Background:

The Kansas City Area Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Walton Construction, Hunt Construction Group, and the Builders' Association, as well as subcontractors working on the project recognized the need for a safe and healthy worksite. The main goal of this OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP) was to ensure a safe working environment for all employees involved in the Kauffman Stadium Renovation Project. The project encompassed the renovation of the Kauffman Stadium ballpark for the Kansas City Royals. The project consisted of approximately seven phases of construction including: outfield construction, a new three-story administration building in front of the stadium, a diamond club, broadcast booths, renovation of older suites, writing press and dining, expanded concourses, and other internal renovations. The project was successfully completed in July 2009.

Success Impact:

OSP Promotes Safety and Health in the Industry through Safety Training Mandates Resulting in Decreased Workers' Compensation Costs

During the 18 months that the Kauffman Stadium was renovated, a total of 148 employers and 2,956 employees participated in the OSP. All 2,956 employees went through two hours of mandatory site-specific safety training for a total of 5,912 training hours. Topics covered during the training included: hazard communication and the importance of reading material safety data sheets; lockout tag-out procedures; fall protection; excavations; scaffolding; and crane safety. In addition to the training that the employees received, all 148 supervisors were also required to attend the following training sessions:10-hour construction outreach training, first-aid/cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and a one hour session on supervisors' safety responsibilities while performing work at the stadium.

The total workers' compensation cost on the project was approximately $0.41 per man hour worked. The actual injury and illness costs incurred were $565,619 which was nearly one million dollars under the anticipated cost of $1,439,080. This dollar amount is reflected in the project's total Days Away from Work (DAFW) rate of 1.01, which is 47 percent below the 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics' national average DAFW rate of 1.90 for the construction industry.

Partnership Objectives:

The key objective of the OSP was to protect workers' exposure to key industry hazards (falls, electrocutions, struck-by, caught-in, caught-between, trenching, and excavation and exposure to silica); reduce illnesses and injuries; and increase and/or improve the number of effective safety and health management systems (SHMS) implemented by participants.

Origin: OSHA Region VII, Kansas City Area Office

Partners: Hunt Construction, Walton Construction Group, the Builders' Association and the Missouri On-Site Safety and Health Consultation Service

Partnership Signed: January 8, 2008

Industry/NAICS Code: Non-Residential Construction/2362 and Building Finishing Contractors/2383

Employers: 148

Employees: 2,956

Source and Date: Jacalyn Wheeler, Region VII OSPP Coordinator, February 2010