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Associated Builders and OSHA Join Together To Protect Construction Workers in Pennsylvania
ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Better health and safety for construction workers is the goal of a new strategic partnership launched today by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. (ABC) in Allentown, Pa. A key goal of the partnership is to increase the number of ABC member companies in the association's Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP), a voluntary program that guides employees in evaluating and increasing the effectiveness of their safety and health programs, policies and procedures.
OSHA's health and safety partnerships are part of U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao's effort to improve the health and safety of workers through cooperative relationships with trade associations, labor organizations and employers. The agency's area offices in Allentown and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., will represent OSHA in the partnership. "The Labor Department is committed to protecting the well-being of construction workers," said Marie Cassady, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Philadelphia. "This partnership is an important step toward meeting that goal in Pennsylvania."
The ABC's Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter in Allentown, one of 79 chapters nationwide, has more than 170 members throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania, and is one of the leading chapters in the country. ABC Eastern Pennsylvania has worked cooperatively with OSHA's Allentown and Wilkes-Barre area offices since 1999. Besides increasing the number of companies taking part in ABC's STEP program, objectives of the partnership include reducing injuries from falls, struck-by and caught-in mishaps, electrocutions, and mentoring STEP applicants to move from bronze to platinum, ABC's highest STEP award level.
