News Brief
US Department of Labor, Holder Construction, local unions partnership promote workplace safety during Mustang Data Center Project
Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation
What: Strategic partnership agreement
Background: On May 10, 2023, OSHA Columbus Area Office Director Larry Johnson signed a strategic partnership agreement with Holder Construction and the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation to promote safety and health practices during the construction of the Mustang Data Center in Lancaster, Ohio.
Employees participating in the project are represented by labor unions including: Sheet Metal Workers Local 24, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 683, Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 189, International Union of Operating Engineers District 3, Carpenters Local 200 and Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 423.
As general contractor Holder Construction will oversee construction of the data center with an approximate 300,000 square feet (sf) footprint. More than 600 tradespersons are expected to work on the project through its scheduled completion in June 2025.
The partnership requires all contractors and subcontractors on site to develop and implement written safety and health programs as effective as Holder’s to provide proper training to employees, employers and supervisors. Participants will focus on common construction hazards such as trenching and excavation hazards, falls, struck-by and caught-in objects, and the use of hearing protection.
Holder Construction will also hold pre-construction meetings with contractors to review site specific safety plans. OSHA 30-hour certifications are required for on-site competent person for all contractors, subcontractors and tier-subcontractors. Additionally, workers will participate in weekly toolbox meetings to discuss safety topics and evaluate safe work practices on site and all training will be offered in the language understood by workers performing the tasks.
Quote: “OSHA partnerships provide a proven, collaborative framework for enhancing worker safety and training on major construction projects,” said OSHA Area Director Larry Johnson in Columbus, Ohio. “By working collaboratively with the general contractor, union representative and employees on site, strategic partnerships ensure accountability for safe work practices.”
OSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program 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.
