OSHA Strategic Partnership Program: List of Partnership Closures: Region VIII - Completed Partnerships with the Associated General Contractors of America, Inc. (AGC)

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In Region VIII, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) partnered with several Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) chapters to promote safety and health among the contractors in the construction industry using a model developed by a National Partnership charter signed by the national AGC organization and OSHA. This model is called the Construction Health and Safety Excellence (CHASE) program.

Construction Health and Safety Excellence

Partnership Overview:
The common objective and goal of CHASE is to provide a safe and healthful workplace for all employees engaged in construction activities and to help prevent serious injuries and illnesses within the industry through increased training and implementation & monitoring of enhanced safety & health training programs. This initiative represents a voluntary agreement and affords a partnership for voluntary compliance alternatives to the traditional OSHA enforcement activities. AGC and OSHA believe that maintaining a focus on safety saves lives, time and dollars. The outcome of this focus can result in a reduction of employee injuries, illnesses, deaths, equipment damage, worker’s compensation and insurance cost, down times and monetary penalties. The focus on safety & health issues is an objective that OSHA, AGC and its members have in common.

The Construction Health and Safety Excellence (CHASE) model utilizes a 3-step program designed to assist general contractors with the implementation of their safety and health management systems. In CHASE, there are 3 tiers of safety and health performance, Red, White, and Blue. To achieve White or Blue-level status, contractors must implement practices that go above and beyond what OSHA requires. In return for meeting the various criteria, OSHA, after making a verification inspection will not target the site for a planned inspection within the following 12 months, among other benefits. This frees scarce OSHA resources from inspecting safe sites and lets contractors show owners that they are among the best in terms of health and safety.

Partnership Goals:

To reduce by 3% annually the rate of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities affecting participant employers, with an emphasis on reducing injuries and fatalities resulting from those hazards that are the four leading causes of death on construction sites (falls, struck-by, caught in/between and electrocutions)
To increase the number of general and specialty contractors who implement effective safety and health programs and provide effective safety and health training for management, supervisors and employees
To recognize those contractors with exemplary safety and health programs and effective site-specific safety and health plans


North Dakota
#292

Date Signed:	June 16, 2003
Date Concluded:	June 16, 2006
Contact Information:	Bismark Area Office (701) 250-4521 or Regional Partnership Coordinator

Participating Facilities: Industrial Builders Inc., West Fargo, North Dakota Industrial Contract Services, Grand Forks, North Dakotaa Northern Improvement Company, Fargo, North Dakotaa Orrin A. Holen Construction, McClusky, North Dakotaa Partnership Results: With its three year term, this Partnership covered 33 work sites managed by the 4 Participants, impacting over 190 employees The Participants took steps to improve their safety and health management systems. Almost 130 training sessions were provided to the Participants’ employees. In addition, all of the site supervisors completed the OSHA 10 hour course. New hires received at least three hours of new employee orientation on safety with emphases on fall protection, scaffolding, electrical, and personal protective equipment. Additional training sessions covered the four major causes of fatalities in construction and managing multi-employer worksites. When applicable, crane operators were enrolled in a 40 hour crane course and completed a written and practical exam by the National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators to become certified crane operators. To maintain their safety and health programs, the Participants conducted weekly audits which included housekeeping, fire prevention, hand & power tools, ladders, scaffolds, fall protection, excavation, aerial lifts, cranes and derricks, and any other observed unsafe acts or practices. Based on the improvements made to their safety and health programs, the Participants were able to reduce their injury and illnesses rates during the Partnership’s term. In the final year, the Participants’ aggregate Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR) reduced by 23 percent, and the Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred (DART) rate reduced by 19 percent, with both rates below the industry averages for the Construction industry as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the 2006 year.


Colorado
#328

Date Signed:	March 25, 2004
Date Concluded:	March 25, 2007
Contact Information:	Denver Area Office, (303) 844-5285 Englewood Area Office, (303) 843-4500 or Regional Partnership Coordinator

Participating Facilities: Haselden Construction, Centennial, Colorado Kenny Electric Service, Colorado Springs, Colorado M-Tech, Denver, Colorado PCL Constructors, Denver, Colorado RK Mechanical, Denver, Colorado Saunders Construction, Centennial, Colorado Swinerton Builders, Arada, Colorado Partnership Results: During the Partnership, OSHA provided training on Steel Erection and recordkeeping. With assistance from both AGC and OSHA, the Participants were able to reduce their Total Case Incidence Rate by 32 percent in the aggregate, and their rate was 40 percent below the industry average for the Construction industry as determined by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A total of 6 enforcement inspections were performed at the Participants’ worksites and all of them were in compliance. After the Partnership’s closure on March 25, 2007, the Participants continued their efforts by signing another Partnership agreement, #574: Associated General Contractors – Colorado Chapter.


South Dakota
#346

Partners:	Associated General Contractors of America, South Dakota Chapter
Date Signed:	July 27, 2005
Date Concluded:	September 4, 2007
Contact Information:	Bismarck Area Office (701) 250-4521 or Regional Partnership Coordinator

Participating Facilities: Ainsworth Benning Construction, Spearfish, South Dakota ASCO, Inc., Vale, South Dakota Beck Hofer Construction, Sioux Falls, South Dakota GBA, Inc. General Contractors, Rapid City, South Dakota Henry Carlson Construction, Sioux Falls, South Dakota J. Scull Construction Services, Rapid City, South Dakota Jans Corporation, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Kyburz-Carlson Construction, Aberdeen, South Dakota Midwestern Mechanical, Sioux Falls, South Dakota R.C.S. Construction, Rapid City, South Dakota Partnership Results: This Partnership impacted 10 employers and 590 employees. With assistance from AGC and OSHA, the Participants worked on improving their safety and health management programs. A total of 60 training sessions were provided on a variety of topics, and 139 supervisors attended either the OSHA 10 or 30 hour courses. Also, in the aggregate, the Participants enhanced their programs by performing self-inspections and after over 4,000 self inspections, a total of 2,085 hazards were abated, preventing injury to their employees. Finally, a total of 11 enforcement inspections were performed at the Participants’ worksites and ten were in compliance. Four participants eventually entered OSHA Challenge.


Colorado
#574

Partners:	Associated General Contractors of America, Colorado Chapter
Date Signed:	March 14, 2007
Date Concluded:	March 14, 2010
Contact Information:	Englewood Area Office, (303) 843-4500 Denver Area Office, (303) 844-5285 or Regional Partnership Coordinator

Participating Facilities: Calcon Constructors, Englewood, Colorado Encore Electric, Englewood, Colorado Haselden Construction, Centennial, Colorado Hyder Construction, Denver, Colorado Kenny Electric Service, Colorado Springs, Colorado M-Tech, Denver, Colorado PCL Constructors, Denver, Colorado Quality Contracting, Longmont, Colorado RK Mechanical, Denver, Colorado Saunders Construction, Centennial, Colorado Total Plumbing, Denver, Colorado Twin Peaks Utilities and Infrastructure, Westminster, Colorado West Electric Group, Englewood, Colorado Partnership Results: A total of 13 employers representing over 3,500 employees participated. At the end of the term, the aggregate TCIR and DART rates for the Partnerships were 3.6 and 1.7 respectively. Both rates are below the 2007 BLS National Industry Averages for the Construction Industry, with the overall TCIR 23% below and the overall DART rate 33% below. Training was an integral component of this OSP and at the end of 2009, a total of almost 50,000 training hours were provided to the employees of the Partners. Participating contractors provided all training for employees and management as required by the program. OSHA provided training to the members of the Chapter Safety Council on a variety of subjects and an annual review of Most Frequently Cited for the US and Colorado. Partners helped with providing training at the AGC on various topics such as 10 hour content. There were also three Breakfast meetings with OSHA that saw approximately 120 participants. Many of the partners were in attendance at all of the monthly safety council meetings held by AGC as well. All Participants received OSHA enforcement verification inspections and all were in compliance. Also, at the time of the Partnership’s conclusion, three Partners were pursuing Voluntary Participation Programs (VPP) participation and were working with Region VIII on the applications. Also, two Partners participated in the OSHA Challenge Pilot Program.


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