Industry Alliance to Continue Focus on Crane and Rigging Safety

Originally established in December 2002, an Alliance between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Washington Group International, Inc., was renewed recently to continue advancing workplace safety and health. The renewal calls for continued focus on the areas of cranes and rigging, hearing protection, and ergonomics within the engineering and construction industry.

"Working with the Washington Group for the past three years has enabled us to expand training and target hazards in the engineering and construction industry," said Jonathan L. Snare, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. "Renewing our Alliance provides an even stronger opportunity to reach out to this industry and improve workplace safety even more."

Since the Alliance was signed in 2002, OSHA and the Washington Group have been working together to provide training and education to construction industry employees, OSHA staff members, and educators across the country. For example, the Washington Group assisted OSHA's Boise, Idaho area office in arranging the OSHA Training Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry train-the-trainer program for Idaho educators. In addition, the Washington Group has presented its Safety Qualified Supervisor Training to employers, employees, and OSHA personnel from the national office in Washington, as well as from the Denver and Seattle regions.

OSHA also participated in a Washington Group-hosted Safety Fest that addressed a number of safety and health issues including crane safety, accident investigation techniques, equipment safety programs, hearing conservation, and rigging safety. Washington Group representatives will continue to participate in the Alliance Program Construction Roundtable that includes discussions on how the construction-related national Alliances could work together to address issues including fall protection, and design for safety.