Background:

Greystone Psychiatric Hospital entered into a Partnership Agreement between Torcon, Inc., Morris County Building and Construction Trades Council, New Jersey Department of Labor (DOL) Workforce Development Onsite Consultation, and the United States DOL - OSHA on February 22, 2006. The Greystone Psychiatric Hospital Project (Partnership) is the construction of a new 458,000 square foot, 450 - bed facility. It is comprised of ten interlocking buildings that include:

• six three-story patient wings with center core support areas;
• four support buildings, including a classroom building with a library, a treatment / medical services building, and two administrative buildings which include an auditorium, main entry lobby, a gymnasium and a kitchen / cafeteria area; and
• one outside basketball court, swimming pool, landscaped court yards, new entry driveways, access roads, and parking areas.

Torcon, Inc. and all other contractors are required to have implemented an effective safety and health management system (SHMS) by contract to work at the site. Torcon, Inc. also reviews the contractors' programs to ensure they meet or exceed the OSHA 1989 guidelines.

Success Impact:

Injury and Illness Rates

Over the course of the Partnership, the Days Away, Restricted and Transfer (DART) rate was 59% below the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) national average for that industry. The Partnership's three-year Total Case Incident Rates (TCIR) average was 46% below the BLS national average.

Safety and Health Culture Enhanced

Torcon, Inc. applied for OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) at this site and was approved on November 21, 2007. Following the VPP onsite evaluation, the site has been recommended at the STAR level for VPP. Torcon is committed to worker safety and health and has demonstrated the qualifying credentials for VPP through implementing a safety and health plan that is site-specific, as well as requiring that all contractors attend site orientation, which includes training on the safety and health expectations of the site. Other examples include:

• recognizing hazards through evaluation and addressing them through training,
• maintaining records of training that is done onsite and offsite (for contractors),
• verifying that all workers have received the training described in Torcon's Construction Conditions, and
• disciplining employees for infractions and rewarding employees for superior safety and health performance.

Partnership Objectives:

The goal of the Partnership was to keep the site's TCIR, DART, and DAFWII rate 25% below NAICS Code 2362XX (non-residential building construction) which were 6.1, 3.0 and 2.0 respectively, for the year 2004 and for NAICS code 238XXX (special trades contractors) which were 6.8, and 3.6, and 2.6 respectively for year 2004. The Partnership's key method for meeting this overall goal was to promote a safety and health culture to all onsite employees.

• Origin: Region II, OSHA/Parsippany Area Office
• Partners: Torcon INC, The Morris County Building and Construction Trades Council, OSHA Parsippany, NJ Area Office and New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development onsite Consultation Service
• Partnership Signed: February 2006
• Industry: Construction (NAICS Code 2362)
• Employees: 16
• Employers: 250
• Source and Date: Bob Garvey, Region 2, Parsippany Area Office / January 2008