WASHINGTON, DC – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) recently renewed their alliance to continue promoting safe and healthful working conditions for female construction workers.
The five-year alliance will focus on hazards of particular concern to women in the construction industry, including personal protective equipment selection, sanitation, and workplace intimidation and violence.
“Women represent a small, but growing segment of the construction workforce,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Loren Sweatt. “OSHA’s renewed alliance with NAWIC will continue to promote innovative solutions to safety and health hazards unique to female construction workers.”
Alliance participants will share with employers and workers information on recognizing and preventing workplace hazards in construction, as well as information on OSHA campaigns, including the National Safety Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction; Heat Illness Prevention; and the Safe + Sound Campaign for Safety and Health Programs.
NAWIC, formed in 1955, provides educational and professional development opportunities to more than 4,000 women working in construction.
The OSHA Alliance Program fosters collaborative relationships with groups committed to worker safety and health. Alliance partners help OSHA reach targeted audiences, such as employers and workers in high-hazard industries, giving them better access to workplace safety and health tools and information.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to ensure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.