Region 6 News Release: 14-102-DAL
Jan. 30, 2014
Contact: Diana Petterson Juan Rodriguez
Phone: 972-850-4710 972-850-4709
Email: petterson.diana@dol.gov rodriguez.juan@dol.gov

US Labor Department's OSHA forms alliance with staffing agency in Houston
to train construction industry temporary workers

HOUSTON – To protect construction industry temporary workers, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration and MEMCO Inc. in Houston signed an alliance today. The alliance provides workers with workplace safety training and collaborates on outreach to temporary employment agencies and businesses with temporary workers in Houston.

"Falls, struck-by, caught-in-between and electrical hazards are commonplace in the construction industry and pose a risk to all workers, whether they've been on the job for one day or throughout a project," said David Doucet, OSHA's area director in the Houston North Area Office. "This voluntary alliance will provide safety hazards training to temporary construction workers in English and Spanish. It affirms their right to a safe and healthful workplace."

MEMCO is a customer-oriented staffing and payroll firm that provides services ranging from temporary workers to meet specific job needs to temporary-to-permanent employee management and payroll-related duties.

Information on protecting temporary workers is available at http://www.osha.gov/temp_workers/index.html.

Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with businesses, trade associations, unions, consulates, professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, and educational institutions to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and to educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/index.html.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's San Antonio office at 210-472-5040.

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 ensure 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 news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The information above is available in large print, Braille or CD from the COAST office upon request by calling 292-693-7828 or TTY 292-693-7755.