Region 4 News Release: 10-130-ATL (083)
Feb. 2, 2010
Contact: Michael D'Aquino Michael Wald
Phone: 404-562-2076 404-562-2078

US Labor Department's OSHA forming safety partnership with Skanska USA to focus on Westin Peachtree Plaza Window Replacement Project
Feb. 3 signing ceremony to include Georgia Tech's On-Site Consultative Service

ATLANTA -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Georgia Tech's On-Site Consultative Service are forming a new partnership with Skanska USA in Atlanta.

The goal of the partnership is to ensure the highest level of worker safety and health during the replacement of all windows in the 73-story downtown Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel.

"We are committed to raising safety and health awareness, and hazard recognition among employers and their employees throughout Georgia, particularly with the state's non-English speaking workforce," said Andre Richards, OSHA's Atlanta-West area director. "The primary goals of this agreement are to reduce worker injuries and illnesses, and eliminate fatalities during this major construction project."

The partnership will focus on increasing the number of construction companies with effective safety and health management systems and incident-prevention programs. It also will work to increase the number of workers who receive effective safety and health training. The agreement requires participating employers to train non-English speaking employees in workplace safety and health.

The Westin Peachtree Plaza Window Replacement Project will consist of replacing all 6,350 windows in the hotel, which was damaged by a tornado in March 2008. The Westin Peachtree Plaza was designed by John Portman in 1976 and is topped by the tri-level, revolving Sun Dial Restaurant Bar & View at 723 feet.

A signing ceremony for the new partnership will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 3, at 10:30 a.m. in the Westin Peachtree Plaza, 210 Peachtree St., Atlanta, on the fifth floor. The public is welcome to attend the event. Information on the ceremony is available by contacting OSHA's Atlanta-West Area Office at 770-984-8700.

OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program helps encourage, assist and recognize the efforts of partners to eliminate serious workplace hazards and achieve a high level of worker safety and health. Most strategic partnerships seek to have a broad impact by building cooperative relationships with groups of employers and workers. These partnerships are voluntary relationships among OSHA, employers, worker representatives and others (for example, trade unions, trade and professional associations, universities and other government agencies).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America's employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit http://www.dol.gov/compliance.