U.S. Department of Labor OSHA joins with contractors and labor to protect employees of new Caithness Long Island Energy Center project

U.S. Department of Labor                                         For Immediate Release           

Office of Public Affairs                                               Mon., March 10, 2008

Boston, Mass.                                                           Contact: Ted Fitzgerald

08-286-NEW/BOS 2008-070                         `        Phone:    617-565-2074

U.S. Department of Labor's OSHA joins with contractors and labor to protect employees of new Caithness Long Island Energy Center project

WESTBURY, N.Y. - The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has joined with Siemens Power Generation, F&S Power, Bana Electric, labor unions and the Building and Construction Trades Council of Nassau and Suffolk Counties in a safety partnership to better protect employees constructing the new Caithness Long Island Energy Center in Yaphank, N.Y., on Long Island.

"This partnership will take a proactive approach to employee safety and health," said Louis Ricca Jr., OSHA's acting regional administrator in New York. "The emphasis will be on ensuring that all employees on this project are equipped with the knowledge and skills to aggressively identify and eliminate potential hazards before they harm workers. The partnership also will foster a cooperative working relationship among management, craft employees and OSHA."

Key components of the partnership include a project health and safety management system; job hazard analyses; site-specific training for employees on hazards and safety regulations associated with their jobs; OSHA 10-hour safety courses for all employees; root cause investigations of accidents, injuries or near-miss incidents; and effective comprehensive safety and health programs for all contractors.

"We want all employees and contractors working on this project to have a heightened and informed awareness of safety and health issues," said Patricia Jones, OSHA's area director for Long Island. "This knowledge is critical to achieving our common goals of zero fatalities, reduced injury and illness rates, and minimized work-related hazards."

OSHA's Strategic Partnership Program is part of U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao's ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of employees through cooperative relationships with trade associations, labor organizations, employers and employees. More than 1.3 million employees and more than 22,000 employers across the United States have participated with OSHA in more than 500 strategic partnerships since the program began in 1998. For more information about partnerships on Long Island, please contact OSHA's area office in Westbury at 516-334-3344.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to promote 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.

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