Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. Central Texas Chapter
OSHA and ABC Renew Partnership
OSHA and the Central Texas Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) renewed their partnership on April 13, 2017. The partnership covered 23 construction contractors with more than 3.5 million workers covered in calendar year 2016, and partnering companies found and corrected more than 10,800 hazards during 16,000 self-inspections. Partners meet monthly at the ABC Safety Committee meeting to learn about best practices for construction safety, and hold two public events during the year. One event is a chili cook off, where partners can network outside of the partnership meetings in a friendly competition. The other event is a Safety Rodeo. The construction partners and OSHA conduct a free one day Safety Rodeo annually designed to train workers on fall protection, scaffolds, aerial lifts, and personal protective equipment in small groups in English and Spanish. OSHA assisted with the training and exhibited to distribute information to attendees. At the 2016 Safety Rodeo, 125 workers and 50 students were trained on construction hazards during the one day event, put on by partners, OSHA and volunteers. Construction partners also mentor each other by pairing up and visiting each other’s jobsites to share expertise. As a result of the efforts by all the partners, the combined 2016 DART rate for the partnership was 50% below the BLS rate for 2015.
Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. Central Texas Chapter
Shiloh Rowe from Beckett Electrical, trains attendees at the Safety Rodeo on arc blast safety.
Pat Walsh trains workers on ladder safety at the Safety Rodeo.
Casey Perkins, OSHA Area Director and Tracy Evers, Executive Director of the Associated Builders and Contractors, Central Texas Chapter renew their OSHA/ABC partnership.