 OSHA and Turner Construction Company have established a partnership to protect workers on the CH2 Data Center project in Northlake, IL - a $275 million, 22.8 megawatt data centre, the construction of which is expected to be completed in 2018. The partnership includes trade unions and 15 subcontractors, with a combined workforce of more than 500 employees.
The partnership will seek to emphasise reducing injury and illness on the job site and will focus training on the top four construction industry hazards - falls, struck-by, caught-in/between and electrocutions.
For more information on these hazards, visit the OSHA website.
All employers, contractors and sub-contractors associated with the partnership will be required to implement written safety and health programmes, conduct daily pre-task planning and safety huddles, and job site inspections and involve workers in weekly site safety meetings. OSHA will, in turn, review these programmes at least annually in order to track and compare information on injury and illness rates, share best practices and review goals.
Angeline Loftus, OSHA's area director for its Chicago North Office in Des Plaines commented:
"Workplace safety is achieved when labor, management and employees work together to recognize hazards and train workers in safety protocols and procedures. OSHA has found partnerships like this set a standard for all employers working on the project that safety will not be compromised."
Director of Operations at Astutis, Brenig more added:
"Construction has always been one of the most dangerous sectors in which to work globally and programmes such as these that create partnerships to support a culture of safety and foster an environment which enables site workers to go home safely after each working day are hugely important to the future of health and safety at a company-wide level. People are at the heart of health and safety as our recent blog post highlights and we mustn't forget to engage on the subject at every level."
Michael Blackburn, Turner's Regional Safety Director for the Chicago office said:
"....(this) inclusive approach identifies and mitigates risks, engages those closest to the risk, provides training to increase capabilities, and integrates a risk analysis observation process with feedback to coach, support and recognize safe practices."
 Through its Strategic Partnership Program, OSHA works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, labor organizations and other interested stakeholders to establish specific goals, strategies and performance measures to improve worker safety and health.
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