OSHA, Illinois builders, contractors continue alliance to provide outreach, protect workers from common hazards

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Great Lakes Construction Association
Lake County Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO

Alliance: OSHA and the Great Lakes Construction Association (formerly known as the Lake County Contractors Association) have renewed an agreement to address struck-by, fall, caught-in-between and electrical hazards in the construction industry. The Lake County Building and Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO is also participating in the alliance to provide members and others with information, guidance and access to training resources. These resources are designed to help protect the safety and health of construction industry workers in Lake County, Illinois, and promote understanding of the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Originally signed by GLCA in April 2004, the alliance calls for all three organizations to use appropriate and relevant injury, illness and hazard exposure data to identify areas of emphasis for alliance awareness, outreach and communication activities. Alliance members will convene and participate in the organization’s conferences, local meetings and other special events on workplace hazards. They will also collaborate to forge innovative solutions in the workplace and share information in seminars and at the annual Safety Day held in October. The day highlights safety and health issues in the construction industry, OSHA regulations and industry best-practices. OSHA 10- and 30-hour training classes will also be arranged through the alliance partners.

Duration: Five years.

Background: OSHA’s Alliance Program connects the agency with groups committed to worker safety and health in an effort to reduce workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. Groups include unions, consulates, trade or professional organizations, businesses, faith- and community-based organizations, and educational institutions. Alliance members work together to develop compliance assistance tools and resources, share information with workers and employers, and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities under the OSH Act.

Quote: “The renewal of this alliance shows construction sites can be made safer when everyone works together to recognize hazards and follow safety protocols and procedures,” said Angeline Loftus, OSHA’s area director for its Chicago North Office in Des Plaines. “OSHA has found alliances like these continue to set a standard for sharing best practices, educating employers and workers, and ensuring that safety is not compromised on the job.”