Penobscot County Judicial Center Project Partnership Reduces Injuries and Illnesses in Construction Industry
Background:
On March 13, 2008, the August Area Office in Region I and the Consigli Construction Company formed an OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP) to promote worker safety and health during the $37 million Penobscot County Judicial Center construction project in Bangor, Maine. The project involved the construction of a 900,000-square-foot structure that incorporated seven courtrooms and a parking garage. Eight employers participated in the OSP which covered 110 workers. The project successfully concluded on October 1, 2009.
Success Impact:
OSP Promotes Safety and Health by Increasing Safety and Health Management Systems and Safety Training, and Reducing Injury and Illness Rates
From the beginning of the OSP to the evaluation period ending in October 2009, seven of the eight participants developed and implemented effective safety and health management systems. Additionally, all workers covered under the OSP received the OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour training courses that included the following topics: climber training, cold and hot weather stress, respiratory protection, electrical hazards, excavation/trenching safety, fall protection, scaffolding safety, and mobile equipment and crane safety.
During the 19 month project, the site experienced two lost workday incidents and achieved a Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) of 2.4 and a Days Away, Restricted, and Transferred (DART) rate of 0, which was 45 percent and 100 percent below the 2008 Bureau of Labor Statistics’ (BLS) national average for construction. The below table presents the OSP’s injury and illness rates compared to the latest available rates from BLS.
| Year | Hours | Total Cases | TCIR | # of Days Away, Restricted, and Transferred Cases | DART Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 73,200 | 1 | 2.7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 93,600 | 1 | 2.1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 166,800 | 2 | 2.4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 BLS National Average | 4.4 | 2.2 | |||
| Percentage Below BLS | -45% | -100% |
Partnership Goals:
Key goals of the OSP were to: reduce workforce fatalities, serious injuries, and illnesses and provide a safe work environment for employees at the project; reduce by five percent annually the number of injuries, illnesses, and fatalities affecting participating employers (with an emphasis on reducing injuries and fatalities resulting from falls, struck-by, caught-in/between, electrocution, and trenching); decrease worker compensation costs and the number of OSHA citations for this project.
- Origin: Augusta Area Office (Region I)
- Partners: Consigli Construction Company
- Partnership Signed: March 13, 2008
- Industry (NAICS Code): Construction (2362)
- Employees: 8
- Employers: 80
- Source (Date): Al Woodson, OSHA National Office Partnership Lead for Region I (December 2009)