Region 5 News Release: 09-1352-CHI
Nov. 17, 2009
Contact: Scott Allen or Brad Mitchell
Phone: 312-353-6976

US Labor Department's OSHA, Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation and Williams Brothers Construction Inc. establish partnership
Focus is safety and health at construction sites

PEORIA, Ill. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation and Williams Brothers Construction Inc. (WBCI) have developed a partnership to provide a safe and healthful environment for employees working on the Peoria Airport construction addition.

"We want to ensure all construction companies - big and small - are prepared to effectively control the workplace hazards their employees may encounter," said Nick Walters, OSHA's area director in Peoria. "We believe this partnership is one step closer to ensuring all worksites have effective safety and health programs, and train employees on workplace hazards and ways to prevent serious injuries."

WBCI is the lead contractor, along with some 20 subcontractors, in the construction of the Peoria Airport addition. The partnership is focused on identifying and controlling hazards, improving the health and safety programs of the general contractor and the subcontractors, providing a safe and healthful environment for employees working in the construction industry through increased training, implementation of best work-practices, and compliance with applicable OSHA standards and regulations.

By focusing efforts and resources, this partnership expects to increase communication between the stakeholders, and reduce exposure to hazards and incidence of serious injuries and fatalities.

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, OSHA's role is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for America's men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, outreach and education. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at 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 www.dol.gov/compliance.