OSHA, Whiting-Turner Join to Enhance Safety During Hartford, Conn., Retail Construction Project

Hartford, CT. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has formed a site safety partnership with the Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. to reduce hazards and enhance worker safety during construction of the Front Street District Project retail center in Hartford.

“Knowledge and training are key tools in evaluating, identifying and eliminating work-related hazards before they injure or sicken workers,” said C. William Freeman III, OSHA’s area director in Hartford. “This partnership takes a proactive and systematic approach to safety and health that will pay dividends in reduced human and financial costs, and increased morale and productivity.”

Under the partnership, Whiting-Turner will develop and implement a project-specific safety and health plan to be administered by a qualified safety and health representative; establish project-specific safety and health guidelines; conduct a comprehensive job hazard analysis; hold weekly safety and health meetings with subcontractors; provide ongoing training on the safe operation of cranes; and establish methods for reporting worksite hazards, and collecting injury and illnesses data.

Subcontractors will be expected to develop and maintain project-specific safety and health plans that meet or exceed the Whiting-Turner plan; provide employees with safety orientation, training and weekly task-specific safety instructions; and conduct weekly safety and health inspections. OSHA will review and evaluate the safety and health plan and compliance; assist in ensuring the delivery of effective training; provide clarification, feedback and input, as needed; and periodically attend site safety and health meetings.

Whiting-Turner is the general contractor for the project, which involves the erection of a 70,000 square foot, two story retail building and a four-story pre-cast concrete garage. The project is expected to be completed around June 2010.

Freeman signed for OSHA; signing for Whiting-Turner were Director of Safety Doug Walters and Superintendent Mark P. Criscuolo. More than 1.4 million employees and nearly 28,000 employers across the United States have participated with OSHA in more than 580 strategic partnerships since the program began in 1998. For more information about OSHA partnerships in Connecticut, contact the agency’s area office in Hartford (860-240-3152) or Bridgeport (203-579-5581).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their workers. OSHA’s role is to promote the safety and health of America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.