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Washington Group International-Safety in Iraq Washington Group International has set very high safety goals for all of its domestic and international operations, and those in Iraq are no exception. Regardless of nationality (US expatriate, Iraqi, or foreign nationals) or employer (prime or subcontractor), the goals are the same: no fatalities, permanent disabilities, lost-time injuries, or injuries that would meet OSHA-recordable standards. The Washington Group Middle East Management Team, through commitment, consistency and pre-planning, has achieved a high degree of safety awareness, rigorous adherence to good safety practices, industry standards, and transference of the company's strong safety culture to the construction industry in Iraq. Washington Group International has set very high safety goals for all of its domestic and international operations, and those in Iraq are no exception. Regardless of nationality (US expatriate, Iraqi, or foreign nationals) or employer (prime or subcontractor), the goals are the same: no fatalities, permanent disabilities, lost-time injuries, or injuries that would meet OSHA-recordable standards. The Washington Group Middle East Management Team, through commitment, consistency and pre-planning, has achieved a high degree of safety awareness, rigorous adherence to good safety practices, industry standards, and transference of the company's strong safety culture to the construction industry in Iraq.
Description of Work In October 2003, Washington Group International began their first of many projects in Iraq. To date, Washington Group International has completed over a billion dollars in contracts, which include:Restoration of power plants and installation of new gas turbines
Erection and stringing of transmission towers & lines
Rehabilitation of existing and new construction of electrical power substations
Operation & Maintenance of the Baghdad SINA Hospital and Radwania Palace facility
Repair and cleaning of fresh water/sewer systems in Sadr City
Rehabilitation of canals and water pumping station in Southern Iraq
Engineering survey of the Mosul Dam, Rehabilitation of schools and police stations
New construction and rehabilitation of Iraq military bases
Nationwide SCADA system
Client Safety Expectations Early in the Rebuild Iraq program, the client and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) adopted a phased approach to the contractual expectations for how safety standards would be achieved. The goal would be to raise the level of safety performance and enforcement as experienced US contractors executed contracts and trained Iraqi contractors. The following is an example of the contract language:
Interim Safety and Occupational Health Work Practices for Contractor Projects in Iraq, Phase I Safety Program (for contracts executed approximately Jan. 2004-June 2004)Contractors shall strive to maintain full compliance with the USACE Safety Requirements Manual, EM 385-1-1. This may not be easily achieved during this Phase, due to a number of factors. The focus for safety and health efforts during this Phase is Saving Lives-the prevention of deaths, permanently disabling injuries, and major property loss. The goal during this period is to provide the equipment and methods needed to save lives and to train the workforce in working safely and using the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
In order to assist in achieving this goal immediately, the following interim standards shall be used (as a minimum acceptable standard) when full compliance with the EM 385-1-1 is not possi
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