MONROE - Construction workers performing the ongoing environmental upgrades at Detroit Edison's Monroe Power Plant are the latest beneficiaries of an enhanced jobsite safety program.

On Sept. 19, Detroit Edison, its construction contractors, building trades unions and two state agencies signed on to the "Monroe Power Plant Partnership Agreement," a commitment whose goal "is enhanced safety and health protection and zero injuries for workers on a major environmental controls project."

"At DTE Energy, we promote safety as a core value to others on and off the job," said Ron May, DTE Energy senior vice president. "We're committed to performing our jobs in the safest manner possible and we work together to continuously improve safety processes. It's gratifying to know that our partners in this project take safety as seriously as we do."

If this kind of agreement sounds familiar, it should. Similar safety sign-ins have been conducted in recent months with MIOSHA and various contractors and owners at the Metro Airport North Terminal project and at Troy Beaumont Hosptial.

Some of the safety requirements at the Monroe Power Plant include 100 percent fall protection over 6 feet, including steel erection and roof work; 100 percent eye protection; substance abuse testing; use of competent/qualified persons necessary under MIOSHA standards, and uniform disciplinary actions for employees. The goal: zero injuries.

The construction industry is one of the most hazardous industries in Michigan. Only about four percent of Michigan's workforce is employed in construction - however, construction fatalities account for more than 40 percent of all fatal workplace accidents.

"These kinds of partnerships are becoming increasingly common in Michigan, and we couldn't be happier about it," said Patrick Devlin, CEO of the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council. "There is no better way that we can improve the on-the-job health of the state's construction workers than making these kinds of sustained commitments to safety."

In 2005, Detroit Edison launched the largest and most costly emissions-control construction project in the company's history. Detroit Edison projects it will spend almost $850 million by 2010 on equipment to reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), mercury and particulate emissions from their coal-fired power plants.

The bulk of this work is being done at the Monroe Power Plant, with installation of a third selective catalytic reduction (SCR) system to control NOx emissions and two flue gas desulphurization (FGD) systems to control SO2. When operated together, the SCRs and FGDs are expected to reduce mercury emissions by about 80 percent. Long term, Detroit Edison estimates their investment in emission control systems to total $2.4 billion through 2018.

"We applaud (DTE Energy's) commitment to send every worker home healthy and whole while providing clean air solutions to our great state," said Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth Director Keith W. Cooley.

Detroit Edison, Washington Group Midwest LLC, The Babcock & Wilcox Company, Hamon Custodis, Ideal Contracting, the Michigan Building and Construction Trades Council, the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG), and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA), signed onto the partnership.

ONGOING EMISSIONS control work at the DTE Energy Monroe Power Plant. Photo courtesy DTE Energy