-
Alliance Among Three OSHA Region I Massachusetts Area Offices, The Massachusetts Division of
Occupational Safety On-site Consultation Program and The Massachusetts Board of Building
Regulations and Standards Trains Building Inspectors in Hazard Prevention. (As of September
2007)
-
Alliance Among OSHA Region I Area Offices, On-Site Consultation Programs, Vermont OSHA, and the
Safety and Health Council of Northern New England Promotes Training Seminars to Protect Employees.
(As of December 2006)
-
Alliances Between OSHA's Region I Augusta, Maine, Area Office and Public and Private Entities Open
Communication Channels To Protect Maine's Employers and Employees. (As of September 2006)
- Alliance Between Region I's Springfield, Massachusetts, Area Office and Worcester Contractors
Formalizes Collaborative Efforts and Provides Safety and Health Training. (As of September
2006)
- Alliance Between Region I's Braintree and Methuen Area Offices and Construction Safety Roundtable
Continues to Grow and Reach Out to Students. (As of May 2006; updated
November 2008)
- Alliance Among OSHA Region I Braintree, Methuen and Springfield, Massachusetts, Area
Offices; Massachusetts Consultation Program; and Massachusetts Nurses Association
Provides Information on Hazardous Chemicals, Workplace Violence and Ergonomic Hazards.
(As of May 2006)
- Alliance Between OSHA Region I and Iron Worker's District Council of
New England Labor Management Cooperation Trust Protects the Safety
and Health of Construction Workers. (As of June 2005)
- Region I's
OSHA and Lamar Bridgeport Alliance Working to Improve the Safety and
Health of the Outdoor Advertising Industry's Employees. (As of February 2003; updated
September 2004)
Alliance among Three OSHA Region I Massachusetts Area Offices, The Massachusetts
Division of Occupational Safety On-site Consultation Program and The Massachusetts Board of Building
Regulations and Standards Trains Building Inspectors in Hazard Prevention
Three Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Region I Area Offices (Braintree,
Methuen, and Springfield, Massachusetts), the Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety On-site
Consultation Program (MADOS), and the Massachusetts Board of Building Regulations and Standards (MBBRS)
signed an Alliance on May 19, 2005, to provide training to building inspectors and renewed it on May
18, 2007. The Alliance was formed as a result of an Act* Massachusetts passed in 2004 requiring all
employers who bid and contract for work on public construction sites valued at $10,000 or more to
have all employees on the sites complete the OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach Training Program.
The Act, however, does not cover the 600-800 municipal and state building inspectors in
Massachusetts. As a consequence, building inspectors came to MADOS and requested that the OSHA
10-Hour Course be provided to them so that they could possess the same background as those covered
by the Act.
Compliance Assistance Specialists (CASs) in the OSHA Region I Braintree, Methuen and Springfield,
Massachusetts, Area Offices and the Training Specialist with the MADOS Program took the OSHA 500
Train-the-Trainer Course for Construction Industry to qualify them to teach the OSHA 10-Hour Course
for construction. Then they designed and developed an OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach Training
Program tailored to fit the needs of municipal and state building inspectors. The job of the
Massachusetts building inspector is to ensure that the construction permits issued to contractors by
towns and cities for the construction and repair of residential and commercial properties (e.g.,
highways, streets, sewer and waste-water systems, dams, bridges) are followed.
From April 2005 through June 2007, the training was provided six times throughout Massachusetts.
Approximately 200 building inspectors attended the training sessions; everyone who completed the
course received OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach Training Program completion card. According to
MBBRS, "This training provided to us by the Alliance better qualifies us to do our job and present
the professional approach we try to set by demonstrating our concerns for safety and health in the
workplace." When they teach the course, members of the Alliance demonstrate how to use the OSHA Web
site. For example, course participants learn how to use the "Establishment Search" function to find
the past performance records of contractors. According to Walter Cienaski, CAS in the Region I
Springfield, Massachusetts Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, potential employers and employees are very
interested in learning the number of times a company has been inspected and the results of those
inspections. Further, participants learn how to locate the Local, Regional and National Emphasis
programs currently in effect in their areas.
As part of the Alliance, its representatives also attended the annual New England Municipal Building
Officials Seminar at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, which was held in October of 2005
and 2006. During the Seminar, Mr. Cienaski presented "The Four High Hazards in Construction" (i.e.,
fall hazards, scaffold safety, electrical hazards, struck-by and crushed-by injuries) to about 150
building inspectors from all over New England. In addition, Jean Manoli, Training Specialist, MADOS
gave a presentation, "Health Hazards in Construction and Confined Spaces." Mr. Cienaski and Ms. Manoli also gave a workshop on trench safety to help the building inspectors understand how
Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs), CASs, and Area Office directors address government
regulations and train employees in best practices in workplace safety and health. The workshop also
included a presentation, "Jobsite Considerations," after which Ms. Manoli and Mr. Cienaski
encouraged the participants to share their experiences, problems and solutions.
To reach out to building inspectors, the Alliance's participants have monthly telephone conferences
and quarterly meetings, which include other interested area groups (e.g., home builders'
associations) to update them on OSHA events and policy changes. At a special quarterly MBBRS
Alliance meeting in June 2007, Alliance participants developed the schedule for presenting the OSHA
10-Hour Course for the next year. They also decided to offer a scaffold safety seminar focusing on
the variety of and safety requirements for different types of temporary elevated work platforms.
Along with the building inspectors, area construction contractors were invited to that seminar. In
addition, in June 2007, the Alliance held a Hands-On Safety and Health Work Safety Expo in
Springfield at the Home Builders Association of Western Massachusetts. The more than 70 participants
included OSHA staff and CSHOs from the Springfield, Massachusetts Area Office, building inspectors
from Western Massachusetts, local companies, and other companies that demonstrated the proper use of
their equipment and discussed its hazards.
According to Mr. Cienaski, "Alliances like this one provide the opportunity for the Agency to reach
out to construction companies and reinforce the concept that safety and health in the workplace are
part of the job. In addition, through the Alliance, OSHA can demonstrate the many ways available to
construction companies to seek help in providing the safe and healthful place of work required by
our Agency. Our Alliances become interactive; they show the concern of the employer and the employee
along side the regulatory agencies."
For more information about this Alliance and its activities, contact
Walt Cienaski or
Jean Manoli.
-- As of September 2007.
____________________________________________
*An Act Relative To The Health And Safety On Public Construction Projects was passed on August 17,
2004 and took effect on July 1, 2006.
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Alliance Among OSHA Region I Area Offices, On-Site Consultation Programs, Vermont OSHA, and the
Safety and Health Council of Northern New England Promotes Training Seminars to Protect Employees
To help educate the Safety and Health Council of Northern New England's (SHCNNE) members, many of
which are small manufacturers with limited resources, about workplace safety and health issues and
programs and reduce and prevent exposure to construction and general industry hazards, Occupational
Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Region I Area Offices signed an Alliance on September 28,
2005, with, On-site Consultation Programs, Vermont OSHA and SHCNNE1.
Through the Alliance, OSHA is providing training and sharing information at SHCNNE-sponsored Safety
and Health Conferences and Expositions (the conferences and expositions are held annually in Maine
in the fall and in New Hampshire in the spring) and the Council's meetings to improve its members'
awareness of OSHA regulations and policies. OSHA representatives are making presentations on a
variety of topics, such as fall protection, recordkeeping and hazard communication.
For example, during the SHCNNE fall annual conferences in 2005 and 2006, Bill Coffin, Compliance
Assistance Specialist (CAS), in the Region I Augusta, Maine Area Office, updated over 300 attendees
on OSHA's regulations. He also taught or assisted in the delivery of several courses to more than
160 employees on a number of topics including trenching, electrical safety and OSHA's resources for
businesses.
During 2005 and 2006, Dave Berard, CAS in the Region I Concord, New Hampshire Area Office, and
Adrien Polky, Supervisor in the Maine On-Site Consultation Program provided training to more than
300 employees on topics including electrical safety, ergonomics, fall protection, machine guarding
and lockout/tagout, health care, recordkeeping and hazard communication. The courses included the
OSHA 10-Hour Construction Outreach and Training Program. Mr. Polky also made a presentation on
personal protective equipment (PPE) to more than 80 attendees at the SHCNNE's fall 2006 conference.
At the SHCNNE spring annual conferences in 2005 and 2006, Mr. Berard presented training seminars on
PPE, lifting and electrical hazards to more than 45 attendees. The Concord, New Hampshire Area
Office also staffed an exhibit booth during the fall and spring annual conferences. Lisa Sullivan
and Linda Lopez, both Industrial Hygienists, and George Kilens, Assistant Area Director, answered
questions regarding complying with OSHA standards, general safety and health issues and scheduling
safety and health training.
Alliance representatives also shared information with over 45 attendees in October 2006 during
SHCNNE's 4th Annual New Hampshire North Country Safety Symposium in Bethlehem, New Hampshire. During
the event, Mr. Berard gave an OSHA Update and Ms. Sullivan, Mr. Kilens and Mr. Berard staffed an
OSHA exhibit booth.
Since the Alliance was signed, a number of OSHA representatives, including Rose Ohar, Area Director
of the Concord, New Hampshire Area Office and Mr. Berard, have provided OSHA updates to more than 45
members of the SHCNNE's New Hampshire chapter during meetings in October and December 2005 and May
2006. In addition, Mr. Coffin attended the SHCNNE's Volunteer Leaders Planning Meetings and provided
updates on the Alliance's activities and the scheduled training. As part of the Alliance, Mr. Berard,
and Mr. Polky also serve on SHCNNE's New Hampshire and Maine Safety and Health Education Planning
Committees, which meet monthly to schedule the training seminars offered to the Council's members.
Through the Alliance, OSHA representatives plan to continue to participate in SHCNNE meetings and
conferences including the 36th Annual New Hampshire Safety & Health Conference and Exhibition, which
will be held in Nashua, New Hampshire in March 2007. According to Lyman Cousens, Executive Director
of SHCNNE, "We are pleased with the results of this Alliance. It has established a new level of
cooperation and assistance between SHCNNE and OSHA in both Maine and New Hampshire. OSHA staffers of
the Area Offices in Augusta and Concord have reached out with technical assistance to assist SHCNNE
in providing much needed training to our 1000 member businesses."
For more information about this Alliance, contact
Dave Berard or
Kevin Clarke, Alliance & Partnership
Coordinator.
-- As of December 2006.
____________________________________________
1The Alliance signatories include the Augusta, Maine and Concord, New Hampshire Area
Offices, Maine Department of Labor On-Site Consultation Program, New Hampshire Department of
Environmental Services On-Site Consultation Program, Vermont OSHA, Vermont On-Site Consultation
Program and the Safety and Health Council of Northern New England (SHCNNE). SHCNNE is an accredited
chapter of the national Safety Council.
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Alliances Between OSHA's Region I Augusta, Maine,
Area Office and Public and Private Entities Open Communication Channels To Protect Maine's Employers and
Employees
Through the Alliance Program, the Region I Augusta, Maine, Area Office is working with
representatives of Maine's business community. Since 2003, the Area Office has signed 10 Alliance
agreements that have helped to open the lines of communication between construction, electronic,
telecommunications and healthcare industries. In addition, the Alliances are addressing roadway work
zone, electrical and personal protective equipment safety and health issues. The primary
accomplishments of these Alliances include developing and delivering safety and health training
courses, participating in industry conferences and meetings, and distributing outreach materials
throughout New England.
Several of the Area Office's Alliances have been established to develop and present training on
roadway work zone safety to help protect the health and safety of Maine employees in several
different industries. Working with participants of the Alliance with Associated Constructors of
Maine, Inc. (ACM)1, OSHA developed a course that focused on the Federal Highway Administration's
(FHA) Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), which governs roadway work zone safety on
public and private roads, and gave the training to 277 attendees. Members of the Alliance with the
Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)2 tailored and focused the MUTCD training course
for linemen in the telecommunications industry, presenting the course to 63 employees. Through an
Alliance with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2327 and Verizon3,
participants further tailored the MUTCD training to create a train-the-trainer course called the
Safety Coach Training. Twenty-two employees took the train-the-trainer course and trained an
additional 4000 employees at their respective telecommunications companies.
As part of the Area Office's Construction Alliance4 with IBEW Local 567 and E.S. Boulos Co., OSHA
staff presented the OSHA 30-hour course, Occupational Safety and Health Standards for Construction,
to approximately 200 employees. In addition, the Area Office presented other training to IBEW
including OSHA's 10-Hour Construction Industry Outreach Training Program and a course developed by
OSHA's Augusta Area Office staff on National Fire Protection Association's (NFPA) Standards for
Electrical Safety in the Work Place (NFPA 70E). Michael McCarron, Safety Director, E.S. Boulos Co.,
said, "The Alliance with OSHA gave our safety program the boost it needed to reach the next level.
It was so effective that several of our sub-contractors are in the process of forming their own
relationships with OSHA."
Through the Alliance Program, the Augusta Area Office is also able to reach out to businesses by
participating in meetings and conferences, making presentations and distributing compliance
assistance information at exhibits. For example, the OSHA and ACM Alliance holds monthly roundtable
meetings in Augusta for the safety personnel from area residential, commercial and industrial
construction contractors. Bill Coffin, Compliance Assistance Specialist from the Augusta Area
Office, often attends the meetings and gives a presentation on workplace safety and health issues,
such as roadway work zone safety. According to Mr. Coffin, "It's a good place to clear up
misconceptions, answer questions, and share best practices." Mr. Coffin also staffed an OSHA and ACM
Alliance exhibit booth at the North East Transportation Safety Conference (NETSC), which was
sponsored by the Maine Transportation Safety Committee and held in Augusta in April 2005. At the
Conference, the OSHA Region I Augusta, Maine, Area Office received an "E for Excellence" Award which
recognized the work the office did on roadway work zone safety through the Alliance Program.
As part of the OSHA and SCTE Alliance, Mr. Coffin has attended SCTE meetings in Portland, Maine,
making presentations on the Alliance Program and safety and health issues such as electrical,
personal protective equipment and roadway work zone safety. During the August 2005 Time Warner of
New England Employee Health and Safety Fair, he staffed an OSHA and SCTE Alliance exhibit booth and
distributed OSHA publications and information about the OSHA and SCTE Alliance.
Through the OSHA and Maine Health Care Association (MHCA)5 Alliance, Mr. Coffin organized nine
all-day programs for the association's members and other nursing home representatives. The programs
included presentations from State health and safety personnel, an industrial hygienist, and OSHA
representatives on topics such as recordkeeping, ergonomics, bloodborne pathogens and electrical
safety. Clark Phinney, Central Maine Medical Center Employee Health and Workers Compensation
Coordinator was quoted in the December 26, 2005 issue of Mainebiz magazine as saying, "The
hospital's Alliance with OSHA resulted in savings of $800,000 in workers' compensation rates." The
Alliance plans to organize an additional three training sessions for MHCA members.
According to Bill Coffin, who worked with the organizations to develop many of the Alliances, "The
Alliance Program has opened the lines of communication between OSHA and industry. Because of Maine's
many Alliances, members of the organizations and others in Maine's business community feel
comfortable contacting OSHA to ask questions and address workplace safety and health issues."
For more information about Maine's Alliances, contact
Bill Coffin, CAS.
-- As of September 2006.
____________________________________________
1Signatories of the Alliance signed August 17, 2004, are the Associated Constructors of
Maine, Inc. (ACM), Maine Department of Transportation (MDOT) and Federal Highway Administration
(FHA).
2Signatories of the Alliance signed June 22, 2005, are the Society of Cable
Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE), Maine Onsite Consultation Program, MDOT and FHA.
3Signatories of the Alliance signed March 7, 2005, are the International Brotherhood of
Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2327, Verizon New England, Maine Onsite Consultation Program, MDOT
and FHA.
4Signatories of the Alliance signed October 26, 2005, are the E.S. Boulos Company, Maine
Onsite Consultation Program and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 567
5Signatories of the Alliance signed January 6, 2005, are the Maine Health Care
Association (MHCA) and Maine Onsite Consultation Program
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Alliance Between Region I's Springfield, Massachusetts,
Area Office and Worcester Contractors Formalizes Collaborative Efforts and Provides Safety and Health Training
Signed June 2, 2005, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Region I
Springfield, Massachusetts, Area Office and the Worcester Contractors Alliance promotes
construction-related safety and health training and outreach in central Massachusetts. OSHA, the
Massachusetts Onsite Consultation Program and Worcester Contractors, an association of area
construction and construction-related contractors, signed the Alliance agreement to formally
recognize the group's ongoing collaborative efforts to provide the construction industry with
information, guidance and training on issues such as multiple-employer worksites, scaffolding and
electrical hazards.
As part of the cooperative relationship, members of the Alliance and other area contractors (e.g.,
general, electrical and mason contractors) and businesses attend bimonthly meetings held by the
Worcester Contractors. The Alliance uses these meetings as a platform to reach out to the
construction community and share expertise.
For example, each bimonthly meeting begins with an "OSHA Update," which is presented by a
representative from the Region I Springfield Area Office and followed by a discussion among the
attendees about workplace safety and health issues related to their ongoing construction projects.
OSHA staff also make presentations or provide training on topics identified by the group such as
multiple-employer worksites, scaffolding and electrical hazards at the meetings. For instance,
Walter Cienaski, Compliance Assistance Specialist (CAS) for OSHA's Region I Springfield Area Office,
and Ralph Minichiello, an attorney from the Solicitors Office in Boston, made a presentation on
multiple-employer worksites to over 30 attendees at the bimonthly meeting in March 2006. Mr.
Cienaski discussed OSHA's policy on multiple-employer worksites, and Mr. Minichiello discussed
related legal issues.
At another bimonthly meeting, Mr. Cienaski led a training session for approximately 15 people on how
to calculate scaffold loads and design working scaffolds to accommodate a load safely. In addition,
on a different occasion, Mr. Cienaski and Ken Mastrullo, CAS in OSHA's Region I Boston,
Massachusetts, Office presented a training session on electrical safety, addressing arc flashes, to
electrical and general contractors. "Electrical training, particularly arc flash training, is very
important to the health and safety of construction workers because everyone in the industry works on
equipment that has the potential to be energized," according to Mr. Cienaski.
Contractors also have learned about OSHA's free Onsite Consultation Program at the bimonthly
meetings. Massachusetts Onsite Consultation Program representatives have provided information on the
Program including eligibility, services and its recognition program, the Safety and Health
Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). According to Mr. Cienaski, several members of the Alliance
are participating in the Massachusetts Onsite Consultation Program.
"The Alliance has given its participants a better understanding of how OSHA works and of the many
resources available to the employers and employees. The meetings generate feelings of cooperation
because we know we are all there for the dual purposes of promoting safety and health in the work
place and sharing experiences gained in the field.," according to Mr. Cienaski.
For more information, please contact
Walter Cienaski.
--
As of September 2006.
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Alliance Between Region I's Braintree and Methuen Area Offices and
Construction Safety Roundtable Continues to Grow and Reach Out to Students
Since this success story was posted on the
OSHA Web site, the OSHA Region I and Construction Safety Roundtable of
Eastern Massachusetts Alliance has been renewed two times. The Alliance
continues to provide information, assistance, and training to enable the
construction industry's employers, employees, and trainees to eliminate and
reduce safety and health hazards.
For example, on September 25, 2008, the Alliance provided safety training
focusing on tower cranes to more than 90 Bay State safety professionals,
including contractors, safety directors from union and non-union companies,
insurance representatives, and the safety consultation service of the
Massachusetts Department of Labor's Division of Occupational Safety, at the
Local 4 Operating Engineers’ Training Facility in Canton, Massachusetts. The
training, sponsored by Gilbane Builders, was designed to help contractors
understand and identify the hazards involved with the assembly and
disassembly of construction tower cranes. A panel of OSHA and contractor
representatives outlined the criteria and documentation needed for the
selection of a tower crane versus a mobile crane or other equipment;
identified and discussed the various federal, states, and industry standards
covering tower cranes; and reviewed and discussed the hazards associated
with the different types of tower cranes. The training also included a
"lessons learned" segment using real-life examples of successful crane
operations as well as accidents to facilitate discussion and analysis and
reinforce the importance of proper crane operations.
-- As of November 2008 |
Since signing their Alliance, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Region I
Braintree and Methuen, Massachusetts, Area Offices and the Construction Safety Roundtable of Eastern
Massachusetts have worked together to meet construction contractors' needs. The groups are providing
information, assistance, and training to enable the construction industry's employers, employees and
trainees to eliminate and reduce safety and health hazards. As a result of the relationships Patrick
Griffin (then Compliance Assistance Specialist in the Braintree Area Office) began building in 2000
with the construction industry in his area, 47 construction companies and contractors signed the
Alliance agreement in June 2003.
Through this Alliance, Roundtable meetings are held and training is shared that has led to the
establishment of an excellent working relationship between the Alliance's participants and OSHA. In
addition, the Alliance has strengthened the commitment of Alliance members to focus on safety and
health issues on construction sites, increased communication and understanding of the safety and
health needs of the companies and their contractors between the construction industry and OSHA and
encouraged greater cooperation with OSHA.
About 60-65 representatives of the Alliance's member companies, and at least two new interested
companies, attend Roundtable meetings on the second Tuesday of each month, from September through
June. The attendees include safety directors from union and non-union companies, insurance
representatives, union apprentice directors, safety consultants, attorneys and the Massachusetts
Consultation Service.
During the meetings, the attendees exchange technical information and safe work practices, hear
updates on OSHA's procedures and policy issues and provide instruction on construction safety and
health issues. The Roundtable meetings also promote the use of OSHA outreach services and provide
access to OSHA's Compliance Assistance Specialists and the free Onsite Consultation Program offered
by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Topics covered in the past 12 months include mast climbing
scaffold systems, the Massachusetts Consultation Program, confined space hazards, electrical safety,
fall protection, welding and cutting, demolition and health hazards in construction.
According to OSHA's Region I, Braintree, Area Director, Brenda Gordon, "This longstanding Alliance
has fostered an excellent working relationship between its construction members and the OSHA Region
I Braintree Area Office. It has opened up lines of communication between OSHA, union and non-union
contractors and insurance representatives and has served as an educational forum for
construction-related safety and health topics and regulations. I feel that this Alliance continues
to be very pro-active in its efforts to meet its goal to increase safety and health awareness in the
construction community, as well as increase OSHA awareness of construction industry concerns."
In addition, the Alliance members are traveling to vocational high schools throughout Massachusetts
to provide the OSHA 10-hour OSHA Construction Outreach Training Program to the students
free-of-charge. The members are also providing vocational school teachers with the OSHA 500 and 501
Train-the-Trainer Courses in Construction and General Industry. Since 2000, over 8,000 students have
received the OSHA 10-hour card, which is awarded upon successful completion of the course, and more
than 300 teachers have attended the OSHA 500 and 501 Train-the-Trainer Courses. During the summer of
2006, the OSHA courses will each be offered twice.
Glenn Narrow of AON Risk Services, an Alliance participant, comments, "This Roundtable was one of Braintree's
first and is the largest multi-group organization in the OSHA Alliance Program. It provides a
non-competitive environment for representatives from both union and non-union contractors, labor
organizations, the insurance industry and the safety consultation community to share best practices
in loss control as they promote greater safety and health for the American construction worker. One
of the goals of the members of this Alliance is providing safety and health training to every
graduate of a vocational/technical high school because we believe that young people educated in this
manner will be safer and healthier as they work in the construction industry."
Companies participating in the Alliance's roundtable meetings have grown and now include 110
construction companies and contractors from New Hampshire and Rhode Island in addition to
Massachusetts. The Alliance is committed to continuing to its outreach activities through holding
the ongoing Roundtable meetings and providing education and training to students and teachers.
For additional information on this Alliance and its activities, please contact
Timothy Irving, OSHA Region I,
Braintree, Massachusetts, Area Office Compliance Assistance Specialist..
-- As of May 2006; updated November 24, 2008.
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Alliance Among OSHA Region I Braintree, Methuen and Springfield, Massachusetts, Area Offices;
Massachusetts Consultation Program; and Massachusetts Nurses Association Provides Information on
Hazardous Chemicals, Workplace Violence and Ergonomic Hazards
On October 8, 2004, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Region I Area Offices
in Braintree, Methuen and Springfield, Massachusetts; the Massachusetts Consultation Program (MCP)
and the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA)* signed an Alliance. The Alliance provides MNA
members and others in the healthcare industry with information, guidance and access to training
resources to help them protect employees' health and safety. In particular it focuses on reducing
and preventing occupational exposure to antineoplastic and other hazardous drugs, hazardous
chemicals and materials (including glutaraldehyde; ethylene oxide and anesthetic gases; bloodborne
pathogens and infectious diseases; sharps; and natural rubber latex), and workplace violence and
ergonomic hazards.
"This Alliance is an example of OSHA's commitment to foster compliance assistance for workers and
employers to improve health and safety for health care workers," said Marthe Kent, OSHA's New
England Regional Administrator. "It focuses on how to prevent worker exposures to hazardous drugs
and chemicals, workplace violence, as well as ergonomic injuries in health care settings."
Through this Alliance, the three organizations have arranged for and conducted training sessions on
hazardous drugs, chemicals and materials and workplace violence. On October 25, 2005, OSHA, MCP and
MNA conducted a seminar, "OSHA Compliance with Hazardous Drugs," at Tewksbury (Massachusetts) State
Hospital to provide information on recognizing, evaluating, and controlling antineoplastic and other
hazardous drugs. The 39 seminar attendees included nurses, health care administrators, hospital
safety and risk managers, environmental services, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, students,
respiratory therapists, industrial hygienists, and other healthcare workers that might be exposed to
hazardous drugs. The planners and presenters at this 4-hour session were Compliance Assistance
Specialists from Region I's Providence, Rhode Island, Area Office, Industrial Hygiene Team Leaders
from the Braintree and Methuen Area Offices, the staff of the MNA Division of Health and Safety and
the Project Supervisor from the MCP Division of Occupational Safety.
On November 3, 2005, the OSHA, MCP and MNA team conducted the same seminar at Massachusetts Hospital
School in Canton, Massachusetts. About 50 people attended this seminar. The seminar was also
presented on May 25, 2006, at Rhode Island Hospital in Rhode Island, and approximately 30 persons
attended.
Members of this Alliance are also sharing and communicating information on effective approaches to
addressing workplace violence issues. During December 2005 and January and February 2006, MNA's Evie
Bain and the three OSHA Region I Area Office Directors—Brenda Gordon, Braintree, Massachusetts;
Francis Pagliuca, Methuen, Massachusetts; and Mary E. Hoye, Springfield, Massachusetts--met to
discuss topics and speakers for the Workplace Violence Seminar they were planning for March 2006.
On March 29, 2006, the OSHA/MNA Workplace Violence seminar was held in Randolph, Massachusetts.
Speakers included Lieutenant Mary M. Sennott, RN, Massachusetts State Police; Jonathan Rosen,
Director of Health and Safety, New York State Professional Employees Federation; Jean Haertl,
Director of Workplace Violence Prevention, Commonwealth of Massachusetts; Thomas Lynch, Director of
Security, Baystate Medical Center; Thomas Galassi, Deputy Director of Directorate of Enforcement
Programs OSHA, Washington, D.C. Approximately 150 people attended the seminar and visited the
exhibits that had been set up by Federal OSHA, the Massachusetts State Consultation program, and the
MNA. Handouts included workplace violence publications from OSHA, the MNA, and the National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). According to Evie Bain of MNA, "The
evaluations and feedback from the audience were excellent . . . people really appreciated the
program."
The next seminar that the Alliance is planning will address ergonomics issues and will be held in
the fall of 2006. Other future Alliance plans include adapting the OSHA Compliance with Hazardous
Drugs seminar material to on-line and classroom-style continuing education programs to assist nurses
in recognizing hazardous drugs, understanding the hazards and utilizing the appropriate protection
strategies when working with the drugs.
For additional information about this Alliance and it
activities, please contact
Kevin Clarke,
OSHA Region I.
--
As of May 2006.
________________________________
*The MNA has more than 22,000 members who work in 85 health care facilities and is the largest union
and professional association of registered nurses and health professionals in Massachusetts. It is
the second state nurses association in the Nation to establish an OSHA Alliance; the other is the
New York State Nurses Association.
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Alliance Between OSHA Region I and
Iron Worker's District Council of New England Labor Management Cooperation Trust
Protects the Safety and Health of Construction Workers
Protecting construction industry workers from being electrocuted, struck-by, or
crushed- by hazards and providing education on the use of fall protection is the
focus of an Alliance between OSHA Region I and the Iron Workers District Council
of New England Labor Management Cooperation Trust (LMCT). Both groups recognize
the value of a collaborative and proactive relationship to foster safer and more
healthful American workplaces; they are working together to provide information,
guidance, and access to training resources for construction industry employees.
According to Robert E. Banks, the Safety Director for LMCT, "This agreement
broke new ground and as a result broke down barriers, gave the contractors and
employees a new perspective, and made both groups more open to OSHA inspections
and inspectors. The Alliance helped clarify where everyone stood on job-site
safety."
After the Alliance was signed on September 29, 2003, OSHA and LMCT began
convening forums, roundtable discussions, and stakeholder meetings on
electrical, fall, struck-by, and crushed-by issues to help forge innovative
solutions in the workplace. Foremen, superintendents, and journeymen employees
in the Iron Workers District Council of New England Local 7 (Boston,
Massachusetts) took OSHA's 30-Hour Construction Training. David Grafton, Labor
Liaison/Special Assistant to the OSHA Region I Administrator, assisted in
coordinating the training. He was involved in tailoring a Hazard Awareness
Program to incorporate illustrations of common job-site hazards instead of the
written descriptions previously used; he is finding them much more effective as
a teaching tool.
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Iron workers receiving OSHA's 30-Hour Construction Training at their Local 7
Training Center, South Boston, Massachusetts. |
To share and disseminate safety and health information among Iron Workers, the
Alliance is publishing a series of articles under the heading Safety Alert in
the New England District Council's newsletter, The Column. A recent Safety Alert
article reported that the safety of a latch being used for fall protection was
underrated.
The positive relationship established through the Alliance has allowed OSHA and
LMCT to respond quickly in providing safety and health information and training
when accidents have occurred on job sites. For example, after an accident
involving a serious injury occurred in January 2004, an Alliance member informed
the contractor responsible (a steel erector contractor) of the new OSHA standard
subpart R on Steel Erection, which sets forth requirements to protect employees
in the construction industry from the hazards associated with erecting steel.
The contractor worked quickly and provided the OSHA-developed 16-hour training
course for subpart R to his employees--all 50 workers on the job site were
trained and paid for their training time.
This contractor's approach to providing his workers with safety training helped
raise awareness of the need for providing education to other contractors and
union members in the area. Some union members had already taken the subpart R
training; the Alliance encouraged the rest to take the course in the near
future. In addition, the contractor instituted a policy stating that it would no
longer hire workers who had not taken the subpart R training. This policy has
been adopted by other contractors in the area and has, as a consequence,
provided additional impetus for union members to complete the training.
Dave Grafton said that, "This Alliance has given its members the opportunity to
get to know each other better, to open new lines of communication, and to
encourage the development of training courses that focus on specific job-site
hazards." He added that there are about 6400 Union Iron Workers in New England
and that with the support of this Alliance every one has been trained or will be
trained via either the 10- or 30-hour OSHA program. The LMCT has mandated that
all apprentices take the OSHA 10-hour program.
For more information on this Alliance and its activities, contact.
David Grafton, Labor Liaison/Special Assistant to the OSHA Region I
Administrator.
-- As of June 2005.
Back to Top
Region I's OSHA and Lamar Bridgeport Alliance Working
to Improve the Safety and Health of the Outdoor Advertising Industry's Employees
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Region I, Bridgeport
Area Office, and Lamar Outdoor Advertising's Bridgeport, Connecticut Office
(Lamar Bridgeport), signed an Alliance on February, 3, 2003. Together, OSHA and
Lamar are using their expertise to help foster a culture of accident prevention
while sharing best safety practices and technical knowledge. Through OSHA's
Alliance Program, organizations are establishing collaborative relationships
with the Agency to promote safer and more healthful American workplaces.
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Billboard safety message. |
Since this success story was posted on OSHA's web site, two news stories1 have
been printed that report on billboard-related incidents where fall protection has helped to save contractors
from harm. Through the Region I and Lamar Alliance, billboard owners are training their contractors on fall
protection and fall retrieval.
In Stratford, Connecticut on April 21, 2004, two men working on a pair of billboards, 60 feet above the ground,
were not harmed when one of the billboard's supports buckled and the signs toppled to the ground. Both men were
wearing harnesses, in accordance with OSHA's rules, that prevented them from falling from the structure.
On May 25, 2004, a gust of wind sent a man working on a billboard off the
sign's platform in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was wearing a safety harness that
prevented him from falling more that 100 feet to the ground. The harness
held him in place, 15 below the platform, until a bucket truck was able to
reach the employee and transport him to the ground.
1 News stories appeared in The Connecticut Post on April 21, 2004 and the Erie Times-News on May 25, 2005.
-- As of September 2004 |
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Lamar Outdoor Advertising is one of the largest companies in the outdoor
advertising industry and operates 152 companies in 44 states across the nation.
The company owns 550 billboards in southern Connecticut.
James Robertson, Lamar's Corporate Safety Director said "This is an exciting
opportunity for Lamar of Bridgeport and OSHA to pool our knowledge and skills in
a new and creative way. Together, we seek to ensure that workers in the outdoor
advertising industry in Connecticut are trained to recognize and prevent the
hazards posed by their work."
OSHA and Lamar Bridgeport are working on a number of projects to meet the goals
of the Alliance. For example:
- Lamar is posting safety messages on unused billboards in the Bridgeport area.
- The company's employees have attended safety training classes on electrical
hazards; ladders and portable hand tools; and fall protection/fall retrieval.
- OSHA and Lamar Bridgeport developed an action plan for use in the event an
employee falls from a billboard while performing a job task.
At Lamar's request, the Agency researched whether there are any health issues
associated with the cellular antennas that are attached to billboards.
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These efforts are providing the public, Lamar's workers, as well as employees of
other companies in the outdoor advertising industry with information and
training to help them reduce and prevent injuries. "Knowledge and training are
the best defenses against workplace hazards. OSHA and Lamar will leverage their
combined resources to advance worker safety in the state's outdoor advertising
industry," said Robert Kowalski, OSHA's Bridgeport Area Office Director.
For more information on the OSHA/Lamar Bridgeport Alliance and its activities,
contact Leona May, the Region I Compliance Assistance
Specialist in Bridgeport, CT.
-- As of February 2003; updated September 2004.
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