Ameren-Maryland Heights Landfill Gas to Energy Plant Partnership
Background:
To ensure employees involved in the construction of the Ameren-Maryland Heights Landfill Gas to Energy Plant work in a safe and healthful work environment, H.R. Green Company and OSHA's St. Louis Area Office, with support from St. Louis Building and Construction Trades, Eastern Missouri Laborers, and the Carpenters District Council, signed an OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP) on December 2, 2010. The project was completed on April 6, 2012, approximately six months ahead of schedule.
Success Impact:
Increased Safety and Health Training and Self-Inspections Lead to a Safe Work Environment
During the seventeen month project, approximately 450 employees were trained through over 4,700 hours of training. All employees were provided the OSHA 10-hour course and were required to attend a safety briefing from the General Contractor prior to working on the site. Other training included daily tool-box talks. Additionally, 14 supervisors/managers received 535 hours of training, including the OSHA 30-hour course.
Another key focus of the OSP was conducting more self-inspections on the project. Four hundred and fifty self-inspections resulted in identifying and abating 100 safety and health hazards.
Injury and Illness Rates Below National Average - Days Away, Restricted, and Transferred (DART) Rate, Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR), with only one OSHA recordable
The overall goal of the OSP was to achieve a reduction in accidents and injuries and illnesses with zero fatalities. The table below details the injury and illness data collected from the project.
|
Years |
Hours |
Total Classes |
TCIR |
# of Days Away from Work Restricted and Transderred Activity Cases (DART) |
DART |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12/2/2010 - 4/6/2012 |
70,000 |
1 |
2.9 |
0 |
0 |
| 2010 BLS Industry Average for NAICS 237,130 |
3.6 |
|
2.0 |
||
| % Above/Below BLS Rate |
-20% |
-100% |
|||
The OSP's Days Away, Restricted or Transferred (DART) rate was 0. This is 100 percent below the 2010 Bureau of Labor Statistics' (BLS) industry average for Power and Communication Line and Related Structures Construction (NAICS Code 2371300). The OSP's Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) was 2.9, 20% below BLS average for the industry. The one OSHA recordable involved a laceration due to the use of a pocket knife to remove a zip-tie from a new extension cord. As a result of the injury, the injured worker's employer implemented a company-wide policy banning the use of all pocket knives and instructing that all cutting tools must have safety blades.
Partnership Objectives:
The OSP goal of reducing injuries and illnesses was achieved by increasing safety and health training and self-inspections. In addition, the OSP objective of increasing worker involvement was achieved by actively involving employees in self-inspections, tool-box talks and safety meetings.