Alliance Among OSHA Region VI Austin, Texas Area Office, Associated
Builders and Contractors, South Texas Chapter and The Southwest Independent School District Provides
Safety Training to Students Entering Construction Industry
On March 8, 2007, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Region VI Austin, Texas
Area Office; the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) South Texas Chapter; and the Southwest
Independent School District (SWISD) signed an Alliance to work to educate the 120 students in
SWISD's Construction Career Academy (CCA or the Academy) about the importance of safety and health
in the workplace. The Alliance focuses on the four major hazards in the construction industry—falls,
electrical, struck-by and caught in/between hazards—and provides CCA students with information on
many of the safety training resources available to them in the construction industry. The Alliance
continues the work of the Alliance signed with the Associated General Contractors of America (AGC)
on April 22, 2004.
The Academy encourages its 120 students (90 in the Construction Academy and 30 distributed among the
Agriculture, Welding and Automotive Repair Academies) to stay in school and improve their
performances in their selected areas of interest by helping them adapt their education to deal with
the situations they will encounter when they enter the workforce. According to Rupert Chavez, OSHA
Region VI Assistant Area Director, San Antonio, Texas, District Office, "These young men and women
are learning valuable life skills that will pay dividends for them and us (OSHA) for years to come.
It is heartening to know that the Department of Labor, school system, trade groups and employers are
investing time and resources in the future workers and leaders of America. This Alliance is a model
for other companies and schools to follow."
Through the Alliance, representatives organize two training events each year at the Academy. At the
Fall safety training event in 2006, students rotated through safety stations set up to address
specific hazards designed around the Alliance's focus areas as they contribute to more than 90
percent of all workplace fatalities. Topics covered included work zone safety, personal fall arrest
systems and hazards related to trenching, scaffolding and electrical work. In addition, training
sessions and a demonstration of how to operate a truck-mounted crane were provided for the students.
The Spring safety training event on March 8, 2007, focused on different aspects of safety in the
construction industry. At the event, representatives from ABC signed the new Alliance and gave
presentations that included discussions on the tools and safety aspects of plumbing, estimating,
sheet metal, fire protection, electrical work and risk management. They also provided details about
the ABC Apprenticeship Programs, which are extensive training programs that require about 4 years to
complete.
To meet the training goals of the Alliance, at CCA, OSHA representatives provide training sessions
on a variety of topics including the rights of employees (for example, the right to a safe workplace
and the right to make a complaint without incurring subsequent discrimination), overviews of OSHA
and writing job safety analyses. Blake Matyear, an authorized OSHA trainer on the CCA staff, teaches
the OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Outreach Training Program Course (OSHA 10-Hour course) as well as
the OSHA-10 Hour and 30-Hour Construction Outreach Training Program Courses (OSHA 30-Hour course).
Most students who complete the 3-year CCA program earn the OSHA 30-Hour card; most who are in the
construction program for 1 year earn the OSHA 10-Hour card. Blake Matyear cites the following
anecdote as an example of the program's success in equipping students for working in the
construction industry.
Toward the end of our most recent school year, we had a guest speaker at the Academy, who happened
to be a former student who works in the overhead concrete business in the Houston, Texas, area. He
told the students that the first thing his company does for new hires is send them to the OSHA
10-Hour General Industry Outreach Training Program Course to earn an OSHA 10-Hour card. The students
looked at him and said "Sir, we have that." Then he said that his company would offer to send them
to the OSHA 30-Hour Construction Outreach Training Program Courses to earn an OSHA 30-Hour card.
Some of the students said again, "Sir, we have that." He looked at me; I said, "Yes, sir, they do
have that." He looked back at the students and said, "You're hired." OSHA and ACC training gives our
students a big foot in the door. We know that in today's workplace there is a high demand for
skilled workers and that the demand will continue to grow. We graduate students who will be safe
employees in the construction industry and that makes our program absolutely dynamite.
To further the outreach and communication goals of the Alliance, SWISD was active during the
YouthRules! Rally and Summer Job Fair that was held in April 2007 in San Antonio, Texas and
sponsored by the US Department of Labor's OSHA and the Wage & Hour Division and the San Antonio
Restaurant Association. To ensure that the event was well publicized, Rupert Chavez, contacted high
schools in the San Antonia area; Joann Natarajan, Compliance Assistance Specialist in OSHA's Region
VI Austin Area Office distributed flyers publicizing it to the CCA while she was at the school
participating in the Spring safety training event; and SWISD representatives distributed flyers to
their other high schools. At the Rally and Job Fair, which drew 300-400 students, Rupert Chavez and
Joann Natarajan staffed the OSHA Alliance Program exhibit booth, provided information on teen worker
safety and helped students fill out applications for Federal summer jobs available at
www.studentjobs.gov. About 20 local employers
attended the event and interviewed students for summer jobs.
According to Judy Beloat, CCA Director, "The Alliance with OSHA has provided valuable hands-on
experience and exposure to safety and health training for our students. The students are
appreciative and proud of their OSHA experience and often share their knowledge with their families.
While safety is not easily measured, we feel that the students who complete our program have a
better than average chance of being safe in the workplace."
For more information about this Alliance, contact
Joann Natarajan or
Lyndol Miller at 512-374-0271.
-- As of June 2007.
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Alliance between OSHA Region VI and South Texas Exploration and
Production Safety Network Aims for Incident Free Operations for Oil and Gas Workers
Through an Alliance signed in October 2004, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
Region VI's Regional Office and Corpus Christi, Texas, Area Office and the South Texas Exploration
and Production Safety (STEPS) Network are working to reduce and prevent exposure to safety and
health hazards in oil and gas exploration, production and product transmission. The organizations
are also encouraging STEPS Network participants to join OSHA's cooperative programs, such as the
Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP). In addition, the Texas Department of Insurance, Division of
Worker's Compensation On-site Consultation Program is helping to share compliance assistance
information with the oil and gas industry's employers and employees.1
In October 2003, the fatality rate in the oil and gas industry was about 1 percent nationwide but
about 30 percent in South Texas. To help reduce the fatality rate, John Giefer, Area Director,
Corpus Christi, Texas Area Office, sent a letter oil and gas companies inviting them to meet with
him to discuss safety and health hazards. As a result of the letter, 45 companies attended a meeting
and agreed to form the STEPS Network2 to identify the obstacles to providing safe and healthy
workplaces, discuss how to reduce fatalities and share information throughout the industry.
According to Rick Ingram, a STEPS past president and a contractor safety coach with BP America
Production Company, "In support of its vision statement of Incident Free Operations, STEPS' members
encourage smaller companies, that typically have fewer resources, to join the organization and
increase their knowledge of safety and health. STEPS does not require any dues or fees for
membership; every company is an equal member. Member companies like Halliburton and BJ Services,
Shell and Exxon-Mobil, ConocoPhillips and BP sponsor and co-sponsor the monthly meetings."
On October 28, 2004, OSHA and STEPS Network signed the Alliance agreement that was the first of its
kind signed by the agency involving oil and gas employers and contractors. The Alliance has been
instrumental in arranging for hazard recognition training, speakers and exhibits at industry
conferences, sharing best practices and raising awareness of safety and health programs in the oil
and gas industry. For example, during the monthly STEPS Network meetings, OSHA representatives
update the participants about safety and health programs and initiatives such as the Corpus Christi
Area Office Fatality Reduction Initiative, which tracks fatality statistics and OSHA's Enhanced
Enforcement Program, which focuses on individual companies. Since 2004, OSHA and oil and gas
industry experts have presented safety and health information to more than 600 individuals from
nearly 200 companies during the monthly meetings. The presenters have addressed a number of topics,
including ergonomics, fall protection, machine guarding, recording injuries and illnesses, OSHA
inspection procedures, West Nile Virus, bees, snakes and spiders, restraining energized lines, root
cause analysis, job hazard analysis, noise in the oil and gas industry, load securement, legal
liabilities and trench safety.
Information on the Alliance is included on the STEPS Network Web site (www.stepsnetwork.com) that is
sponsored by an Alliance participant. The Web site also includes the Network's monthly meeting
minutes and presentations and information on safety-related incidents, safety alerts and best
practices.
In addition, the OSHA and STEPS Alliance has helped to provide employers with information on the
agency's regulations and their obligations. For example, companies have addressed worksite-related
equipment operation and maintenance, emergency response and personal protective equipment (PPE)
issues and shared best practices on a case-by-case basis. As a result of the information sharing,
work crew employees or service companies have stopped jobs, explaining that the tasks cannot be
performed without proper planning, PPE or other equipment. In addition, contractors and employees
have called OSHA representatives who have provided information on relevant OSHA rules and other
applicable standards. The oil and gas industry representatives' discussions during the STEPS Network
meetings about unsafe work practices and equipment have led to the implementation and use of new and
more up-to-date programs and machinery in the field.
Through the OSHA and STEPS Alliance, the Network's members are sharing its successes with other
parts of the country. In January 2007, STEPS Network representatives visited the OSHA Region VI,
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Area Office and worked with James Brown, Area Director, and Heather Hartman,
Compliance Assistance Specialist, to present the STEPS Network concepts to 170 oil and gas employers
and contractors at a regional meeting. As a result, 26 meeting attendees volunteered to serve on a
committee to explore the feasibility of setting up a similar network in Oklahoma. Members of the
Alliance have also presented safety and health improvement talks at a number of national
associations' meetings, including the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Association of
Energy Servicing Contractors (AESC). API and AESC are also national Alliance Program participants.
In addition, the OSHA and STEPS Alliance's focus on OSHA's cooperative programs helped BP American
Production Company-South Texas Operations Center achieve the first Voluntary Protection Programs
(VPP) Star status designation for a multi-field exploration and production site. The Conoco-Phillips
South Texas Operation and BP America's South Louisiana Operation are currently working to achieve
VPP status and are cooperating with one another in their efforts.
According to Mr. Giefer, "The success of the STEPS Network and the OSHA and STEPS Alliance has
proven the merit of business and the government working together toward a common goal of improving
employee safety and health in the oil and gas exploration industry. The STEPS Network and this
Alliance have allowed employers to build relationships of shared cooperation and trust that have
improved the understanding between all parties."
For more information about this Alliance and its activities, contact Marianne McGee, Compliance
Assistance Specialist, Region VI, Corpus Christi, Texas Area Office, USDOL-OSHA.
-- As of February 2007
1The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), Division of Worker's Compensation's On-site
Consultation Program is a free service designed to help small private Texas employers understand and
comply with OSHA standards without the assessment of fines or the issuance of citations for safety
and health hazards.
2The STEPS Network is an all-volunteer organization designed to promote safety, health
and environmental improvement in South Texas exploration and production operations. OSHA and other
regulators and industry associations serve as advisors to its executive committee.
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Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry and OSHA Region V and VI Form
Alliances to Address Application of Polyurethane
Since this success story was posted on OSHA's Web site in
December 2006, the Center for the Polyurethanes Industry (CPI) (formerly known as the Alliance for
the Polyurethanes Industry) has developed through its Alliance with OSHA a new document about
exposure control in the truck bed liner (TBL) industry. "Exposure Control Guidelines in the Truck
Bed Liner Industry for Low Pressure System Applications" provides general information and explains
precautions and practices associated with the safe handling of diisocyanates (MDI). Specifically,
it discusses engineering controls (for example, adequate ventilation), personal protective
equipment and general work practices common to the TBL industry. The CPI guidelines supplement the
safe use and handling information in suppliers' material safety data sheets (MSDS) and provide
helpful information and examples for MDI users.
According to Barbara Cummings Bayer MaterialScience LCC, and Chair of the CPI Truck Bed Liner Task
Force, "…constructing a spray enclosure with sufficient ventilation can be challenging for this
industry, especially for smaller businesses. We hope publication of this document will help
address some of the commonly asked questions about exposure control in spray enclosures."
(as of March 2007) |
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Reducing and preventing employees' exposure to the diisocyanates (MDI) during
the application of the polyurethane in the truck bed liners industry is the focus of two Alliances
between the Alliance for the Polyurethane Industry (API) and the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration's (OSHA) Region V and Region VI Offices.
MDI is a component of polyurethane and special handling and care, including proper ventilation and
environmental controls, is needed when spraying the polyurethane on the surface of truck beds.
Polyurethane is applied much like paint or coatings. The liner protects the surface of the truck bed
against scratches and scrapes, as well as the corrosion that can result over time due to this
damage.
Through the Alliances, OSHA and API are developing print and electronic outreach materials,
providing training and speaking and exhibiting at conferences and meetings to help polyurethane
users, especially small truck bed lining businesses, address workplace safety and health issues
including the:
- Proper use and storage of MDI
- Proper use, storage and maintenance of the equipment used to apply the polyurethane
- Fit and evaluation of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respirators
- Design of ventilation booths
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For example, both Alliances have published information to address polyurethane-related safety and
health hazards that may be encountered in the truck bed liner industry. The Region V and API
Alliance1, signed July 12, 2005, created a guide; Safety Considerations for the Application of
Spray-On Truck Bed Liners TBL, that provides the polyurethane users with recommendations for
engineering controls, PPE and work practices. The Alliance also developed a Model Respiratory
Protection Program, which is designed to help protect employees from respiratory hazards and
facilitate compliance with OSHA's Respiratory Protection Program Standard.
The OSHA Region VI and API Alliance2, signed February 28, 2006, published a brochure, Spray on Truck
Bed Liner Applications Using MDI/PMDI; Seven Important Points. Developed for employers, the document
includes information on how to recognize MDI-related hazards and reduce employees' exposure to MDI.
In addition, API launched a Truck Bed Liners Web site in September 2006 that contains information
for the industry, including publications, events and statistical data. By October 2006, the Web site
(www.spraytruckbedliner.com) averaged over 400 visits per month.
The Alliances are also working to reach out to the truck bed liner industry's employers and
employees and the public through the dissemination of information through conferences and training
seminars. For example, API hosted an exhibit booth at the 2006 Specialty Equipment Market
Association Show, October 31-November 3, 2006, in Las Vegas, Nevada that was attended by more than
100,000 specialty auto parts industry representatives. The exhibit promoted the Alliance-developed
publications and raised awareness about the workplace safety and health issues associated using
polyurethane spray-on liners.
The Region VI Alliance developed a one-day Spray-On Truck Bed Liner Training Seminar, which was held
in October and November 2006 for more than 70 people involved in the industry. During the seminar,
OSHA representatives provided information about the Agency's enforcement policies, compliance
assistance resources and cooperative programs, including the On-site Consultation Program, and a
number of safety and health topics, including:
- Hazard communications
- Respiratory protection and personal protective equipment
- Ventilation and engineering controls
- Equipment cleaning , waste disposal and spills
The seminar's content was modeled after a two-day Spray-On Truck Bed Liner
Training Seminar that was hosted by Region VI and API and attended by more than 800 industry
representatives on February 11-12, 2006, in Dallas, Texas. The seminar was held prior to the Alliance's
signing.
"As a result of the Alliance, many API members have requested and received On-site Consultation
visits," according to Susan Monroe, Industrial Hygienist, Region VI.
During 2006, the Alliances also provided an opportunity for OSHA and API to share information and
expertise at Agency and API-member company meetings. Representatives from both organizations have
talked with OSHA staff and truck bed liners companies and their employers and employees in Illinois
and Texas.
"API is excited to be working with OSHA on these worker safety and health issues" says Stephanie
Bernard, API. "Due to the small size of many businesses in the truck bed liner industry, it can be
difficult for some of those companies to educate workers about how to protect themselves from
exposures to MDI. By working through the Alliance, we can help companies learn how to provide
adequate worker protection for this industry and provide this important education."
For more information about these Alliances and their activities, contact
Charlie Shields, Assistant
Regional Administrator, in Region V, or
Susan Monroe, Industrial Hygienist, in Region VI.
-- As of December 2006; updated March 2007.
1Region V, Indiana Department of Labor, Michigan Department of
Labor, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, Illinois On-site Consultation Program, Ohio
On-site Consultation Program, Wisconsin Health Consultation Program and Alliance for the
Polyurethane Industry.
2Dallas Regional Office and Dallas Area Office and Fort Worth Area Office and Alliance for the
Polyurethane Industry.
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Alliance With Region VI Lubbock Area Office And T&T Staff Management LP Promotes Safety in
Spanish-Speaking Community
One of the billboards that encourages workers to work safely.
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On January 9, 2004, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Lubbock Area Office
and T&T Staff Management LP (T&T) established an Alliance to foster safer and more healthful
workplaces. T&T is the largest staff leasing company* in El Paso, Texas, representing 300
construction companies with over 6,000 employees. Through the Alliance, OSHA and T&T are providing
the management, employees and clients of T&T with information, guidance and access to training
resources to protect the health and safety of T&T employees. They are focusing on reducing and
preventing exposure to construction hazards such as falls from different elevations, struck-by and
caught-in between objects, and electrocution hazards.
T&T entered into the Alliance after its worker compensation costs reached more than $3.5 million. At
that time, Richard F. Tapio, OSHA Region VI Area Director for the Lubbock and El Paso Offices, said
"One of the focuses of this Alliance…is that we're bringing training to the workplace and workers
should see a reduction in injuries." In late 2004, Thad Steele, president and owner of T&T, noted
that the worker compensation claims declined by $1.2 million while the number of employees had
increased by 800. Injuries also declined from 112 to 56 during that time. As quoted in a March 2004
article in the El Paso Times, Mr. Steele said, "Safety was a low priority [for T&T] and now it's the
highest priority. The old line (that) safety pays [is] really [true…it] does in my industry. The
accidents we see now are more minor in nature and catastrophic claims have been reduced easily by 30
percent," he said. According to Richard Tapio, this Alliance works well "because of the
aggressiveness of the company [T&T] in focusing on the safety of its employees."
Using the Alliance as its motivation, T&T has made important changes. It has increased its safety
and health staff from one person to six people. Most of these new people do safety inspections at
the work sites of T&T's clients. T&T also requires every new employee to take a 90-minute safety
orientation class; supervisors take the OSHA Construction Industry 10-hour Training Outreach
Program. Through the Alliance, OSHA and T&T are offering these classes in Spanish, the primary
language of 60 to 70 percent of its workforce, and in English. For many of the employees, this is
the first safety training they have ever attended.
The success of the Alliance between OSHA and T&T has served as a catalyst in the organizations'
collaboration with El Paso Associated General Contractors, JDW Insurance and the El Paso Del Norte
branch of the American Society of Safety Engineers in a 2-month-long billboard campaign (during the
autumn of 2005) aimed at promoting safety and health in the workplace. JDW Insurance covers many El
Paso companies. According to W. Martin Yung, company president, workplace policies make up about 40
percent of JDW's business by premiums paid. "Injuries have an impact that reaches consumers," he
said. "If you reduce these injury-related costs, you ultimately reduce the costs of the products
they deliver."
The billboards, 14 of which are in Spanish, show a young girl gazing out a window next to this text:
"Ellos esperan que llegues a casa sano y salvo ... y nosotros tambien." The English version, which
appears on four billboards, reads, "They expect you to come home safe and sound. So do we." The
billboards were placed in carefully selected locations including residential neighborhoods and on
school bus routes in an attempt to reach out to families and children. "We're hoping this [effort]
multiplies in discussions over the dinner table; it's something with meaning for everyone," said Joe
Gomez, executive vice president of El Paso Associated General Contractors.
Media coverage of the billboards has been very good. In October 2005, the El Paso Times published a
story entitled, "Billboards push workplace safety." The local NBC affiliate also covered the story
by interviewing Mr. Tapio, who pointed out that construction industry efforts to reduce worker
injuries and deaths in El Paso have moved from construction work sites and training rooms to public
streets.
For more information on the OSHA T&T Staff Management Alliance, contact Region VI El Paso and
Lubbock Area Director, Richard F. Tapio at Tapio.Richard.F@dol.gov.
--As of November 2005.
*According to Thad Steele, in Texas, "Staff leasing services means an
arrangement by which employees of a license holder are assigned to work at a client company;
employment responsibilities are shared by the license holder and the client company; employees'
assignments are intended to be of a long-term or continuing, rather than temporary or seasonal in
nature; and a majority of the work force at a client company worksite or a specialized group within
that work force consists of assigned employees of the license holder. In short, T&T is responsible
for the payroll function for client companies; T&T is the employer of record for tax purposes; and
T&T's worker compensation policy provides coverage for all leases [leased] employees. In addition
T&T provides HR as well as safety consulting as a part of its services."
OSHA Region VI Alliance Signed with Houston Area Organizations Addressing
Workplace Safety for Teens
HISD Alliance Ceremony, May 7, 2003 - ASSE Volunteers: First Row - Mike Narvaez (2003 Gulf Coast
Chapter Treasurer), Michael Thompson (ASSE Region III Vice President, 2001-03), Mark Hansen
(ASSE National President, 2003), Cindy Lewis (ASSE Gulf Coast Chapter President, 2003), Lonnie
Pena. Second Row - Jan Barton (Greater Houston Area Student Section Advisor), David Conklin, Ron
Robinson, Robert Gussman (2003 Gulf Coast Chapter V.P. Communications), Greg Smith (ASSE Gulf
Coast Chapter Past President), Ted Low (2003 Gulf Coast Chapter Secretary), Dr. Jeff Oakley
(Greater Houston Area Student Section Advisor)
Chuck Williams, Houston South Area Office Administrator, Elizabeth Todd, Region VI Public
Relations, John Lawson, Houston North Area Office Administrator.
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Through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Alliance Program, high school
students in Houston are getting real world exposure to job safety, health and environmental
conditions. A public-private Alliance aimed at reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities among
teen workers links together OSHA, the American Society of Safety Engineers – Gulf Coast Chapter
(ASSE-GCC), the Houston Independent School District (HISD) and the Texas Engineering Extension
Services (TEEX) to bring workplace safety to 26 Houston high schools. The Alliance was signed on May
7, 2003.
According to a study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) nearly
200,000 teens in the U.S. are injured each year in occupational settings. Approximately 70 teens
under the age of 18 years of age are fatally injured annually. Work place fatalities among teen
workers resulted from homicides, equipment rollovers, falls, and electrocutions. Teens are also
injured while working in agriculture, retail, services, construction and other industries. Common
injuries sustained by teens include sprains, strains, contusions, lacerations, and fractures.
Approximately 100,000 teens aged 15 to 17 visit emergency rooms each year for work-related injuries.
As a result of the Alliance, OSHA, ASSE, TEEX and HISD have developed training and educational
programs for students and teachers based on OSHA's general industry standards. Volunteers are using
safety and health curricula related to specific industry and technology programs (such as in
agriculture, business and office, health science, food production, and trade and industry).
Volunteer professionals are educating students about safety, health and environmental fields and
providing train-the-trainer courses to educators each year.
"Close to 50 volunteers from the ASSE Gulf Coast Chapter representing 25 different companies are
teaching 60-and 90-minute classes and have been provided with presentation materials and training
guides," ASSE Gulf Coast Chapter Past President Cindy Lewis said. "This collaborative effort is the
first of its kind in the nation aimed at reducing fatalities and injuries among teen workers who
head out for summer jobs or first full-time positions. And, in addition to working full-time, these
committed ASSE members are volunteering their time and talents towards this Alliance aimed at
reducing workplace injuries and fatalities." The ASSE Gulf Coast Chapter represents 1300 members in
18 counties along the Gulf Coast.
In addition, ASSE and OSHA volunteers are teaching workplace safety and health, and hazard
recognition to high school students enrolled in the HISD Career and Technology Education programs.
TEEX will be conducting train-the-trainer courses for HISD teachers to certify them as OSHA 10-hour
instructors. TEEX held a number of classes last summer at local high schools and the next TEEX
classes are scheduled for the Spring/Summer of 2005.
This Alliance also helps to fulfill the Department of Labor (DOL) YouthRules! initiative. "As part
of Secretary Chao's YouthRules! initiative to keep America's working teens safe and healthy while on
the job, we developed web sites to provide our young workers with the knowledge they deserve so they
can have safe and positive work experiences," OSHA Administrator John Henshaw said. "The YouthRules!
Initiative seeks to educate young workers, parents, educators, and employers on worker safety."
A partnership with Alliance members and the DOL -Wage & Hour Division's Houston office resulted in a
Youth Rules! Rally held on May 15, 2004. Seven hundred students, and many of their parents, visited Greenspoint Mall in Houston, Texas, to learn about child labor and safety and health laws, careers
and local summer job opportunities. The rally was funded by 8 Houston area businesses who each
donated $1,000 towards the event and its related expenses such as giveaways, decorations and
entertainment.
Further, since the agreement was signed, several other projects and programs have been developed to
meet the goals of the Alliance, including:
- Spring 2003 - Forty-two vocational technical school teachers requested and received assistance
from Alliance members, particularly TEEX, to help teach safety and health in their classrooms.
- Summer 2004 - Additional teachers at HISD, and vocational teachers at the Spring Independent
School District, received the OSHA 501 training from TEEX. This training was funded by the
Governors' office.
The Alliance participants have identified a number of future endeavors, including:
- Fall 2004 - The groups will re-sign the Alliance and plan to update classroom training materials
and expand the program.
- Spring 2005 - The 2nd Annual YouthRules! Rally will be held.
"We are all excited about this Alliance. This valuable occupational safety and health program will
benefit everyone: youth, families, neighborhoods and businesses," said TEEX Career Safe Coordinator,
Lisa London.
-- As of November 2004.
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