The Kansas Contractors Association has just signed our renewal agreement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to continue our Partnering efforts for another five years! The OSHA Strategic Partnership Program (OSPP) embraces collaborative agreements. Through OSPP, OSHA and its partners agree to work cooperatively to address critical safety and health issues. For almost 10 years OSHA has used this newer approach to reduce fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in the workplace.

Currently the KCA/OSHA partnership has four active members, and two companies that are beginning the qualifying process.

There are many benefits for your company to join in this effort to make the workplace a safer place –

* Your Workers Compensation Insurance could go down as your companies EMR Rate drops due to fewer accidents and lost days.

* Your company will have the opportunity to work with other contractor members currently in the partnership to help answer questions and/or share information that will help save you time and avoid reinventing the wheel.

* You may work closely with the Kansas Department of Labor to ensure all your programs are up and running well helping to avoid possible OSHA citations in the future. This is a FREE consultation service.

* You will acquire a one year exemption from scheduled OSHA inspections upon successful completion of your next scheduled OSHA inspection.

* You may promote your accomplishment of being accepted into the partnership when submitting bids to private businesses. It might just give your company a leg up.

Some questions I have heard from other contractors regarding this Partnership:

Question: Will this guarantee an OSHA inspection?

Answer: No, OSHA will not visit your site until your company shows up on the Dodge Report. When OSHA does show up for a regular inspection, membership in this Partnership shows a good faith effort by your company, transforming relations with OSHA from adversarial to cooperative.

Question: Will we have any inspections before being accepted into the Partnership?

Answer: Yes, The Kansas Department of Labor performs a qualifying inspection after they have worked with you to insure your company safety program is up to standards. They are working as a consultant, and not a government agency looking for violations to be cited. If no regularly programmed OSHA inspection has been performed within a years time, KDOL will do another qualifying inspection to maintain your membership in the program.

Question: How does my company qualify for participation?

Answers:

a. By having a Total Case Incidence Rate (TCIR) for the previous year equal to or less than the most current rate for its NAICS code, as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics report, or have an Employer Modification Rate (EMR) of .90 or less

b. By having no fatalities or catastrophes, which resulted in accident-related serious citations being issued within the last three (3) years;

c. By having no Willful violations or Repeat (serious) violations in the last three (3) years;

d. By reading the partnership agreement in full and signify agreement to all of the requirements contained therein by signing a copy of the Application for Participation which shall in turn be provided to the OSHA Wichita Area Office upon qualification.

Information on the Partnership can be obtained by visiting our website at www.kansascontractors.org and clicking on the OSHA Partnership link, or by calling Kris Denton at 785/266/4152.

Please don’t delay! This is an important part of your companies safety program.