OSHA Renews Agreement with Associated General Contractors of Colorado

Safety Incidents Drop 46 Percent among Participating AGC Members

DENVER — As Randy DeMario, board president of the Associated General Contractors of Colorado signed the historic agreement renewing AGC's partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, he recalled the profound impact the partnership has had on reducing worksite injuries and saving lives.

“Since the program started in 2004, the number of injury incidents has dropped 46 percent, from 5.7 incidents per 100 employees in 2004 to 3.1 in 2009,” said DeMario, president of Heath Construction in Fort Collins. “We"ve demonstrated that the program with OSHA works.”

Through the partnership, OSHA will continue to offer incentives for participating contractors who follow OSHA safety and health requirements and procedures.

“Typically a contractor's relationship with OSHA can be adversarial,” said Ed Davis, AGC-Colorado safety director. “This program shows that the relationship can be a partnership and create even safer jobsites.”

OSHA's agreement with AGC-Colorado is the only such agreement among AGC chapters in a six-state region. The agreement first was reached six years ago and renewed after three years. The latest agreement extends the partnership another five years.

Through the agreement, AGC-Colorado screens all applications for partnership. Once a company qualifies with AGC-Colorado, OSHA is notified of its intent to participate in the Construction Health and Safety Excellence (CHASE) program at a particular level. Depending on the level, OSHA officials then visit the AGC-member's firm to rigorously evaluate the company's safety program and jobsites. Once OSHA determines the firm has met OSHA's strict health and safety requirements, a series of OSHA incentives are available to the contractor, depending on the firm's level of program participation and continued commitment to safety.

“OSHA makes the incentives available only after a contractor has met OSHA's meticulous requirements,” said Michael Gifford, AGC-Colorado executive director. “Those incentives can include reducing citations for minor violations, a reduction in fines and even OSHA limiting unannounced inspections.”

To participate in the program, contractors must be an AGC-Colorado member. For more information, visit www.agccolorado.org or call AGC-Colorado at 303-388-2422.