April 15, 2006 · Volume 5, Issue 8
A bi-weekly e-news memo with information, updates, and results from OSHA about safety and health in America's workplaces.

In This Issue Teens Focus of New OSHA Summer Job Safety Campaign On the Road with New OSHA Administrator OSHA Supports Campaign to Protect Highway Workers Midwest Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference Roofing Contractor Safety Workshop OSHA and ABC of Pennsylvania Form Partnership OSHA Renews National Alliance, Signs New Regional One Two Naval Shipyards Receive VPP "Star" Certification New Look ... Same Reliable Web Source Most Recent Voluntary Protection Programs Activity Upcoming Events Teens Focus of New OSHA Summer Job Safety Campaign     Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Ed Foulke launched the agency's new Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign during an April 6 event at Edison Academy in Alexandria, Va. The campaign is a multi-year project to increase awareness about workplace hazards, and provide possible solutions to those hazards, for young workers and their parents. It will focus on industries in which young people are likely to work during their high school and college years. The first year targets the landscaping industry - "Landscaping: Plant Your Feet on Safe Ground." Drop in articles, suitable for reproduction, are available on OSHA's Web site and feature prevention techniques to avoid hazards. Video clips are also available online that demonstrate proper clothing, personal protective equipment, and correct body mechanics for landscape work. On the Road with New OSHA Administrator     Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Ed Foulke will address attendees at the North American Occupational Safety and Health Week annual event, May 1 in Washington. On May 8, he will travel to Vedra Beach, Fla., to speak at the 106th annual meeting of the Association of Georgia's Textile, Carpet and Consumer Products Manufacturers. Foulke will deliver the commencement address on May 9 at Greenville Technical College in Greenville, S.C., and return to Washington May 10 where he is scheduled to address participants at the Organization Resources Counselors (ORC) Worldwide spring quarterly meeting. OSHA Supports Campaign to Protect Highway Workers    The seventh annual National Work Zone Awareness Week was held earlier this month highlighting safety awareness for workers in highway work zones. This year's theme was "Working at the Speed of Night" and focused on the dangers associated with night work zones. The event, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, commenced with a special national media event near the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Through a network of government and industry partners, including OSHA, the week of national, state and local public activities raises public awareness for safe driving in work zones. Midwest Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference     OSHA's Chicago Region will team up with the Winnebago County Local Emergency Planning Committee and other state and local agencies for the eighth annual Midwest Emergency Preparedness and Response Conference in Rockford, Ill., May 10-12. The event will highlight demonstrations on radiation detection and decontamination, and offer emergency preparedness training opportunities including OSHA hazardous waste operations and emergency response refresher training, and Illinois Medical Emergency Response Team domestic preparedness specialty training. Roofing Contractor Safety Workshop    As part of OSHA's Chicagoland Roofing Safety Partnership, the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA) is sponsoring a seminar on roofing safety on April 19 from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the Aramark Auditorium in Downers Grove, Ill. For further information, contact the CRCA at (708) 449-3340, or OSHA's area office in Aurora, Ill., at (630) 896-8700. OSHA and ABC of Pennsylvania Form Partnership     Construction workers stand to benefit from a partnership signed March 29 between OSHA's Philadelphia Region and the Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. (ABC) in Norriton, Pa. The primary goal of the partnership is to increase the number of ABC member companies in the association's Safety Training and Evaluation Process-a voluntary program that increases the effectiveness of their safety and health programs, policies and procedures. OSHA Renews National Alliance, Signs New Regional One     Protecting the safety and health of workers in the landscaping industry is the continued focus of a national alliance renewed between OSHA and the Professional Landcare Network. The two organizations will continue providing employees with guidance on how to reduce injuries from manual material handling; amputations; motor vehicle crashes; and slips, trips and falls. OSHA's Boston Region signed a new alliance with the Brazilian Immigrant Center aimed to improve safety and health for Brazilian workers and business owners in the Bay State. Participants will develop bilingual training and education programs focusing on identifying and correcting hazards associated with construction, landscaping and other high hazard industries. Two Naval Shipyards Receive VPP "Star" Certification     OSHA recognized the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va., as a Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) "Star" site during a March 30 ceremony. Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Steven Witt presented the award and saluted the shipyard for its three-year incidence rate for injuries and fatalities being 57 percent below the average for shipyards. Witt was also on hand April 12 to present the "Star" flag to the U. S. Navy Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., for its outstanding safety and health management program. New Look ... Same Reliable Web Source     OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Web page has a new look to keep you abreast of useful, timely information about safety and health in America's workplaces. It features a new drop down box to choose pages on a specific hazard or industry, and a more detailed "What's New" section. Most Recent Voluntary Protection Programs Activity    The following companies were approved recently for new or continued participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP): Region III: RohMax, Horsham, Pa. (New Star); BlueLinx Virginia Beach, Virginia Beach, Va. (New Star) Region IV: Huber Engineered Woods - Spring City, Spring City, Tenn. (New Star) Region V: Herman Miller - Spring Lake, Spring Lake, Mich. (New Star); OSHA Madison Area Office, Madison, Wis. (New Star) Region IX: Monsanto Kihei, Kihei, Hawaii (New Star); BAE Systems San Diego, San Diego, Calif. (New Star); Region X: Peak Oilfield Service Company - Beluga River Unit, Nikiski, Alaska (New Star); and Sonoco Phillips Alaska, Inc. - Beluga River Unit, Kenai, Alaska (New Star). Upcoming Events     OSHA periodically lists a schedule of safety and health-related conferences and meetings, as well as public hearings, on its Web site. Check often for events near you. Editor: Elaine Fraser, OSHA Office of Communications, 202-693-1999