The Methuen Obayashi Joint Venture is a construction partnership between Methuen Construction (a U.S.-based civil and industrial contractor headquartered in New England) and Obayashi Corporation, a large global construction and infrastructure company based in Japan. For the Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel, Methuen Obayashi is serving as the construction manager/prime contractor for the city of Manchester.
The OSHA news release and related coverage describe the partnership’s focus areas but do not publish a detailed list of numeric targets or contractor-by-contractor obligations. Publicly stated commitments are that Methuen Obayashi JV and participating contractors will: (1) prevent worker exposure to gas, pressurized zones, confined spaces and struck‑by hazards; (2) ensure appropriate shoring and protective systems are used in all excavations; (3) develop and implement safety and health management systems for the project; (4) provide hazard‑recognition training for subcontractors; and (5) emphasize leadership engagement, accountability, worker participation and robust hazard identification. Any more specific measurable goals (such as incident‑rate targets or audit frequencies) would normally be contained in the written partnership agreement required under OSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program directive, but that document has not been published with this news release.
Public project information indicates active tunnel construction is planned for roughly three to four years, and the OSHA partnership is described as covering “construction of the Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel Project.” Manchester’s project page says that over “the next three years” the team will build seven drop shafts and the 2.25‑mile tunnel, while other sources tied to the city and its consultants estimate total construction at about four years, beginning around 2025. OSHA’s release does not specify an end date or phase breakdown for the partnership, but by practice these construction strategic partnerships typically run for the duration of major on‑site construction work on the covered project.
The OSHA release states only that the initiative “will also assist contractors in developing and implementing safety and health management systems and train subcontractors on recognizing hazards when working in and around construction sites,” without detailing curricula, hours, or credentials. Under OSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program, partners typically provide hazard‑specific training (e.g., confined spaces, gas monitoring, trenching and excavation safety, struck‑by protection) to workers and subcontractors, but the exact courses and whether certificates are issued are defined in the written partnership agreement or contractor safety plans, which have not been published for this project. Based on publicly available information, the specific training modules, trainers and documentation requirements for Cemetery Brook subcontractors cannot be determined.
Yes. Participation in an OSHA Strategic Partnership does not remove OSHA’s normal inspection and enforcement authority. The OSHA and DOL materials emphasize that the program is a cooperative effort to set goals and improve safety, but they do not state or imply any exemption from inspections. OSHA’s own guidance on partnerships explains that participation “does not eliminate or reduce the rights or responsibilities of employers or workers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act,” meaning OSHA can still conduct programmed or complaint‑based inspections and issue citations if violations are found. The Cemetery Brook partnership announcement does not add any special waiver or change to this enforcement framework, so violations at the project would be handled through OSHA’s standard enforcement procedures (inspection, citations, penalties and required abatement).
Public documents about the Cemetery Brook Drain Tunnel emphasize environmental and community benefits (especially reduced combined sewer overflows to the Merrimack River) and construction‑phase traffic/road‑closure notifications, but neither the OSHA release nor the city’s project page describe a specific public‑safety or emergency‑response plan for accidental gas releases or similar environmental incidents. The OSHA partnership is focused on worker safety and health (e.g., preventing worker exposure to gas and other hazards on site), while broader environmental and community protections are governed by the city’s long‑term combined sewer overflow program and its regulatory agreements with EPA and the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services. No detailed, project‑specific gas‑release or community emergency‑planning document has been made publicly available in the materials reviewed.