Region 7 News Release: 09-591-KAN
July 9, 2009
Contact: Jeremy Eggers
Phone: 303-844-1299

U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA focuses special emphasis program on Recovery Act-funded bridge construction projects in Nebraska

OMAHA, Neb. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Omaha Area Office has launched a special local emphasis program in Nebraska aimed at reducing workplace hazards on bridge construction projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).

Through increased awareness and enforcement activities, OSHA's goal is to reduce employee exposures to hazards on bridge construction sites receiving Recovery Act funding.

"The hazards associated with bridge construction are well recognized," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. "OSHA's Omaha Area Office will devote resources to outreach and enforcement activities for employers of Recovery Act-funded sites in Nebraska to help ensure worksites are safe and healthful."

Under the program, OSHA will develop a special emphasis list of jobsites specifically funded by the Recovery Act. Due to the mobility of employers in the construction industry, the transitory nature of construction sites and the fact that sites often involve more than one employer, inspections will target specific jobsites rather than specific employers. All employers active at a selected jobsite will be included in the inspection activity.

For more information, call OSHA's Omaha Area Office at 402-553-0171 or toll-free at 800-642-8963.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA's role is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for America's working 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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