In This Issue:
Ergonomics Stakeholder Meeting Scheduled
Alliance Formed Between OSHA, Airline Group, and National Safety Council
Henshaw Stresses "Value" Theme During Speech in Mexico City
Alliance with Printing/Graphic Arts Industries Moving Forward
OSHA Signs Partnership for "Phillies" Ballpark Project
Construction Committee Set To Meet in December
Exit Routes Standard Gets Timely Overhaul
Voluntary Protection Program Activity
OSHA Certifies Newest "SHARP" Companies
Six Publications Revised and Updated
Assistant Secretary Henshaw's Upcoming Speeches

Ergonomics Stakeholder Meeting Scheduled
     Proposed ergonomic guidelines for nursing homes will be discussed on Nov. 18 in Herndon, VA, during an informal meeting between OSHA and interested stakeholders. Meeting participants are expected to come from the nursing home industry, as well as insurance organizations, trade associations, and labor organizations. The proposed guidelines, first announced in August, are intended to provide practical solutions for reducing ergonomics-related injuries and illnesses in nursing homes. Interested parties not registered for the meeting may attend as observers. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. in the Concord A&B Room, Hyatt Dulles Hotel in Herndon.

Alliance Formed Between OSHA, Airline Group, and National Safety Council
     A collaborative effort to reduce ergonomic hazards for airline industry workers involved in handling passenger-checked baggage was cemented Nov. 12 when OSHA signed an Alliance with 13 airlines and the International Air Transport Section of the National Safety Council. OSHA Administrator John Henshaw said this Alliance provided a great opportunity to advance a positive working relationship with the airline industry that will focus on improving worker safety and health.

Henshaw Stresses "Value" Theme During Speech in Mexico City
     Worker safety and health is a priority that extends beyond borders, and is an important economic and social goal, John Henshaw, OSHA Administrator, said during his address to the XXXVII Congress of Security in Mexico City, Nov. 4. Henshaw used the opportunity to stress that safety and health add value and encouraged the audience to deliver similar messages throughout the Mexican workforce. Henshaw also outlined numerous initiatives taken by the agency to reduce injuries, illnesses and fatalities of Hispanic workers in the United States.

Alliance with Printing/Graphic Arts Industries Moving Forward
     OSHA formed one of its first Alliances in June with the printing and graphic arts industries. One of the goals of that Alliance was to provide outreach and communication on workplace safety and health through various means, including the sharing of information on individual websites. The Printing Industries of America (PIA) and Graphic Arts Technical Foundation (GATF) recently posted an article on their site about OSHA's cooperative and compliance assistance programs. "The ultimate goal of Alliances is to advance workplace safety and health," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. "We're pleased that PIA/GATF is working with us to move the Alliance forward by sharing information on OSHA programs available to employers."

OSHA Signs Partnership for "Phillies" Ballpark Project
     Construction workers at the new Philadelphia Phillies Ballpark will benefit from a partnership signed last month between OSHA and the on-site construction manager, Drisoll/Hunt Joint Venture. The partnership will foster a relationship that encourages, assists and recognizes efforts to eliminate serious hazards at the site. The project consists of a new 1.1 million square foot "baseball-only" park featuring a natural grass and dirt field 23 feet below street level.

Construction Committee Set To Meet in December
     A full agenda awaits the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) when they meet in Washington, Dec. 5-6. Following welcoming remarks by Assistant Secretary Henshaw, ACCSH members are scheduled to discuss partnerships, alliances, negotiated rulemaking, hearing conservation, steel erection, and highway work zone safety, among other topics.

Exit Routes Standard Gets Timely Overhaul
     OSHA recently revamped its 30-year-old standard dealing with exit routes, emergency action and fire prevention plans, wrapping it in a user-friendlier format with clear, consistent and up-to-date information. Gone are inconsistent and duplicative requirements, replaced with simple, and straightforward terms that aid workers and employers in understanding this important regulation. The revised standard will become effective on Dec. 7.

Voluntary Protection Program Activity
     The following companies were approved last month for new or continued participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP): LSI SGI Integrated Graphic Systems, Houston, TX (Merit to Star); JE Merit Constructors, Inc., Ciba Specialty Chemicals, Inc., St. Gabriel, LA (Cont. Star); WestPoint Stevens - Opelika Finishing Plant, Opelika, AL (Cont. Star); Zachry Construction @ Monsanto's Luling Plant, Luling, LA (Cont. Star); Monsanto's Luling Plant, Luling, LA (Cont. Star); and Occidental Chemical Corp., Ingleside Plant, Ingleside, TX (Cont. Star).

OSHA Certifies Newest "SHARP" Companies
     OSHA certified eight companies last month as Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) sites. The newest sites are: Hired Hand, Inc. Breman, AL; Cooper Instrument Corp., Middlefield, CT; Island Terrace Nursing Home, Lakeville, MA; Ralco Industries, (doing business as) The Plastics Group, Woonsocket, RI; American Boiler, Tank and Welding Co., Inc., Albany, NY; Warren Tire Service Center, Inc., Glensfalls, NY; Woodside Manor Nursing Home, Rochester, NY; and Alaskan Physical Therapy, Inc., Soldotna, AK. OSHA also renewed the SHARP status of nine other certified participants in October.

Six Publications Revised and Updated
     OSHA recently updated six existing publications on various topics. They include: OSHA Inspections; Excavations; Materials Handling and Storage; Job Hazard Analysis; Lockout/Tagout; and Construction Industry Digest. Each publication highlights key elements of a specific standard/regulation or general occupational safety and health issue.

Assistant Secretary Henshaw's Upcoming Speeches
     OSHA Administrator John Henshaw will travel to St. Louis, Nov. 20 to deliver the keynote address at the National Association of Manufacturers and AAIM Management Association's Safety and Health Best Practices Seminar. He's also scheduled to speak to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's Labor Relations Committee and its Occupational Safety and Health Subcommittee on Nov. 21 in Washington.