Christman Company, Daniels Building Co., Inc. and MIOSHA Sign Partnership to Protect Workers During State Emergency Operations Center Project
WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 24, 2015 – (RealEstateRama) — The Christman Company (Christman) Daniels Building Co., Inc. (Daniels), the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) and partnering subcontractors signed a formal partnership today with the goal of enhanced safety and health protection, and zero worker injuries during the construction of the state’s new State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).
“MIOSHA is pleased to once again partner with Christman and for the first time, Daniels, in what is the agency’s pilot level three construction partnership,” said MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder. “This designation signifies Christman’s prior MIOSHA partnership experience and long-standing record of safety and health, as well as the expectation that both companies, which are jointly serving as the project’s general contractor, act as mentors to other partnering companies in the future.”
MIOSHA Partnership SpeakerThe new SEOC, which will be used by the state of Michigan to coordinate emergencies and disasters with local, state and federal agencies, is a $22 million project consisting of a 27,000 square foot addition to the General Office Building located at 7150 Harris Drive in Dimondale. It will also include 37,000 square feet of renovations to two floors of the building adjacent to the new addition.
The building’s hardened design complies with Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) requirements and will be built to withstand strong storms and tornadoes.
The project began November 10, 2014 and is expected to be completed by December 30, 2015.
Signing partners included MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder; Christman Vice President and Safety Director Don Staley, Senior Vice President John Holmstrom, and Project Superintendent Robert Winquist; as well as Daniels President Michael Daniels and 42 subcontractors working on the project.
MIOSHA Partnership SigningPartnerships are an important emphasis in the MIOSHA Strategic Plan to improve the health and safety of workers through cooperative relationships; they move away from traditional enforcement methods and embrace collaborative agreements.
The safety and health of the SEOC project’s workers are fundamental to this partnership with MIOSHA. The leadership of Christman, Daniels, partnering trade contractors, LARA and MIOSHA are aligned and committed to achieving the objective of worker protection by providing a workplace with an effective safety management system that is hazard-free.
”We are honored to have been selected to take part in this first-ever level three safety partnership,” said Don Staley, Christman vice president and safety director. “We take seriously the challenge to not only commit to the success of the SEOC project, but to commit to improving the effectiveness of the use of a job hazard analysis, a leading industry wide safety planning tool, and mentoring other companies in the future.”
All partners agree to commit their leadership, time and resources to achieve this valuable goal.
The active integration of the safety and health programs of Christman and Daniels, along with the partnership with the subcontractors and MIOSHA, will endorse the ultimate goal of zero unsafe conditions and work practices. As a level three partnership, the primary goals are limited in scope to a specific focus.
The goals of the partnership include:
•The establishment of metrics to review the effectiveness of subcontractor usage of job hazard analysis (JHA) at the start of the project and at key milestones throughout the duration of the project. A primary focus will be on how the content of the JHA is communicated to the workers and identifying communication techniques which will help to universally improve their overall effectiveness. Additionally, the team will work to identify improvements for typical JHA formats being used.
•Assuming direct responsibility of no less than the minimum level of performance set forth in the Project Safety and Health Program, which means full compliance with the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Standards, and all applicable federal, state and local regulations.
•Developing, promoting and maintaining a positive safety climate at all times.
•Giving consideration to all safety factors during the planning and scheduling of work operations to control potential injury and property damage hazards. (JHA or Pre-Task Analysis required.)
•Providing and enforcing the use of all necessary personal protective equipment, which includes but is not limited to: hard hats, safety glasses, earplugs, face shields, respirators, safety harnesses, lanyards, fall protection devices and anchorage systems, etc.
“The MIOSHA program is committed to partnering with employers to continually improve Michigan’s workplace safety and health,” said Martha Yoder. “Through these important partnerships, MIOSHA can offer employers a voluntary, cooperative relationship to help eliminate serious hazards and achieve significant safety and health management goals.”
The partnership does not preclude MIOSHA from enforcing its mission of addressing complaints, fatalities, or serious accidents, nor does it infringe on the rights of employees to report workplace hazards.
The Christman Company, founded in 1894, has grown to become one of the country’s leading professional construction services firms. Ranked at 138 on the Engineering News-Record ENR Top 400 list of contractors nationally, Christman employs more than 300 construction professionals. For more information, visit www.christmanco.com.
Daniels Building Co., Inc. is a Michigan-based general contracting firm founded in 1996 and established as a Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (DSVOSB) in 2009 by founder Michael Daniels. The firm has successfully completed multiple projects for the Veterans Administration and the State of Michigan, and is engaged with Christman in a joint venture partnership for the SEOC project. For more information, visit www.danielsbuildingcompany.com.
For more information about MIOSHA, please visit http://www.michigan.gov/miosha
Contact: Tanya Baker 517-373-9280
Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
