Worker Protection Partnership Formed on Mortenson's Sprint Center Project

Kansas City, MO - Preventing fatalities and serious injuries at the Sprint Center construction project in downtown Kansas City is the goal of a cooperative partnership among the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), M. A. Mortenson Company (Mortenson), and The Builders' Association. This partnership of labor, management, trade associations and OSHA will implement all facets of job safety, including self-directed compliance oversight, during the construction of this seven-level, 693,000 square foot sports complex.

"The partnership seeks to provide a safe and healthful work environment for employees involved in the construction project and to help prevent serious accidents and fatalities at the site," said Charles E. Adkins, certified industrial hygienist and regional administrator for OSHA in Kansas City. "These objectives will be accomplished through increased training, implementation of best work practices, enhanced safety and health programs, and compliance with applicable OSHA standards and regulations."

"Our involvement with the OSHA Strategic Partnership Program has provided an avenue for proactive involvement with agency representatives in our health and safety efforts," said M. A. Mortenson, Jr., president of M.A. Mortenson Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota. "Including OSHA as a partner is a logical extension of our company's value and commitment to jobsite safety as a core business process. We welcome OSHA and The Builders' Association to our safety team."

Phil Shoemaker, director of Safety and Health Services for The Builders' Association, added, "The OSHA Partnership Program has proven to be effective at enhancing the safety and health of construction workers, as evidenced through our experience with the Build Safe Partnership Program. Through this program, member companies have reduced significantly the number of fatalities, injuries and illnesses by sharing the best practices in safety and health management at construction sites."

Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program makes the agency's resources readily available to industries and to its mission of assuring safe and healthful workplaces. Information about the program is available at www.osha.gov/dcsp/partnerships/index.html.

OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's workers 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.