Granger Construction, Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, Contractors and MIOSHA Sign Partnership

Granger Construction Company, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Greater Detroit Building Trades Council and the Partnering Contractors recently signed a formal partnership to protect workers during the renovation of the 1956 mechanical engineering laboratory—classroom building, located on U-M's North Campus in Ann Arbor. The facility will receive approximately 141,000 square feet of major infrastructure, programmatic instructional and administrative space improvements. The building will be occupied during the renovation process, which will require work to occur in a ten phase construction plan that eliminates exposure to hazards and minimizes disruption to the daily operations of the staff and students in adjacent spaces. The partnership goal is enhanced safety and health protection and zero injuries for workers on this major facility project.

“We"re honored today to recognize the exemplary leadership of Granger Construction Company and their commitment to worker safety and health on this significant project at the University of Michigan,” said LARA Deputy Director Stephanie Comai. “Your commitment sends a strong message that providing a safe and healthy work environment is a sound business decision.” Signing partners included: Glenn Granger, president, Granger Construction Company; Gregory Bobzien, corporate safety director, Granger Construction Company; Jerome Schulte, associate director of construction and design, U of M; Stephanie Comai, deputy director, LARA and Martha Yoder, director, MIOSHA. Also signing were the subcontractors and building trades unions working on the project.

Partnerships are an important emphasis in MIOSHA's strategic plan to improve the health and safety of workers through cooperative relationships with groups, including trade associations, labor organizations and employers. Partnerships move away from traditional enforcement methods and embrace collaborative agreements.

Recognizing that engineering techniques alone are not enough to ensure that exposure to hazards is controlled, the partnering employers will implement common safety goals to assure safety through these elements:

• Adherence to all safety policies, procedures and MIOSHA standards.
• 100 percent fall protection over six feet, including steel erection and roof work.
• 100 percent personal protective equipment, including hard hats, eye protection, protective safety glasses with built-in side shields, high visibility clothing/vests, appropriate work footwear and other PPE as appropriate.
• Mandatory attendance to a project safety orientation—this   includes project orientation, a project-specific safety video and verifications of appropriate training (lead and asbestos awareness for all employees, 30-hour OSHA and CPR/first aid training for supervisors of all levels and safety personnel).
• All crane operators will be Certified Crane Operators   as recognized by National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators and other recognized certification agencies.
• Mandatory pre-work substance abuse testing.
• Mandatory post-accident substance abuse testing.
• Job Hazard Analysis is to be completed and submitted to Granger Construction Company prior to work taking place, and reviewed immediately prior to work taking place for each kind of work and updated as the work evolves.
• Contractors shall provide a competent and/or qualified person for work operations as identified by a MIOSHA standards and/or Granger Construction Company.
• Granger Construction Company and the partnering employers on this project will uniformly enforce a 3-step disciplinary action plan for employees who fail to work in a safe manner.
• Automatic dismissal from this project shall result from any willful or deliberate violation of safety rules or safety policies and procedures.
• Daily pre-shift safety huddles, including mandatory stretching prior to starting work.
• Quarterly safety recognition lunches followed by mandatory relevant safety-related continuing education.
• Daily Granger safety manager inspections.

“The MIOSHA program is dedicated to working with employers to find innovative ways to enhance workplace safety and health,” said Martha Yoder, MIOSHA director. “Through partnerships, MIOSHA can offer employers a voluntary, cooperative relationship to eliminate serious hazards and achieve a high level of safety and health.”

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.

For more information about Granger Construction Company, visit www.grangerconstruction.com. For more information about MIOSHA, visit www.michigan.gov/miosha.