OSHA in Atlanta Construction Partnership
The State Farm at Park Center project is a mixed-use development incorporating a 1 million-square-foot corporate office building, a 2.5 million-square-foot parking deck, and the demolition of the existing Hammond Exchange Building. During construction, approximately 50 subcontractors and 4,000 workers will be on site.
OSHA, the Georgia Institute of Technology Onsite Safety and Health Consultation Program, Holder Construction Co., and the Associated General Contractors of Georgia Inc. have signed a partnership in which they agree to work together to protect and educate workers on construction hazards during the second and third construction phases of the State Farm at Park Center project in Atlanta.
The signing by Daniel J. Ortiz, program manager for the Georgia Tech Research Institute's Safety, Health & Environmental Technology Division; Jorge E. Cisneros, corporate safety director for Holder Construction; and William Fulcher, OSHA's area director in the Atlanta-East Office, occurred June 1. It allows for better use of OSHA resources and aims to encourage more participation in the safety process from the construction community. The partnership will:
- Develop effective safety and health training programs and procedures
- Reduce injury and illness rates
- Increase the number of employers with effective safety and health management systems
- Increase the monitoring of health hazards at the site
The project is a mixed-use development incorporating a 1 million-square-foot corporate office building, a 2.5 million-square-foot parking deck, and the demolition of the existing Hammond Exchange Building. During construction, approximately 50 subcontractors and 4,000 workers will be on site. The agreement is in effect until completion of construction activities at the site, but not for more than three years.
"Partnerships like these provide a top-down emphasis to ensure a safer and healthier workplace for construction workers," said Fulcher. "The partnership at the State Farm at Park Center project is a great opportunity for knowledge and skills to be passed down to smaller employers so their workers are better protected, not only for this project but for years to come."