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Region 4 News Release:   USDOL: 00-169
Friday, Sept. 22, 2000
Contact: Clyde Payne
PHONE: (601) 965-4606 ext. 0

OSHA AND MISSISSIPPI ABC SIGN PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

The U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Jackson, Miss., area office has signed an agreement with the Mississippi Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) to improve safety and health at construction sites. The partnership, based on a national prototype, also recognizes ABC's "Platinum Partner" contractors who have exemplary safety and health programs at their work sites.

Clyde Payne, Jackson area director, said, "Members of the Mississippi Associated Builders and Contractors and the OSHA area office staff have worked together during the past several years to reduce worker illnesses and injuries. OSHA, by signing this partnership agreement, recognizes ABC's important contributions and the efforts members continue to make toward the goal of safer and healthier construction sites."

The Associated Builders and Contractors' four-step program designates its safest contractors as platinum partners. To reach this highest level of safety performance, contractors must meet stringent safety and health guidelines including:

• a three-year history without fatalities, catastrophic accidents, willful, repeat or serious OSHA violations;

• an occupational injury and illness rate well below the national construction industry average of 8.8 percent;

• a site specific, written safety and health program, with significant employee involvement based on guidelines from either the American National Standards Institute or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration;

• designated safety personnel who have completed OSHA's 30-hour construction safety course or its equivalent;

• supervisor training programs as effective as, and modeled after, OSHA's 10-hour construction course, and

• effective employee training programs which include recognition and abatement of hazards specifically associated with the employee's job.

"This agreement is a major milestone, marking the Mississippi Associated Builders and Contractors' strong commitment to worker safety and our team effort with OSHA to reduce employee illnesses and injuries on the job," said C.J. Buddy Edens, the association's executive vice-president.

The agreement also stipulates that after OSHA conducts a verification audit at a job site, that site will be removed from OSHA's targeted and programmed inspection lists for twelve months. Other incentives include: assurances that OSHA will process most complaints using the phone and fax method and that unprogrammed inspections will be conducted only in response to reports of imminent danger, fatalities, catastrophic accidents or signed complaints.

Associated Builders and Contractors is a national association representing approximately 22,000 contractors in 82 chapters across the country. The Mississippi chapter comprises over 1200 employers with more than 15,000 construction workers throughout the state.

The OSHA Jackson area office is located at 3780 I-55 North, Suite 210, Jackson, Miss., 39211-6323; telephone: (601) 965-4606.