Industry leaders aim to eliminate on-the-job accidents and strengthen construction companies’ commitment to injury prevention
FARMINGTON, Conn., Aug. 14, 2015 – A sterling safety record has given KBE Building Corporation the opportunity to enter into two new strategic partnerships with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Hartford Area Office.
“Clearly, we are honored to have been chosen by OSHA for these partnerships,” says KBE CEO and Principal Owner Mike Kolakowski. “This is a direct reflection of our concerted efforts over the years to systematically and continuously improve the safety of our job sites.”
KBE Building Corporation and OSHA will combine forces to set a standard that will inspire construction companies around the country to voluntarily take steps to improve their own safety practices instead of waiting for the government to get involved when a situation becomes too dangerous. The two new projects that these industry leaders will be working on together are the 211,000-square-foot STEM Residence Hall for the University of Connecticut in Storrs, CT and the new 183,000-square-foot Litchfield County Judicial District Courthouse in Torrington, CT.
The current collaborations mark the second and third ongoing partnerships between OSHA and KBE, the first being the Jewish Senior Services building at the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Campus now under construction in Bridgeport, CT. All three partnerships are part of OSHA’s nationwide Strategic Partnership Program (SPP), which develops contractor/government partnerships that will encourage involvement of the general and sub- contractors in the improvement of safety and health performance.
“OSHA does not partner with just any construction company,” explains Paul Mangiafico, Compliance Assistance Specialist. “A company has to demonstrate a strong commitment to safety and health before OSHA would consider a partnership. OSHA recognized that KBE’s leadership had established a culture of identifying and eliminating hazards and their willingness to improve safety and health practices in the workplace.”
For the Litchfield and UConn projects, KBE and OSHA will aim to decrease the Total Case Incident Rate (TCIR) and Days Away, Restricted, and Transferred (DART) rate to 20% below the current national average.
To achieve these goals, KBE’s dedicated safety manager onsite for each project will conduct regular meetings with subcontractor foremen to analyze any outstanding safety issues. The company will also develop a comprehensive safety strategy that OSHA will review and make recommendations on. KBE employees will be encouraged to participate in this process by identifying hazardous situations and submitting suggestions for safety improvements. Once a month, OSHA representatives will be on each site to conduct and monitor safety training.
“These strategic partnerships are very important to instilling a culture of safety among construction firms and subcontracting firms in what is one of the world’s more dangerous professions,” explains Warren G. Simpson, Area Director of OSHA’s Hartford Area office. “KBE’s participation helps expand OSHA’s reach into the workplace and helps us connect directly with the workers on the front line. Our hope is that these workers will take the safety practices they learn on KBE’s sites to other job sites and help other workers.”
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Photo Credit: Kevin McDonnell/KBE Building Corporation
Caption: (l-r) KBE President, CEO, and Principal Owner Mike Kolakowski and OSHA Area Director Warren G. Simpson sign two new Partnership Agreements, designed to help enhance workplace focus on safety. This is KBE’s third Partnership Agreement with OSHA.
http://impactmarketing.net/press/KBE-Building-Corp-OSHA-Signing-1.jpg
Photo Credit: Kevin McDonnell/KBE Building Corporation
Caption: (l-r) Paul Mangiafico, Compliance Assistance Specialist; Warren G. Simpson, OSHA Area Director; Mike Kolakowski, KBE President, CEO, and Principal Owner, and Adam Peters, KBE Safety Director complete the signing of two new Partnership Agreements, designed to help enhance workplace focus on safety. This is KBE’s third Partnership Agreement with OSHA.
About OSHA
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure the safety and health of America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
About KBE Building Corporation
Located in Norwalk, CT, Farmington, CT, and Columbia, MD, KBE Building Corporation is a full-service, single-source commercial construction company strategically positioned to serve the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic U.S. Founded in 1959 and incorporated in 1966, the firm provides preconstruction, construction management, design-build, and general contracting services to clients in the retail, educational, senior living, federal, corporate, hospitality, health care, and institutional markets. KBE has managed more than $2.5 billion in construction volume over the last decade and is ranked among Engineering News-Record magazine’s top 400 construction companies nationally. Learn more at www.kbebuilding.com.
Media Contact: Jonelle Lawhorn | KBE Director of Marketing
t: 860.284.7431| c: 860.836.7517 | f: 860.284.7831 | e: jlawhorn@kbebuilding.com