Safety Pact Formed on $557M Military Medical Complex Project
Ensuring the highest level of employee safety and health is the goal of a new partnership formed last week between OSHA and general contractor Clark/Hunt AJV, to work on the San Antonio Military Medical Complex (SAMMC). Clark/Hunt is a joint venture between Clark Construction Group LLC of Costa Mesa, Calif., and the Hunt Construction Group of Phoenix.
"This partnership affirms a shared commitment toward providing a safer work environment on this project," said Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas. "The agreement will help to ensure that goal is accomplished."
The SAMMC project, which will employ about 1,200 workers during peak construction activities, is an expansion and extension of Brook Army Medical Center and Fort Sam Houston and will create a medical complex encompassing both Army installations. The project includes nearly 700,000 square feet of new hospital space, renovation of existing medical space in excess of 280,000 square feet, a new Central Energy Plant, and a new parking structure with a total of nearly 5,000 new parking spots. Total project costs are estimated at nearly $557 million.
OSHA and participating contractors will work together to reduce serious injuries and illnesses of employees at the project, increase the number of safety and health programs among contractors and subcontractors, and build a relationship focused on preventing work-related fatalities. The pact is part of the agency's Strategic Partnership Program, which is designed to improve the safety and health of employees through cooperative relationships with trade associations, labor organizations, employers, and employees.