February 3, 2023

US Department of Labor bestows ambassador status on
Lehigh Construction Group Inc. for long-time safety commitment

New York's first Ambassador Alliance continues 20-year focus on educating students

Participants: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Buffalo Area Office
                       Lehigh Construction Group Inc.

Description:OSHA and Lehigh Construction Group Inc. have signed an agreement elevating Lehigh to OSHA's Ambassador Alliance status. Begun in 2003, the alliance will continue to train high school and college students and associations representing minority and underserved workers in the fundamentals of construction safety and health. The training covers the importance of construction safety, building a safety culture and recognizing and preventing the four major hazards in construction: falls, being struck by objects or equipment, being caught in cave-ins and electrocution.

Background: The alliance is estimated to have trained more than 10,000 students for more than 20 years. Ambassador Alliance status reflects OSHA's recognition that participants in the alliance program have established and will maintain a productive and cooperative relationship with the agency. OSHA Area Director Michael Scime in Buffalo and Lehigh Construction Group Inc. President David Knauss signed the Ambassador Alliance, the first in New York.

Quotes: "OSHA's alliance with Lehigh Construction Group Inc. has made our efforts to enhance construction safety and health training for high school and college students in the Buffalo community more effective," said OSHA Regional Administrator Richard Mendelson in New York. "Lehigh Construction Group Inc., with a 20-year alliance history with OSHA, has earned ambassador status by continually promoting understanding of the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers."

"We are so very proud of the enduring nature of this alliance and of the many lives it has touched over these 20 years," said President of Lehigh Construction Group Inc. Dave Knauss. "Creating awareness and educating young and inexperienced workers on the hazards of our industry will continue to keep this alliance relevant."

Learn more about the OSHA Alliance Program.

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Media Contacts:

Ted Fitzgerald, 617-565-2075, fitzgerald.edmund@dol.gov
James C. Lally, 617-565-2074, lally.james.c@dol.gov

Release Number: 23-155-NEW