Background:

Recognizing the need for a safe and healthy work environment for employees working at the New Pfizer Research Building construction site in Chesterfield Missouri, Gilbane Tarlton Joint Venture and OSHA’s Region VII’s St. Louis Area Office formed an OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP) in February 2007. The primary goals of the OSP were to maintain injury and illness rates that were below the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) national average for the construction industry without any fatalities, increase safety and health training, and to implement effective safety and health management systems (SHMS). The project was successfully completed in October 2008.

Success Impact:

Injuries and Illnesses Rates Decline – Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR),
Days Away, Restricted, and Transferred (DART) Rate

Since the OSP was formed, injury and illness rates have decreased. The below table presents the injury and illness data collected during the construction of the New Pfizer Research Building project.

As shown above, the OSP's TCIR and DART two-year average rate were 18 percent and 93 percent respectively, below the 2007 Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) national average for the construction industry.

Enhanced Safety and Health Culture through Increased Training Efforts

During the OSP, over 66 managers and 336 employees received over 1,450 hours of safety and health training. The training focused on specific topics such as aerial lift platforms, fall protection, confined space, hoisting, flag traffic control, hand protection, safety orientation, respiratory protection, power actuated tools, suspension scaffolds, superintendents briefings, OSHA 10-hour courses, and weekly Tool Box meetings. Also, over 4,600 self-inspections were performed resulting in over 400 hazards being identified and corrected/abated.

Partnership Objectives:

Key objectives of the OSP were to: decrease injury and illness rates on the project site, promote a safe and healthful work environment for all employees, address key hazards within the construction industry through safety and health training, and recognize participants that have developed and implemented effective SHMS.

Origin: Region VII, St. Louis Area Office

Partners: Gilbane Tarlton Joint Venture, St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council and Carpenters’ District Council of Greater St. Louis and Vicinity

Partnership Signed: February 1, 2007

Industry and NAICS Code/s: Construction (238910, 236210, 236220)

Employees: Approximately 300

Employers: Approximately 20

Source and Date: Jacalyn Wheeler, OSHA Region VII, Partnership Coordinator (March 2009)