Background

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration Region V, Illinois Area Offices (OSHA) and the Underground Contractors Association of Illinois (UCA) mutually recognize the importance of providing a safe and healthful work environment for employees engaged in the underground construction industry. In order to advance OSHA's and UCA's shared goal of preventing accidents, OSHA and UCA agree to 1) develop a better working relationship between OSHA and UCA's members, and 2) foster and improve mutual trust and respect between OSHA, and UCA's members. OSHA and UCA are committed to working together through the OSHA Strategic Partnership Program ("OSPP") as partners to achieve construction workplace safety through the following shared strategies and objectives:

The level of activity needed to complete the project on schedule will necessitate a cooperative effort to assure a safe and healthy work environment is maintained at all times. This partnership will assist OSHA to work with the companies involved to promote safety programs, management systems and work methods utilizing the latest technologies and safest available methods. This partnership supports the Agency's Strategic Plan by developing strategies to improve safety and health in the Construction Industry.

1. IDENTIFICATION OF PARTNERS
   
   
   The following groups will participate in the partnership:
   
   
   • The Samuels Group, Inc. (Carpenters and Labors)
   • Sacred Heart Hospital, Eau Claire, WI
   • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Eau Claire, Wisconsin Area Office
   • WisCon, State of Wisconsin Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program
   
   All Contractors and/or Subcontractors scheduled to work at this site have agreed to participate in the partnership agreement.
   

2. PURPOSE/SCOPE
   
   The purpose of this partnership is to reduce injuries/illnesses and fatalities during the construction of The Sacred Heart Hospital Curtain Wall Replacement Project. It is anticipated that at its peak the project will employ less than 50 tradespersons on site. Construction activities are expected to be completed in 2014. The Samuels Group, Inc. has been hired as the contractor for the project.
   
   
3. GOALS/STRATEGIES

The overall goal of the partnership is to create a working relationship that focuses on preventing work-related fatalities, controlling or eliminating serious workplace hazards, and establishing a foundation for the development of an effective safety and health program. This partnership will strive to achieve that goal by establishing a foundation of proactive measures which will include:

C1. Goals

Participants of this Partnership will strive to:


1. Reduce serious injuries and illnesses and provide a safe and healthful work environment for employees at the Project.
2. Increase the number of safety and health programs and best practices implemented among subcontractors.
3. Increase the number of employees, employers and supervisors who have completed relevant safety training.

C2. Strategies

Strategies to achieve one or all of the above goals:


1. Maintain lost time injuries and illnesses at a rate 20% below the national industry average.
2. Implement a comprehensive job site inspection program.
1. Complete job hazard analysis prior to employee exposures, identifying potential hazards to employee safety and health.
2. Correct hazards found during the project on a day-to-day basis.
3. Strive for no injuries on the job and ensure all serious hazards are controlled through safe processes or procedures.
4. Ensure employees receive training as follows:
1. Contractors with more than five employees on site will have a Safety Designee assigned who possesses a valid OSHA 30 Hour training card. Contractors that have five or less employees on site will have a Safety Designee who possesses a valid OSHA 10 Hour Training card. Subcontractors can utilize any authorized construction trainer to complete the required training.
2. All employees will receive a site-specific construction safety orientation covering jobsite safety and health issues and procedures relative to the work being performed and the requirements outlined in this Partnership Agreement.
3. 100% of employees on site will participate in a weekly "safety stand down" Hazard awareness training.
4. 100% of employees on site will participate in a daily "stretch and flex program".
5. Other hazard-specific training will be conducted on an as-needed basis.
5. Require Subcontractors who have written safety and health programs to submit them to The Samuels Group, Inc. Companies that do not have their own written safety and health programs will be required to either develop a safety and health program on their own or by utilizing services provided by Wisconsin State Consultation or other Partnership members.
6. Ensure health-related issues arising during the course of the construction work are adequately addressed internally by The Samuels Group, Inc. and/or the Wisconsin Onsite Consultation Service. All health-related issues will be discussed monthly during the partnership meetings.
7. Require all fall protection at the 6’ level and above.
   
   Although providing mandatory fall protection at the 6' level is not required by the current OSHA construction standards and is not mandated by OSHA as a requirement for participation in any OSHA partnership agreement, the contractors on this partnership are committed to providing a greater level of protection to the employees working at this site and will require protection at the 6' level and above.
8. Ensure compliance with NFPA 70E if it is determined infeasible to de-energize electrical equipment. A permitting system acceptable to the partnership committee will be submitted for approval and implemented to assure appropriate protective measures are taken prior to exposure such as training and personal protective equipment. All live electrical work will be conducted under a permit.
9. Ensure all equipment capable of amputations is adequately guarded.
4. Performance Measures


1. Collect the following injury and illness data and compare the incidence rates to the national average:
1. TCIR – Total Case Incidence Rate
2. TCIR – Total Case Incidence Rate
2. Number of contractors who:
1. Have their own safety and health program
2. Improve their safety and health program as a result of the partnership.
3. Number of contractors who:
1. Have their own safety and health program
2. Improve their safety and health program as a result of the partnership.
4. Number of contractors who:
1. Have their own safety and health program
2. Improve their safety and health program as a result of the partnership.
5. ANNUAL EVALUATION

The Annual Evaluation, as described in Appendix C of OSHA Directive CSP 03-02-002, will be completed by OSHA with input received from the partners.

It will be the responsibility of The Samuels Group, Inc. or its designated representative to gather required participant data to evaluate the overall success of the program.  The Samuels Group, Inc. will collect and maintain the following data specified in the measurement factors:


• Injury and illness information,
• A record of training conducted relative to the measurement factors (including the number of employees trained).
• Copies of the subcontractors Safety and Health Program Plans.
The Consultation Program managers will report the number of S ubcontractors that developed or improved their safety and health programs through consultation.


6. BENEFITS
   
   Participant benefits from OSHA may include:
   
   1. Priority consideration for compliance assistance and offsite technical assistance (phone calls/faxes) by Wisconsin On-Site Consultation and OSHA as resources allow.
7. OSHA VERIFICATION
   
   Onsite Non-enforcement Verification: Onsite non-enforcement verification reviews will be conducted as part of the monthly partnership meeting. A union representative can choose to be part of the inspection group. A referral for an enforcement inspection will be made if management refuses to correct a serious hazard identified during the non-enforcement verification visit.
   
   Onsite Enforcement Inspections:
   
   One unannounced OSHA focused enforcement inspections will be conducted annually. These inspections include the potential for issuing citations and assessing penalties for violations. Enforcement inspections may be combined with other unprogrammed inspections, for example, a complaint inspection.
   
   
8. OSP MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION

The Sacred Heart Hospital Curtain Wall Replacement Project Partnership Committee (the Committee) will consist of representatives from each of the partners listed above. The Committee will review contractor compliance and involvement in the partnership, analyze job site audits, make partnership improvements and evaluate partnership modifications, achievements and success.

The Samuels Group, Inc.


• Fully support and encourage participation in matters relative to safety and health during the partnership with a spirit of cooperativeness.
• Require sub-contractors to meet the OSHA requirements.>
• Participate in the training sessions and the partnership evaluation.
• Provide a representative to serve as a point of contact.
• Collect data and information related to hazard identification and control and share the information as appropriate.
• Where the potential for airborne silica exposure exists, The Samuels Group, Inc. will require the use of wet cutting techniques and/or dust collection systems in addition to the mandatory use of approved respiratory protection.
• The Site Superintendant and/or Safety Director will conduct daily safety audits. Since this is a multi-employer worksite and all workers are to work together on safety issues, a schedule of all daily site-safety audits will be developed by The Samuels Group, Inc. and the safety committee.
Trades Bargaining Units


• Appoint a member to the Committee,
• Participate in monthly safety audits, and
• Participate in monthly Partnership meetings.
Wisconsin On-site Consultation


• Participate in monthly inspections of the construction work site.
• Participate in monthly Partnership meetings.
• Review overall site safety and health program and provide recommendations, as appropriate, for improvement.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate the Partnership and make recommendations, as appropriate for improvement.
• Provide industrial hygiene services as requested to support the partnership. This could include atmospheric monitoring and noise measurement.

OSHA


• Prepare the annual Partnership evaluation. Review and compile data provided.
• Participate in monthly Partnership meetings and site non-enforcement walk around.
• Review overall site safety and health program and provide recommendations, as appropriate, for improvement.
• Conduct one enforcement inspection annually.
• Conduct focused enforcement inspections as allowed by this partnership.
• Optimal use of phone and fax process to handle complaints.
• Other-than-Serious violations will not be cited if corrected at the time of the inspection.


9. Employee and Employer Rights and ResponsibilitiesOSP MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION

This partnership does not preclude employees and/or employers from exercising any right provided under the OSH Act (or, for federal employees, 29 CFR 1960), nor does it abrogate any responsibility to comply with rules and regulations adopted pursuant to the Act.


10. Term of OSP

This agreement will terminate on the date of scheduled substantial completion of the activities of The Samuels Group, Inc. or its subcontractors on or about June 15, 2014. If OSHA or The Samuels Group, Inc. chooses to withdraw their participation in the partnership, the entire agreement is terminated. Any signatory may also propose modification or amendment of the agreement. If any of the other signatories wishes to withdraw their participation prior to the established termination date, a written notice of the intent to withdraw must be provided to all the other signatories.


11. Signatures



Signed this day of _____________. ____________________________ Mark W. Hysell Area Directorsp Eau Claire Area OSHA Office		__________________________ Name Title The Samuels Group, Inc.
____________________________ Michael Cavanagh WI Safety & Health Consultation Program UW State Laboratory of Hygiene		__________________________ Name Title Sacred Hear Hospital