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Department of Labor Logo OSHA News Release -
New York City
Region


Please note: As of January 20, 2021, information in some news releases may be out of date or not reflect current policies.
Region 2 News Release: 07-1932-NEW/BOS 2008-004
Mon., Jan. 7, 2008
Contact: Ted Fitzgerald
Phone: 617-565-2074


U.S. Labor Department's OSHA forges safety and health partnership to protect Cianbro/Destiny USA Carousel Mall Project employees

SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Enhanced safety and health protections for more than 500 employees working on the Carousel Mall Expansion Project in Syracuse is the goal of a partnership agreement between the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); the project's general contractor, Cianbro Corp.; project owner Destiny USA; and the New York State Department of Labor On-Site Consultation Program.

"This partnership emphasizes employee training and the project contractors' commitment to identify and eliminate hazards before employees are harmed,¿ said Louis Ricca, OSHA's deputy regional administrator in New York. "This joint commitment to safety and health should reduce costs, increase productivity and, most importantly, help ensure that every employee finishes each workday healthy and whole.¿

Under the partnership, every project subcontractor will be required to have a site-specific safety and health program administered by a qualified person. They also must institute continual safety and health training to address new project tasks and processes, a safety and health orientation for all new hires, and a program to ensure that all foremen and employees successfully complete OSHA training courses.

"We are in the first phase of the project, and OSHA wants to be an active partner from the onset by helping to establish a safety culture for employers and employees that will continue throughout the construction process,¿ said Christopher Adams, OSHA's area director in Syracuse. "The contractors' full compliance with the project's stringent safety requirements is designed to eliminate injuries involving falls, electrical hazards, being struck-by objects or equipment, and being caught-in or between materials, as well as illnesses caused by exposure to crystalline silica.¿

The partnership was signed Dec. 21 by OSHA's Adams; Peter Vigue, president, Cianbro Corp.; Robert Congel, founder and chairman, Destiny USA; and Mark Sliker, New York State Department of Labor On-Site Consultation Program.

OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program is part of U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao's ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of employees through cooperative relationships with trade associations, labor organizations, employers and employees. More than 1.2 million employees and more than 21,000 employers across the U.S. have participated with OSHA in 484 Strategic Partnerships since the program began in 1998. For information about OSHA partnerships in central New York, contact Dave Heckman (telephone 315-451-0808, ext. 3003).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.


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