The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has signed a strategic partnership with McCarthy Building Companies to promote worker safety and health during the construction of a poultry science lab at the University of Georgia in Athens.

The Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, through its Safety, Health, and Environmental Program, will also support this partnership effort.

The partnership seeks to prevent worker injuries and exposure to hazards during the project by developing a contractor-government approach to safety and health. The initiative will also assist contractors in developing and implementing safety and health programs, and providing training to employees, employers, and supervisors.

Participants will focus on identifying and preventing hazards related to falls, struck-by or caught-in materials or equipment. They will also address fire safety, protecting workers from heat illness, silica, and noise exposure, and promoting safe work practices when using electrical equipment.

“Public-private sector partnerships that focus on training and eliminating hazards during major construction projects are proven methods for enhancing worker safety,” said OSHA Area Office Director Josh Turner in Atlanta-East. “While each partnership is unique, they all demonstrate a commitment to ensuring each worker returns home safely, every day.”

The 90,000 square-foot facility will include an administration and education office, dining hall, vocation shops, recreation area, maintenance facilities, and a chiller plant.

OSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program works with employers, employees, professional and trade associations, labor organizations and other interested stakeholders to establish specific goals, strategies, and performance measures to improve worker safety and health.

Learn more about OSHA here.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor