OSHA Unveils Partnership to Protect Workers at Calamos Project in Illinois

The U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has entered into a partnership with Power Construction Company LLC and contractors to ensure the safety and health of workers at the Calamos Building Project in Naperville, Ill.

OSHA Strategic Partnerships for Worker Safety and Health are part of U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao’s ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of workers through cooperative relationships with groups, including trade associations, labor organizations, and employers

Charlie Shields, director of OSHA’s North Aurora area office and John Beach, safety director of Power Construction Company, signed the partnership agreement to effectively address hazards during construction of the five-story office building at 2000 Calamos Court in Naperville. More than 40 contractors will employ 250 employees during the nine-month project.

“This partnership is a major step forward to improve the safety and health of all workers at this important project in Naperville,” said Shields. “We’re looking forward to a cooperative relationship with Power Construction Company and its contractors who have placed a top priority on a safe work environment.”

The top causes of fatalities identified by OSHA are falls, moving equipment or machinery, electrocution, and workers caught between equipment. The goal of the partnership is to encourage and assist contractors to improve their safety and health performance, prevent serious accidents, and to recognize contractors with exemplary safety and health programs. The partnership will strive to eliminate or significantly reduce the number of injuries and illnesses by 10 percent below the national average for construction sites.

Under the terms of the partnership, Power Construction Company and contractors will incorporate management leadership, employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard prevention and control, and proper training into their written safety and health programs. Power Construction Company and contractors will comply with all OSHA standards, ensure that safety and health is part of the management planning process, and communicate safety and health program responsibilities to all project employees.

In return for meeting these criteria, OSHA will help contractors implement safety programs, help contractors identify the primary causes of injuries and illnesses at the worksite, and help contractors correct safety hazards. OSHA will also conduct focused inspections on the most serious hazards and may reduce penalties for prompt abatement of safety and health violations.

OSHA will still conduct inspections in response to reports of imminent danger, an employee complaint, a fatality, or catastrophic accident.