1. Alliance Background
   
   Date Signed
   
   September 19, 2002
   
   Overview
   
   The OSHA and Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) Alliance focuses on providing employers with information and guidance that will help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in identifying and eliminating hazards likely to result in amputations and reducing and preventing exposure to ergonomic hazards. The goals of the Alliance include:
   
   Training and education:
    
   • Jointly developing training addressing machine safety and safe ergonomic practices, to be delivered in conferences, meetings and through SPI's Plastics Learning Network.
   Outreach and communication:
    
   • Encouraging the continuing development of ergonomic guidelines by the plastics industry.
      
   • Jointly developing and disseminate information and guidance on workplace safety and health issues, including but not limited to amputation and ergonomic hazards and control mechanisms such as lockout tag-out and machine guarding through SPI workshops, meetings, and print and electronic media.
      
   • Promoting OSHA's cooperative programs within the industry.
   Implementation Team Members
    

   Susan Howe Larry Halprin Wayne Wilson Cathy Cronin John Hermanson Jim Washam Travis Hannan Edward Lewis Nilgun Tolek	SPI SPI, Washington Counsel SPI, United Southern Industries, Inc. OSHA Training Institute OSHA, Region V OSHA, Region V OSHA, Salt Lake Technical Center North Carolina OSHA OSHA, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances
   Contributors
   Doug Simon Dana Root Doug Halsey Bob Monteith Loren Mills James Dillard Bill Coulehan Gary Weil Pete Hosten Rebecca Jones Greg George	OSHA Training Institute OSHA Region V SPI Midwest Region Milacron Inc. (SPI member) Van Dorn Demag (SPI member) OSHA Region V OSHA Region V OSHA Region V OSHA Region V OSHA Region V OSHA Salt Lake Technical Center
   Evaluation Period
   September 19, 2002 through October 10, 2003

    
2. Implementation Team Meetings

October 29, 2002 December 2, 2002 January 16-17, 2003 February 4, 2003 April 1-4, 2003 July 28, 2003 September 8, 2003

Kick-off implementation team meeting Implementation team meeting (in person and by teleconference) Implementation team meeting (in person) Implementation team meeting (in person and by teleconference) Implementation team meeting (in person and by teleconference) Implementation team meeting (in person and by teleconference) Implementation team meeting (in person and by teleconference)

3. Events and Products
   
   Training and Education
   
   Events
   
   
   • Machine Safety for Injection Molding Machines
     
     This train-the trainer course has been presented, free-of-charge by the Alliance. The course focuses on mutual concerns for injuries seen in the plastics processing industry. The presenters, Jim Washam, of OSHA's Region V, and Wayne Wilson, of United Southern Industries, Inc., describe the types of injuries seen in the injection molding industry; discuss the causes of these injuries; and describe the ways that employees can protect themselves by recognizing the hazards in the job they are doing, understanding the requirements for guarding machines, and implementing solutions for identified problems. Participants receive a package of training materials, including PowerPoint presentations and other resource materials, so they can deliver the course at their own workplaces. The course has been presented at the following locations:
     
     
     • Isothermal Community College, Forest City, NC, August 6, 2003
     • NEP 2003, Chicago, IL, June 26, 2003
   Products
   
   
   • Injection Molding Machine Safety Course
     
     The Alliance Implementation Team developed two course modules: Machine Guarding and Lockout/Tagout. Downloadable PowerPoint presentations are available on the OSHA Web site.
   Outreach and Communication
   
   Events
   
   
   • NPE 2003
     
     The Alliance showed a strong presence at NPE 2003, the triennial, international plastics exposition, at McCormick Place in Chicago from June 23 – 27, 2003:
     
     Alliance Booth. The Alliance had a booth within the SPI Pavilion. Among the materials distributed were over 1,300 copies of a targeted CD, produced for the event, containing ergonomics resources and references, the materials used in the ergonomics workshop, machine safety information, and other industry-related materials.
     
     How to Develop an Ergonomics Process. This interactive workshop described how to set up successful ergonomics processes, identify and analyze problem tasks, and develop solutions that are successful in reducing injuries. The workshop was delivered twice.
     
     Face to Face with OSHA. An informal workshop was held with a diverse group of OSHA personnel representing various OSHA program areas. Experts in lockout/tagout, ergonomics, cooperative programs and OSHA's Region V, including the Assistant Region V Administrator, were there to answer questions and build relationships.
   Products
   
   
   • Safety and Health Topics page - OSHA Assistance for the Plastics Industry
     
     The Alliance implementation team supported OSHA's development of the Safety and Health Topics page - OSHA Assistance for the Plastics Industry, which features information on what standards apply to the industry and identifies hazards and solutions.
      
   • eTool
     
     The Alliance implementation team provided input on a new module on plastics machinery for the OSHA Machine Guarding eTool.
     
     
     The team also created an Interactive Safety Tour of a Horizontal Injection Molding Machine.
     
   • CD ROM
     
     The Alliance produced a targeted CD for NPE 2003 and for training course deliveries.
4. Results
   
   The effect of this Alliance on the plastics industry has been even greater than anticipated. The injection molding community responded favorably to the training and electronic tools that were developed in the first year or the Alliance. Trainings have been very well attended and the usage of web-based tools has remained close to 1,000 hits per month. Further evidence of their value can be seen in the fact that SPI members in other sectors of the plastics industry, extrusion and thermoforming, responded by asking for the same tools and training for their sectors.
   
   

5. Upcoming Milestones
   
   
   • Renewal of the Alliance.
      
   • Developing eTool and training modules on safety and health concerns in other sectors of the plastics industry, including thermoforming and extrusion.
      
   • Providing training through Webcasting and satellite broadcasting now that OSHA has these capabilities. Members of the extrusion community on the extrusion workgroup have informed OSHA staff that this would be a very convenient and widely utilized medium, due to the capability to deliver on any shift.
      
   • Developing an eTool on ergonomics for the plastics industry, if funded. The SPI Ergonomics Committee worked for a year to survey the membership on ergonomic issues, and has come to the conclusion that there is no support for the industry developing its own guidelines at this time. There is, however, widespread interest in getting help with ergonomic solutions, so the SPI Ergonomics Committee has requested help from the Alliance in the form of an eTool.
      
   • A joint presence at Plastics USA, September 28-30, 2004, at McCormick Place East, Chicago, Illinois.
      
   • Plans are underway to make the Machine Safety for Injection Molding Machines training available through OSHA Ed Centers.