The U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration signed a significant and unprecedented Strategic Safety Partnership recently with five of the nation's largest electrical construction contractors, two key industry trade associations and a union representing more than 750,000 members nationwide.

The coalition was formed to reduce injuries and fatalities of workers in the electrical transmission and distribution contracting industry.

The partnership unites OSHA with five electrical contractors: Houston-based Quanta Services Inc.; MYR Group Inc. of Rolling Meadows, Ill.; Henkels & McCoy Inc. of Blue Bell, Pa.; Pike Electric Inc. of Mount Airy, N.C.; and Utility Services Inc. of Bismarck, N.D.

Also, three key industry organizations: National Electrical Contractors Association, Edison Electric Institute and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The safety partnership leverages the resources of the partners to anticipate, identify, evaluate and control health and safety hazards associated with electrical transmission and distribution work.

John Colson, CEO of Quanta Services Inc., was among the partners present at the signing ceremony in August at OSHA's headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The partnership will utilize a multitiered approach involving an executive team, steering team and task teams to develop findings and recommendations to be reviewed and adopted by consensus of the partners.

The executive team, consisting of the CEOs of the partners, will adopt consensus solutions with respect to recommendations made by the steering team, which is comprised of safety and health professionals from each of the partners.

The steering team will conduct incident-trend analyses, collect and review of accident data, develop and track training activities and supervise designated task teams.

Task teams will focus on safety and health issues. OSHA will provide advice and consultation to the executive, steering and task teams.

OSHA, the electrical contractors, the IBEW and the trade associations will share information on lessons learned and mutually agreed upon best practices with others in the industry. Their findings will also be publicized through individual training programs and materials.

Manhattan Receives First Place National Safety Award

Manhattan Construction Co. of Houston, has received the 2004 First Place Associated General Contractors of America Construction Safety Excellence Award in the "Building Division Category Over One Million Work Hours."

The national awards program examines contractors' safety program, training initiatives, active employee involvement, evidence of management commitment and innovation.

Manhattan was awarded first place at the local level and submitted to the national competition by the local AGC Chapter in Dallas. At the national level, Manhattan competed against eight other contractors and was chosen as one of three national finalists.

This year's finalists had to achieve zero worksite fatalities and zero multicatastrophic injuries. Finalists were required to make a presentation of their safety program to an independent panel of judges that included owner representatives, federal/state OSHA administrators and insurance brokers.

Texas Firms Sign Agreement With OSHA

Humphrey & Associates, Manhattan Construction Co. and Rogers-O'Brien Construction Co. recently became the first firms to be officially recognized as participants in a Cooperative Safety Program.

The three firms were accepted and formally signed into the Cooperative Safety Program, which was established to formalize an effort between ABC, QUOIN and OSHA and to encourage companies to voluntarily improve their safety and health performance, providing methods to assist them in their efforts, and recognizing companies with exemplary safety and health programs.

ARTBA introduces JobTarget

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association and JobTarget, a Web-based job board management company, have joined to develop a new transportation construction industry online job board specifically designed to match job seekers and employers.

The job board allows ARTBA members to post their resumes for free. Along with a resume bank, the site offers listings of career opportunities in transportation construction and other related fields.

More information is available at careercenter.artba.org.

ASA Releases Updated Guide to Lien & Bond Guide

The Foundation of the American Subcontractors Association has released an updated version of its popular guide to lien and bond requirements. The 2004 edition of Lien and Bond Claims in the 50 States is available on CD-ROM.

Updates were made throughout the entire publication, including changes in deadlines for filing paperwork and in an appendix featuring a chart of legal citations.

The CD-ROM summarizes lien and bond requirements for each state, divided by public and private work. It provides information about mechanic's lien laws, how to perfect a lien and whom to notify of claims. It also contains legal requirements for executing bond claims.

For more information log go to: contractorsknowledgenetwork.org