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Industry leaders put construction safety on agenda

Date Posted: December 26 2003

LANSING - Michigan's construction workers may not know it, but they have a day dedicated to their safety.

The 13th annual Michigan Construction Safety Day will be held Tuesday, Jan. 20 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Kellogg Hotel & Conference Center in E. Lansing.

Michigan Construction Safety Day is a program designed for key leaders of Michigan's commercial construction industry including CEOs, managers, safety directors, field engineers, supervisors, foremen and tradesmen. Owners or representatives of the construction user community are also encouraged to attend the daylong program that expects an attendance of more than 400.

Attendees will take part in four of 15 key safety-training sessions offered during the day. 
Topics include: fall protection, pre-task safety analysis, excavation safety, electrical safety, crane safety, rigging safety, concrete construction safety, truck safety-hazardous transport regulations, MIOSHA Update 2004 and best safety practices for highway construction.

It has long been recognized by industry experts that construction safety programs are only effective when totally supported by top design and construction professionals as well as project owners. Therefore the Michigan Construction Industry Professional Education Council will present a special executive safety forum - sponsored by the Laborers & Employers Cooperation & Education Trust - that will relate their successful safety programs.

This will be followed by a discussion of the "cost" of a construction project fatality from Dan LeVeque, president of Gundlach-Champion in Houghton. And then the group will be challenged to work safely with a report from the field by MIOSHA Safety Inspector Tony Allam. Doug Kalinowski, director of the Michigan Occupational Safety Program of the Department of Consumer and Industry Services, will give an annual state-of-the industry address.

The conference also offers an opportunity for safety professionals to talk with exhibitors, inspect safety equipment and see demonstrations of the newest safety devices at vendor exhibit booths. The booths will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and booth space is available.

The Michigan Construction Safety program is sponsored exclusively for Michigan's construction industry employees by the Michigan Chapter Associated General Contractors (AGC); Associated General Contractors of America, Greater Detroit Chapter; Michigan Road Builders Association (MRBA) and the Michigan Department of Consumer and Industry Services, Bureau of Safety and Regulation. Safety Day is co-sponsored through an education and training partnership with the Michigan Construction Industry Professional Education Council.

The cost to attend the program is $95 per attendee. A continental breakfast and registration opens at 7:30 a.m. and the event runs to 4 p.m.

For registration or exhibitor information contact Pete Anderson, AGC Safety Director petea@mi.agc.org or Cathy Kester cathyk@mi.agc.org. or call the Michigan Chapter Associated General Contractors, Lansing (517) 371-1550.