Background:

In January 2008, the Aurora Police Station and Branch Court Facility OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP) was formed with partners Leopardo Construction, R.C. Wegman Construction Company, the Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program, and OSHA’s Aurora Area Office. The main objective of the OSP is to promote safety and health during the construction of the $70 million Aurora Police Headquarters and Branch Court Facility. This new facility will include flat concrete floors, structural steel and metal deck framing system, pre-cast wall panels, and office space. Approximately 26 employers and 187 employees are covered by the OSP. The facility is expected to be completed in October 2009. The OSP submitted their first annual evaluation in the spring of 2009.

Success Impact:

OSP Meets all Goals During First Year: Maintaining Injury and Illness Rates 15% below the National Average, Improving Safety and Health Management Systems in the Industry, and Increasing Safety and Health Training

During the first year of the OSP, 60 training sessions and 3,268 training hours were conducted which resulted in 615 employees, managers, and supervisors completing safety and health training. The training included topics on traffic control and fall harness and personal protective equipment, as well as OSHA 30-hour courses.

To be accepted into the OSP, every participant was required to implement a site-specific safety and health management system which was reviewed prior to commencing work to ensure it covered all key industry hazards. Fourteen OSP meetings were held to discuss work on the project which also included conducting an onsite non-enforcement inspection. These verifications resulted in very few issues, and those that were observed were quickly resolved. Also, daily and comprehensive monthly self-inspections were conducted on a regular basis which resulted in 1,201 hazards or serious violations being identified and corrected/abated.

The OSP’s Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate was 1.5 which is 67 percent below the 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) national average. The OSP’s Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) was also 1.5 which is 29 percent below BLS. The below table presents the OSP’s injury and illness rates compared to the BLS national average during its first year:

By implementing key strategies to meet its key goals, the OSP has demonstrated outstanding results. Other OSP benefits as reported in the annual evaluation included increased safety and health awareness and improved relationships between OSHA, employees and unions, and employers.

Partnership Objectives:

Key objectives of the OSP are to: reduce injuries and illnesses by implementing a comprehensive job site inspection program; maintain injury and illness rates that are 15 percent below the BLS national average; increase the number of employees, employers, and supervisors who have completed safety and health training.

Origin: Aurora Area Office (Region V)

Partners: Leopardo Construction, R.C. Wegman Construction Company, and Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program

Partnership Signed: January 29, 2008

Industry (NAICS Code): Construction (236220)

Employees: 187

Employers: 26

Source/Date: Nancy M. Quick, Aurora Area Office (Region v) and Danielle Gibbs, OSHA National Office (Washington, DC)/July 2009