OSHA Focuses on Stimulus-Funded Construction Projects in KS, MO
OSHA's area offices in Wichita, Kan., and St. Louis have respectively launched local special emphasis programs in Kansas and eastern Missouri aimed at reducing workplace hazards on construction projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Through increased awareness and enforcement activities, OSHA's goal is to reduce employee exposures to hazards on construction sites receiving Recovery Act funding, the agency says. Under the program, OSHA will develop a special emphasis list of jobsites specifically funded by the Recovery Act. Due to the mobility of employers in the construction industry, the transitory nature of construction sites, and the fact that sites often involve more than one employer, inspections will target specific jobsites rather than specific employers. All employers active at a selected jobsite will be included in the inspection activity.
"The hazards associated with the construction industry are well recognized, especially on large projects involving highways, bridges, new building construction, and existing building renovation and demolition operations," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. He added that the area offices in St. Louis and Wichita will devote resources to outreach and enforcement activities for employers in their respective jurisdictions to help ensure worksites are safe.
For more information, call either OSHA's St. Louis Area Office at (314) 425-4249 (toll-free at 800-392-7743) or Wichita Area Office at (316) 269-6644 (toll-free at 800-362-2896).