Holder Construction Co. and OSHA partner to protect workers on DuPont CH2 Data Center project in Elk Grove Village, Illinois

ELK GROVE VILLAGE, Ill. — Holder Construction Co. and the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration have established a strategic partnership to protect and educate workers on construction hazards during the building of the DuPont CH2 Data Center project in Elk Grove Village. The Illinois Department of Labor and several local unions are part of the agreement.

The partnership will focus on training employers and workers about the hazards construction workers face daily on the job, including fall, electrical, caught-in and struck-by hazards. These hazards are the leading cause of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry.

"Our focus is to forge a working relationship that will prevent serious workplace construction hazards and establish a foundation for the development of an effective safety and health program at the site," said Angie Loftus, OSHA's area director for the Chicago North Office in Des Plaines.

The partnership aims to meet these goals through increased training, implementation of best work practices, creation of site-specific written safety and health programs and compliance with applicable OSHA standards and regulations.

The DuPont CH2 project consists of a 334,000-square-foot data center. The project is expected to reach completion in late 2015, and may employ up to 12 subcontractors with 400 tradesmen on-site during construction.

The OSHA partnership has been developed jointly with the general contractor Holder Construction Co.; OSHA; the Illinois Department of Labor's Illinois On-site Safety and Health Consultation; Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters; International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 134; United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners Local 839; Laborers International Union of North America Local 118; Pipefitters Local Union 597; International Association of Iron Workers Local 1; International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150; and International Association of Sheet Metal Workers Local 73.

As part of the agreement, all contractors and subcontractors on the project will be required to have specific written safety and health programs in place and each employee must attend a job site safety orientation before working on the site.

Through its Strategic Partnership Program, OSHA works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, labor organizations and other interested stakeholders to establish specific goals, strategies and performance measures to improve worker safety and health. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/partnerships/index.html.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.