Baton Rouge Safety Engineers, OSHA Team Up to Improve Workplace Safety

-- Associated Construction Publications, 1/8/2009

Several on-the-job deaths related to specific workplace hazards have prompted an alliance between the Greater Baton Rouge chapter of the American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) and the Baton Rouge Occupational Safety and Health Administration area office.

The two groups have joined forces to develop training and education programs for general and construction industries on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards. They will target hazards associated with deaths that the Baton Rouge Area OSHA office has investigated during the past three years, including falls, combustible dusts, trenching/excavation, ‘struck-by’ object hazards associated with local petro-chemical and construction industries, and more.

To raise awareness of workplace safety and health issues, another goal of the alliance is to convene or participate in forums, round table discussions or stakeholder meetings on personal protective equipment (PPE), fall hazards, trenching/excavation, struck-by hazards and forklifts, as well as community outreach to help build innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues. These events will be posted on the ASSE Baton Rouge website and held locally at either OSHA's office in Baton Rouge or an ASSE chapter officer's place of business.

"Although we have long had a great working relationship with our local OSHA office, we felt that the alliance formally acknowledges our common goals and will allow us to pool our resources together to accomplish these goals — all aimed at enhancing workplace safety for all," said ASSE Greater Baton Rouge Chapter President Lance Roux, CSP. "We are excited about this milestone in our chapter’s history and look forward to working closely with our local OSHA office during the year ahead."

The two-year alliance agreement will be led by a team of representatives from each organization who will meet three times per year to track and share information on activities and status of goals.