St. Louis University Arena Project Promotes Safety and Health in the Construction Industry
Background:
In April 2007, Clayco Construction, Inc., St. Louis Building and Construction Trades Council, and the Carpenters' District Council of Greater St. Louis formed an OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP) with OSHA's Region VII St. Louis Area Office to promote safety and health during the construction of the St. Louis University Arena project. The project consists of constructing a 10,600 seat basketball arena and practice facility located in the midtown area of the city, near the intersection of Compton Avenue and Interstate 64/Highway 40. The project was successfully completed in March 2008.
Success Impact:
Injury and Illness Rates Decrease - Days Away, Restricted and Transfer (DART), Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR)
Prior to Clayco Construction partnering with OSHA, their previous TCIR was 5.9 and their DART rate was 2.0. Through the implementation of effective safety and health management systems (SHMS), their TCIR decreased to 4.9 and their DART rate decreased to .71. The OSP's TCIR and DART were 17 percent and 78 percent below the Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) national average for the construction industry. The table below presents the progress made in lowering Clayco's injury and illness rates during the OSP.
|
TCIR |
DART |
|
|---|---|---|
| Clayco Construction, Inc. Prior to Forming OSP |
5.9 |
2.0 |
| OSP Year 1 (April 2007 - March 2008) |
4.9 |
.71 |
| 2006 BLS National Average |
5.9 |
3.2 |
| Percentage Difference | -17% | -78% |
Increased Training Results in Key Industry Hazards Being Identified and Abated
The OSP impacted 12 employers and 350 employees and the project took 382,099 hours to complete. During the OSP, 50 supervisors and 350 employees received over 11,000 hours of training. The training helped to increase management commitment to safety and health and employee involvement. Specific topics included: aerial lift platforms, fall protection, confined space, hoisting, flag traffic control, hand protection, safety orientation, respiratory protection, power actuated tools, suspension scaffolds, OSHA 10-hour courses, and weekly Tool Box meetings. It is also important to note that 1,664 self-inspections were performed resulting in nine serious hazards being identified and abated. Clayco Construction also developed a safety and health video to promote safe practices in the industry.
Partnership Objectives:
The OSP was formed to develop, implement, and maintain effective SHMS and to keep injury and illness rates below the BLS' national average during the project. To accomplish these goals, OSHA and Clayco Construction, Inc. worked together to continuously monitor, identify, and correct primary causal factors and key hazards that cause injuries, illnesses, and near-misses.