Granger Construction, Michigan Building and Construction Trades

Council, Contractors and MIOSHA Sign Partnership to Protect Workers

on University of Michigan Project
Contact: Andrea Miller 517-373-9280
Agency: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs

July 14, 2014 Granger Construction Company, the Michigan Department of Licensing and
Regulatory Affairs (LARA), the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA),
the Greater Detroit Building Trades Council, and the Partnering Contractors signed a formal
partnership today to protect workers during the renovation of the 1956 mechanical engineering
laboratory classroom building, located on U-Ms 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.

Were 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 MIOSHAs 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% fall protection over 6 feet, including steel erection and roof work.
100% Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) 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 (CCO) as recognized by National
Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO) and other recognized
certification agencies.
Mandatory pre-work substance abuse testing.
Mandatory post-accident substance abuse testing.
Job Hazard Analysis (JHAs) are 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, please
visit www.grangerconstruction.com.



For more information about MIOSHA, please visit www.michigan.gov/miosha
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For more information about LARA, please visit www.michigan.gov/lara
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