Region 5 News Release: 06-1182-CHI
Aug. 9, 2006
Contact: Brad Mitchell
Phone: 312-353-6976
South Central Wisconsin Building and Construction Trades Council Joins OSHA in Alliance
Agreement Targets Top Threats to Workplace Safety
MADISON, Wis. -- Workers in south central Wisconsin stand to benefit from an alliance signed today between the Building and Construction Trades Council of South Central Wisconsin (BCTC) and the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The alliance is designed to reduce and prevent some of the most common workplace injuries and illnesses in the construction industry.
BCTC and OSHA officials signed the formal alliance to provide business and employee organizations with resources that will help to focus on reducing and preventing falls and electrical hazards, in particular by addressing the implementation of effective safety and health programs throughout the construction industry.
"Injuries due to falls and electrical hazards covered in this agreement continue to be among some of the top safety issues in the country," said OSHA Area Director Kim Stille, Madison, Wis. "Joining with an organization with the stature and reputation of the BCTC to combat these issues will ultimately make south central Wisconsin workplaces safer places to be."
Workers from the BCTC will work with OSHA personnel to develop training and education programs on work-related safety issues. The alliance calls for OSHA and the BCTC to share information regarding best practices or effective approaches, and then publicize results through developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars or lectures. Officials from both organizations will also speak, exhibit and appear at conferences, local meetings or other events, and disseminate information for Wisconsin workers.
Since the inception of OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program in 1998, more than 410 partnerships have been formed, impacting more than 20,000 employers and more than 1 million employees across the United States. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
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