Partnership Aims to Boost Safety in Construction of Peoria Airport Addition
OSHA, the Illinois Onsite Safety and Health Consultation, and Williams Brothers Construction Inc. (WBCI) have developed a partnership to provide a safe and healthful environment for employees working on the Peoria Airport construction addition.
"We want to ensure all construction companies -- big and small -- are prepared to effectively control the workplace hazards their employees may encounter," said Nick Walters, OSHA's area director in Peoria, Ill. "We believe this partnership is one step closer to ensuring all worksites have effective safety and health programs, and train employees on workplace hazards and ways to prevent serious injuries."
WBCI is the lead contractor, along with some 20 subcontractors, in the construction of the Peoria Airport addition. The partnership is focused on identifying and controlling hazards, improving the health and safety programs of the general contractor and the subcontractors, providing a safe and healthful environment for employees working in the construction industry through increased training, implementation of best work-practices, and compliance with applicable OSHA standards and regulations.
By focusing efforts and resources, this partnership expects to increase communication between the stakeholders, and reduce exposure to hazards and incidence of serious injuries and fatalities, OSHA said.
OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program is designed to encourage, assist, and recognize the efforts of partners to eliminate serious workplace hazards and achieve a high level of worker safety and health. According to the agency, most strategic partnerships seek to have a broad impact by building cooperative relationships with groups of employers and workers. These partnerships are voluntary relationships among OSHA, employers, worker representatives, and others (for example, trade unions, trade and professional associations, universities, and other government agencies).