Partnership Agreement Enhances Safety at The Johns Hopkins Hospital New Clinical Building

BALTIMORE, Md. – Representatives from Clark/Banks, A Joint Venture and Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH) recently signed a Cooperative Compliance Partnership (CCP) on the project site of The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) New Clinical Building (NCB), which the joint venture is building. The Maryland CCP program is a cooperative approach to safety by MOSH and construction contractors to extend worker protection beyond the minimum required by MOSH standards.

Ron DeJuliis, Commissioner of Maryland’s Department of Labor, Licensing & Regulation’s Division of Labor and Industry praised Clark Construction Group and Banks Construction, saying both companies’ commitment to safety is evident and foremost. “Clark and Banks have been leaders in safety in the industry,” DeJuliis said. “CCP’s are earned by very few sites, only the best of the best. You are the best of the best today.”

Commissioner DeJuliis also echoed Clark Construction’s Director of Corporate Safety Tim Sirofchuck’s remarks that “every worker should be able to come to work and leave the same way, every day.”

Under the terms of a CCP, MOSH officials will conduct periodic site inspections to evaluate safety and health program effectiveness. Also, as part of the program, The JHH NCB project will be used to help train new MOSH inspectors and in turn, MOSH will provide special training for the employees working on the site.

To become eligible for a CCP, a contractor must have no history of MOSH violations involving willful, repeat, or failure to correct within the last five years, provide on-site safety and health personnel, and demonstrate management commitment to safety through a variety of programs and actions. A CCP with MOSH helps provide a safer working environment for employees and a greater relationship between a contractor and MOSH personnel.

The 1.5-million-square-foot project will provide 560 patient beds (355 adult, 205 pediatric), 33 operating rooms, extensive radiology suites and treatment areas and will become the new home of the Hospital’s Children’s Center, and a cardiovascular and critical care tower for adults, as well as support facilities. The project is scheduled for completion in December 2010.

The JHH NCB CCP is the 34th such partnership in Maryland history. Clark Construction was part of the first CCP during the construction of FedEx Field in Landover, Md.

Clark/Banks, A Joint Venture is composed of Clark Construction Group, LLC, of Bethesda, Md., and Banks Contracting Company, Inc., of Baltimore.