ABC March 4 voiced strong support for safety programs that encourage cooperation between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and employers. ABC submitted the statement as part of the “OSHA listens” public meeting, which was designed to give stakeholders an opportunity to provide feedback on OSHA’s agenda, including proposed budgets cut to agency-industry cooperative programs and an increased focus on enforcement.
In its
statement, ABC expressed concern over the proposed fiscal year 2011 budget that increases OSHA’s overall budget by $14 million, mostly for increased enforcement, but drastically reduces the budget for Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) that encourage employer cooperation. ABC said the proposed budget sends the message that creating best practices and improving training programs is no longer a priority.
During the past 10 years, ABC and its chapters have had numerous successful alliances and partnership agreements with OSHA offices, and industry-wide participation in the VPP program more than doubled between 2003 and 2008. ABC pointed out that OSHA’s traditionally cooperative approach has led to better communication between the agency and employers and a corresponding decrease in the number of fatalities and injuries in the construction industry since 1994, due at least in part to the cooperative programs.
“Ultimately, ABC, its members and OSHA share the same central goal – to send each construction worker home safely to his or her family, every night,” ABC wrote. “We both agree that egregious violators have no place in our industry. Yet, ABC believes that enforcement alone cannot bring greater safety to our, or any other industry.”
ABC members that want to develop a greater understanding of the enforcement agenda for OSHA and other Department of Labor agencies can attend the March 30 webinar, “
The U.S. Department of Labor’s 2010 Enforcement Agenda.”
In addition, past OSHA Assistant Secretary Edwin G. Foulke will give attendees at ABC’s
HR Construction Professionals Conference tips on how to prepare for OSHA inspection visits.
For more information on “OSHA listens,” visit
http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/osha-listens.html.