| Benefits
of OSHA Partnerships
by Leonard
Toenjes
Q: I am interested in signing a
strategic partnership with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to
improve the performance safety in my general contracting company. Some contractors
I know in other regions of the country have done this. What are the advantages
and downsides of these agreements? A: These partnership agreements have been
around for several years and do offer some advantages to both contractors and
craftworkers. In most instances, the partnership agreements are negotiated between
a contractor association and
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
rather than being set between an individual contractor and OSHA.
Our association
has been a sponsoring organization for the St. Louis Construction OSHA Partnership
Program since its inception. The partnerships vary from region to region and may
include several associations and labor groups where applicable.
Participation
in an association-sponsored OSHA Partnership is a good business decision. In today's
competitive market, many buyers of construction services place considerable emphasis
on the safety record of contractors who build their projects.
Buyers of
construction services know that a safety conscious contractor is most likely a
productive and efficient contractor. Contractors who have joined OSHA Partnerships
note that they then include OSHA Partnership information in their marketing brochures
and presentations to prospective clients.
Some of the specific benefits
to contractors and craftworkers include the following:
Special recognition
from OSHA including limited-scope inspections. This may be the primary benefit
of program for both the contractor and OSHA. This allows those contractors with
a safe track record some relief from unnecessary inspections, and allows OSHA
to dedicate their resources towards those areas where they are most likely to
improve construction safety.
An additional reason for the entire construction
team to retain focus on improving jobsite safety, thereby reducing craftworker
injuries and other jobsite mishaps.
Creation of and inclusion in a
recognition program that identifies contractors and subcontractors with above-average
safety programs.
Help for contractors in documenting commitment to
eliminating jobsite accidents when it comes time to set workers' compensation
insurance rates with their carriers.
Hopefully, this can mean money in
the bank.
One of our member contractors noted, "Since our formation
in 1994, we attribute a portion of our growth to our positive safety culture.
We have received repeat business from almost every client we have served.
"We
owe this repeat business to our commitment to safety. We believe the OSHA Partnership
helps the contractor focus on continually upgrading their safety program.
The
OSHA Partnership is good for the employee, the contractor, and the clients we
serve. We highly encourage contractors to join the St. Louis Construction OSHA
Partnership."
Rather than being punitive, OSHA Partnerships are reward
based. The contractor is rewarded in many ways by showing they care about safety
and their employees.
There may some changes in the wind related to OSHA
partnerships. OSHA has proposed a number of significant changes to the existing
OSHA Partnership requirements that could severely curtail the contractor's incentives
to participate these partnerships.
This matter was discussed at a recent
the AGC of America Safety and Health Committee meeting. AGC is requesting that
OSHA either eliminate or substantially revise their new proposed "Strategic
Partnership Program" due to concerns that the revised partnership program
may be discriminatory, overly burdensome and counter-productive to creating a
cooperative effort between OSHA and the construction industry.
In the meantime,
the bottom line is: Joining your local OSHA Partnership makes good business sense,
but the time to act may be now.
Leonard
Toenjes is the president of the Associated General Contractors of St. Louis. He
can be reached at 314-781-2356 or lteonjes@agcstl.org.
Visit the organization's Web site at www.agcstl.org.
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