Background:

In July 2007, Turner Construction Company, New York State Department of Labor’s Division of Safety and Health On-site Consultation Program, Building and Construction Trades Council, Building Trades Employer Association, and OSHA’s Region II Manhattan Area Office formed an OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP) to reduce injuries and illnesses and promote safety and health in the construction industry. The OSP took place during the New York Times construction project which consisted of building 13 new loading docks and a new office space (a 70,000 square foot addition) to the second floor of the New York Times printing facility in College Point, New York. The project was successfully completed in June 2008.

Success Impact:

OSP Achieves Key Goal by Reducing Injury and Illness Rates - Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR)

Over the course of the project, only one injury was recorded. The OSP achieved a TCIR of 1.2 percent, which was 78 percent below the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) national average for the Nonresidential Building Construction Industry. The table below presents the OSP’s TCIR compared to the 2006 BLS national average and the percentage difference.

The OSP’s low TCIR rate is believed to be linked to the increase in safety and health training conducted. Site safety orientation training is routinely conducted to review the site’s safety and health management system. Contractors perform and document weekly tool box talks for the employees to review common hazards. Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) were created for work being performed by their employees or in areas which may affect their work such as: work platforms erected to eliminate fall hazards for removal of steel plates, insulated metal plates installed around construction area to isolate from ongoing activities at facility. In addition, efforts are being made to control dirt, dust, and noise. These regular meetings have helped to increase management commitment and employee involvement.

OSP Achieves Key Goal by Improving Relationships in the Industry

In addition, the OSP established an excellent working relationship between government, employers, labor, and trade associations. The OSP has helped the work performed onsite to progress efficiently and it has provided a strong basis for management, labor, and contractors to work collaboratively. The safety meetings and working lunches have assisted in bringing a cohesive working relationship for all employees who work at the project site.

Partnership Objectives:

Key objectives of the OSP include: identifying and correcting safety and health industry hazards, reducing injury and illness rates, enhancing enhancement of participating contractor’s safety and health management systems, and establishing an effective working relationship between all parties to the agreement.

Origin: OSHA Region II, Manhattan Area Office

Partners: Turner Construction Company, the Building Trades Employers’ Association, the Building and Construction Trades Council and New York State Department of Labor’s Division of Safety and Health On-site Consultation Program

Partnership Signed: July 26, 2007

Industry: Construction (NAICS Code 2362)

Employees: 400 total for the entire project

Employers: Approximately 17

Source and Date: Fred Ringler and Greg Singleton, Safety Managers, TCC, July 2008