordkeeping, rigging safety, whistleblower laws, and machine guarding. Also, OSHA participates in monthly safety committee meetings to discuss and answer any questions on standards and policies.

The OSP was able to maintain its overall TCIR rate at 0.4 and reduce its overall DART rate by 50%, from 0.2 to 0.1 even with a large increase of hours worked. In addition to working on their safety and health management systems, the partnering employers volunteer at annual ABC competitions by providing safety oversight, stand by first-aid services, as well as judging for both Trade School and Regional High School craft skills competitions. Representatives also adopt local high schools as a part of outreach efforts to industrial craft instruction. Such outreach activities include conducting safety evaluations of physical craft education areas and speaking to local high school students regarding safety in the crafts, and supplemented schools with additional personal protective equipment for students.


Bayou Chapter
#435
   
Date Signed: February 1,  2006; renewed June 8, 2009
Date Concluded: February 1, 2012
Contact Information: Baton Rouge Area Office, (225) 298-5458
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
 

Participating Facilities:

  • Barriere Construction Co., New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Brice Building Company, Metairie, Louisiana
  • Broadmoor, LLC, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Citadel Builders, LLC, Metairie, Louisiana
  • Donahue Faveret Contractors, Inc., Mandeville, Louisiana
  • Gibbs Construction, LLC, New Orleans, Louisiana
  • Hi-Tech Electric, Inc., Broussard, Louisiana
  • Industrial Specialty Contractors, LLC, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Landis Construction Co., LLC, Harahan, Louisiana
  • Pala-Interstate, Inc. , Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Turner Industries Group & Affiliated Companies, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Partnership Results:
The Partnership had 10 active employers and over 14,000 employees. As the partnering AGC chapter had a new President and CEO, administrative assistant and safety committee members in 2010, the Baton Rouge Area Office worked with them to explain and clarify partnership objectives and goals and agreed to maintain an open line of communication through monthly meetings.

In the previous year, the OSP took strides to assist its participating members with their SHMS implementation. Over 650 training sessions with a total of over 20,000 hours of training were offered to participating employees and their supervisors. Training covered a wide variety of subjects including OSHA 10/30 Hour courses, First Aid, fall protection, scaffolding, cranes and rigging, and confined spaces.

Also, members utilized CAS availability to assist with the interpretation of standards, recordkeeping requirements and updated OSHA information for inclusion in the Chapter's newsletters. In addition, informational presentations were conducted for partners and safety committee members covering topics such as OSHA Updates and Enforcement Priorities and CAS Priorities, including: Pandemic Flu and the availability of OSHA resources.

To maintain their SHMS, a total of over 4,000 self-inspections were performed by the partners at their sites resulting in almost 1,500 hazards identified and documented with correction plans tracked to completion.


Central Texas
#612
   
Date Signed: November 8, 2007
Date Concluded: November 8, 2009
Contact Information: Austin Area Office (512) 374-0271
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
 

Participating Facilities:

  • Austin Industrial, Inc., Houston, Texas
  • Casey Industrial, Pearsall, Texas
  • D.E. Harvey Builders, Inc., Houston, Texas
  • E.E. Reed Construction, LP, Sugar Land, Texas
  • Industrial Specialty Contractors, LLC, Houston, Texas
  • KBR, Houston, Texas
  • Manhattan Construction Company, Houston, Texas
  • Metropolitan Contracting Company, Houston, Texas
  • SKANSKA, Houston, Texas
  • SpawGlass Constructors, Inc., Houston, Texas
  • TD Industries, Dallas, Texas

Partnership Results:
During the final year of the Partnership, with 7 employers and over 40,000 employees impacted, the Partnership achieved Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR) and Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate of 1.7 and 0.9 respectively.  These rates are 68% and 66% below the national averages for the Construction industry as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for TCIR and DART respectively.  The rates can be attributed to an emphasis on training for its participating employees.  During the last evaluation period, almost 400 employees in addition to over 400 supervisors were trained for a total of approximately 5,000 hours. Additionally, the Partners improved on their safety and health management programs by conducting over 7,600 self-inspections, resulting in the identification and abatement of more than 1,400 hazards.  Each of the Partnership's eleven Participants had an enforcement onsite inspection that was in compliance. 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provided assistance by having its Compliance Assistance Specialists participate in monthly ABC safety committee meetings to discuss OSHA standards.  Also, Partners frequently contact the OSHA offices for safety and abatement assistance on issues for themselves and subcontractors.  OSHA gives safety speeches to partner groups when requested. Conferences are attended by OSHA staff where booths are erected.

A Partner, the Austin Industrial Group, achieved Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) STAR status at their Lubrizol Bayport contract.

QUION Cooperative Safety Program
#308
   
Date Signed: May 6, 2004; renewed March 20, 2007
Date Concluded: March 20, 2010
Contact Information: Dallas/Fort Worth Area Office, (214) 320-2400
or Regional Partnership Coordinator
 
Participating Facilities:
  • Bob Moore Construction, Arlington, Texas
  • HC Beck, Ltd., Dallas, Texas
  • MDI General Contractors, Coppell, Texas
  • Rogers O’Brien Construction Company, Dallas, Texas
  • Spring Valley Construction, Dallas, Texas
  • TAS Concrete Construction, Spring, Texas
Partnership Results:
During FY09, seven (7) members participated in the Partnership. Each member developed and implemented safety and health management systems containing elements of the 1989 Guidelines. During the final year of this Partnership, the participating members achieved a Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR) of 2.3 and a Days Away, Job Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate of 1.7. Both rates were 48% and 23% below the industry averages for the Construction Industry according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In the previous years, the Partnership offered 10-hour Construction Safety and Health Courses which were conducted in English and Spanish. OSHA provided training sessions on how to comply with its emphasis programs, which were Construction, Work Zones, Cranes, and Trenching. Compliance assistance specialists also offered assistance with recordkeeping, cranes, steel erections, and electrical standards.

On March 20, 2010, this Partnership concluded according to the terms of the new agreement. The seven participating members continued their efforts to improve upon their safety and health management programs as part of a new Partnership, #767 TEXO: the Construction Association Cooperative Safety Program.