I. Alliance Background
Date Signed
September 25, 2003, with a Renewal Signed on March 22, 2005
Overview.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Independent Quality Alliance (IQA),
and the PA/OSHA Consultation Program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (PA/OSHA Consultation),
have aligned to provide information, guidance and access to training resources that will help them
protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to the
hazards associated with heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, air purification
and restoration and safe motor vehicle operation.
Implementation Team Members
Rich Litchenwalner
John Hufford
Bill Lilly
Mike Smith
David Dewalt
Cindy Mellen
Scott Shimandle |
Hannabery HVAC – IQA President/Safety Committee Chair
Trexler Haines
Tru-Comfort
Hannabery HVAC
Maitz Home Services
PA/OSHA Consultation Service at I.U.P.
OSHA – Allentown Area Office |
Contribitors
Other members of the Independent Quality Alliance serve as contributors. The companies include:
Air Care & Restoration Co., Inc.
Edwin Stipe Inc.
Evaluation Period
March 22, 2006 through March 22, 2007
II. Implementation Team Meetings
March 29, 2006
May 8, 2006
May 22, 2006
June 9, 2006
July 18, 2006
Aug. 1, 2006
Feb. 6, 2007 |
Correspondence with IQA President, injury/illness
data
Correspondence with IQA President, IQA membership
Correspondence with IQA President, injury/illness data
Correspondence with IQA President, MSDS maintenance
Meeting with IQA President, OSHA Alliance discussion, self-inspections and the IQA’s recent
partnership with the Assoc. Bldrs.& Contractors, Inc. – Eastern PA Chapter
Correspondence with IQA President, PA GOV S/H Conference
Correspondence with IQA President, discussion about the employer reps of the Implementation Team
and their self-inspections |
III. Events and Products
Training and Education
- Events
- Self-inspections – The member companies began conducting team self-inspections, in which they
would visit each member’s site, in an effort to identify potential safety and health hazards.
Here are a few items found and discussed during these audits:
- Motor-vehicle back-in policy was discussed at length and one company immediately implemented
this practice. One company discussed the fact that after implementing that policy, they went
nearly 11 months without a backup incident (previously they were incurring monthly incidents).
Then, when the company did have an incident, they discovered in their surveillance system that
the employees had not followed two of the policies' requirements. They were, 1. Vehicle did not
back-in, it pulled in. 2. Helper/passenger got in the truck and did not assist the driver while
backing up. The policy basically states that drivers must drive past their prospective parking
spot, view it, then if no dangers are present, stop, have passenger get out, go to a safe
location where he/she is visible to the driver, but not in an area whereby they could become
pinned or hit or injured, and assist the driver in backing up.
- Another issue that was recommended at one of the companies offices, was the fact that on a
fire door which led to their shop, there was no window (safety glass). They cautioned that
people come barreling through and can injure the person they don't see on the other side of the
door. Two weeks after their walk-through (self-inspection), but before the windowed door was
installed, one of their employees was in front of the door, bending over to get something, while
another employee came through the door very quickly, resulting in an injury to the person who
was bending over. This hazard was discussed at their last general safety meeting. The company
was also informed of the importance to share the story and the need to implement the recommended
corrected action. That company now has safety glass windowed doors.
- Finally, every member has become better at recognizing potential hazards. The IQA President
recently visited a facility located in Allentown. Their back door was unlocked. As a potential
building security issue, anyone could waltz-in unchecked and undetected. For the staff's safety
as well as the security of the contents, it was recommended to the director that they should
lock that door from the outside. The recommendation was very well received, and implemented
immediately.
- Products
- o No products developed at this time. Numerous changes with membership. With the recent
“partnering” with the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) – Eastern PA Chapter – the IQA
will be discussing the utilization of the Safety and Health Program Manual, which has been
developed by the ABC.
Outreach and Communication
- Events
- Communications are listed above.
- Products
- No products created at this time
Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
- Events
- No events have been held to promote the national dialogue at this time.
- Products
- No products created at this time
IV. Results
| Type of Activity (Conference,
Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) |
Number of Individuals Reached or
Trained |
| |
|
| |
|
| TOTAL |
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V. Upcoming Milestones
As previously reported the IQA has lost several of its members. This has had an effect on this OSHA
Alliance in that several of those employers (representatives) were very active members of the
Alliance Safety Steering Committee. The President and the IQA member companies had formed a
“partnership” with the Associated Builders and Contractors – Eastern PA Chapter. Through this
agreement the member companies will be receiving access to OSHA through our Partnership Agreement,
which was signed on September 27, 2006. Therefore, in discussion and agreement with the IQA
President, it has been decided that this IQA Alliance agreement will conclude with this report and
efforts to aid and improve safety and health programs with these employers will be through the
cooperative partnership agreement with the ABC-Eastern PA Chapter.
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