Pioneering tech growth while focusing on worker safety
Computer technology changes at a stunning pace. It seems like these developments just appear in our lives in the form of faster speeds, better cloud services, and improved artificial intelligence. The fact is, though, that things must be built to develop the technology we all use every day. Advanced memory semiconductors are a key component of this progress. To build more and better memory chips in the U.S., Micron Technology is building a leading-edge memory manufacturing facility in Boise, Idaho.
The numbers behind this construction project—the largest ever in Idaho—are as remarkable as the technology that will be developed in the buildings when complete:
- 8,000 tons of steel
- 15 new buildings, including one of the state's largest office buildings and a water treatment plant
- 3,000 parking spaces, including one of the state's largest parking structures
- Approximately 40 cranes involved in construction
- More than 4,000 construction workers during peak activity
As impressive as all those numbers are, it is the construction workers expected to be on this site that makes this project significant to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. That is why the OSHA Boise Area Office is excited about the safety partnership it signed with Micron.
"This is an exceptional opportunity for us to interact with a groundbreaking project and provide compliance assistance outreach on such a large scale to the Idaho community," said Adam Gerson, compliance assistance specialist in the OSHA Boise area office.
OSHA partnerships are relationships with employers, employees, and employee representatives to improve safety and health on job sites. They establish specific goals, strategies, and performance measures that employers work towards. These goals are all centered on keeping workers safe on the job.
This partnership will help keep workers on this job site safe in two primary ways:
- working to identify and eliminate hazards
- training and mentoring supervisors and workers
Importantly, subcontractors on this job will also benefit from this partnership.
"This is the largest construction project I have experienced in Idaho," said Dave Kearns, area director in the OSHA Boise area office. "Micron is not only bringing in high-quality manufacturing jobs, but along with their general contractor, Exyte, they are taking extra steps to ensure the safety and health of thousands of construction workers."
The number of workers on this project and the reach of the partnership means that not only will workers on this project be safer, but workers on future construction projects will be safer, too.
"Micron and Exyte are raising the bar for construction professionalism in Idaho. It is true leadership. They are examples to other employers for how safety and health can be a core value and integral to the construction process," said Kearns. "Workers will leave this job with a clear understanding of how work can and must be done safely."
As of September 30, 2024, OSHA has more than 110 active partnerships across the country, involving more than 1,800 employers and protecting more than 670,000 workers. These collaborations help identify serious workplace hazards and develop safety and health management systems that benefit everyone involved.
"Micron started in Boise over 45 years ago and has long been one of Idaho's largest employers and an integral part of the Boise community. In my career with OSHA, they have consistently shown a commitment to worker well-being," said Kearns. "OSHA recognizes the significant efforts Micron and Exyte are taking to ensure the health of their crews."
Visit www.osha.gov/partnerships to learn more about the OSHA Strategic Partnership Program.
