Who: U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration McCarthy Building Companies Inc.
What: Alliance
Background: OSHA Area Office Director William McDonald in St. Louis signed an alliance with McCarthy Building Companies Inc. to provide a safe work site during phase 3 construction of the BJC Healthcare Campus Renewal Project in downtown St. Louis. The alliance includes a partnership with the Mid-America Carpenters Regional Council, Missouri & Kansas Laborers' District Council, and Building and Construction Trades Council.
The project is a long-term initiative to transform Washington University Medical Center through new construction and renovations. The campus includes Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis Children's Hospital, and Washington University School of Medicine.
Phase 3 of the project includes the construction of a 16-story replacement tower on the site of the recently demolished Queeny Tower. The new building will house acute and ICU patient care areas along with diagnostics, imaging, and surgical support spaces. Adjacent to the new tower will be an improved campus entrance with a pedestrian bridge.
The alliance addresses common construction industry hazards and develop training and education programs on issues such as trenching, falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, ergonomics, and safe electrical work practices. The project will employ hundreds of St. Louis area trades workers and apprentices, and includes daily and weekly safety audits and training.
Members will also continue to share information on OSHA campaigns to encourage workplace safety and will facilitate an understanding of worker' rights and employees'' responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
The OSHA Alliance Program enables organizations to enter voluntarily into a cooperative relationship to raise awareness of OSHA's initiatives, outreach, communications, training, and education.
Quote: "This partnership will promote a comprehensive and collaborative effort that exceeds minimum best practices in the construction industry," explained OSHA Area Director William McDonald in St. Louis, Missouri. "Alliance partnerships provide a collaborative framework for using industry and professional resources to ensure workplaces are safe for everyone involved."
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