I. Alliance Background
Date Signed
July 7, 2004
Overview
Signatories of the Alliance (known as The Steel Group):
- American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
- Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA)
- Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA)
OSHA and The Steel Group are working together to provide the steel manufacturing
industry and others, including downstream manufacturers, with information, guidance, and mentoring that
will help them protect employees’ health and safety.
Implementation Team Members
| OSHA: |
|
| |
|
Lee Anne Jillings
Lisa Ramber
Ira Wainless
Bill Willson
Francis Yebesi |
Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
OOSA
Directorate of Science Technology and Medicine (DSTM)
OOSA
OOSA |
| |
|
| The Steel Group: |
|
| |
|
John Carroll
Tom Danjczek
Jeff Dierdorf
Peter Hernandez
Ron Herring
Kristina Cushing
Kathy McMahon
Charles Prezzia
Mark Shirey
Andrew Sharkey |
IPSCO, Inc.
Steel Manufacturers Association (SMA)
United States Steel Corporation (USSC)
Management Advisors
Chaparral Steel
SMA
Specialty Steel Industry of North America (SSINA)
American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI)
Allegheny Technologies
AISI |
Evaluation Period
July 7, 2004 – July 6, 2005
II. Implementation Team Meetings
August 20, 2004
December 10, 2004
February 15, 2005
March 22, 2005
June 14, 2005 |
Kick-off Implementation Team Meeting
Implementation Team Meeting
Hazard Communication Roundtable
Implementation Team Meeting
Implementation Team Meeting |
III. Results
- Events and Products
Outreach and Communication Goals
- Provide OSHA with input into the development of a steel industry safety and health management
process to serve as a reference tool for the industry and others, including downstream
manufacturers.
During this evaluation period, The Steel Group members began reviewing and discussing existing
company programs during each organizations’ safety and health committee meetings. OSHA will be
invited to comment on The Steel Group findings when the review is completed.
- Develop and disseminate information through print and electronic media that serve the steel
industry, including, as applicable, links to selected pages on OSHA’s and the Steel Group’s Web
sites.
Products
OSHA and The Steel Group Web Page
The OSHA and The Steel Group Alliance Web page on OSHA’s Web site includes links to the Alliance
agreement and related documents, activities and events, milestones and successes, and products of
the Alliance. This Web page is updated on a regular basis.
IPSCO’s Inc. Web Page
IPSCO has incorporated links on its Safety Web site page to the OSHA and Steel Group Alliance Web
page.
Steel Group and OSHA Alliance Web Site
The Steel Group is developing a Steel Group and OSHA Alliance Web site. OSHA has provided a number
of links for the Web site safety and health resources on its Web page including:
- Information about OSHA
- Regional Office Alliance Contacts
- Compliance Assistance Specialists (CASs)
- Directives, including the Asbestos Directive
- Consultation Program
- Safety and Health Topics pages
- Enforcement Letters
Print and Electronic Media
Information on OSHA and the Steel Group Alliance has appeared in a number of print and online
publications, including: USNewswire.com, Bureau of National Affairs (BNA)
Occupational Safety and Health Reporter, Industry News, Facilities Management Magazine
and Industry Week. In addition, OSHA published information on the
Alliance through news releases and the Agency’s QuickTakes. For more
information on the articles, please refer to the Alliance Program Reach table on page 6.
Chaparral Steel Success Stories
Ron Herring, Safety Manager for Chaparral Steel, is working with OSHA to develop a success story on
Chaparral Steel’s Manager Accountable Safety and Health (MASH) Program. In addition, OSHA and
Chaparral Steel are working together on another success story that is being developed on the
company’s use of soap and water in a spray bottle to identify leaking cutting torch hose
connections.
OSHA Quick Cards
OSHA provided The Steel Group with OSHA’s draft Quick Cards, Lockout/Tagout and Electrical Safety
Tips, for review and comment.
- Provide technical expertise to assist OSHA in identifying and developing safety and health issues
specific to the steel industry that can be addressed in e-Tools and other electronic assistance
products for the OSHA web site.
OSHA’s Proposed Safety and Health Topics Page; Basic Steel
Steel Group members are reviewing OSHA’s existing Topics pages to determine what issues should be
addressed on a Basic Steel Industry Topics page that OSHA plans to develop.
- Provide opportunities to speak, exhibit, or appear at conferences such as Steel Group conferences,
local meetings, or other events that serve the steel industry to promote the prevention of workplace
injuries or illnesses.
Events
SMA Safety Committee Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia, October 4, 2004
Paula White, OSHA’s Director of Cooperative and State Programs, spoke on the OSHA-Steel Group
Alliance and OSHA’s other cooperative programs and compliance assistance resources at the SMA Safety
Committee Meeting on October 4, 2004 at the Westin Atlanta Airport Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Cross train OSHA personnel and steel industry safety and health professionals in issues specific
to the steel industry, as jointly determined by OSHA and the Steel Group.
During this evaluation period, The Steel Group implementation team contacted OSHA’s Directorate of
Evaluation and Analysis to begin discussing the scheduling of a joint meeting to develop list of
possible agenda items for a recordkeeping training session.
- Promote to the steel industry the benefits of their participation in OSHA’s cooperative programs
such as Compliance Assistance, the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP), Consultation and its Safety
and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).
During Paula’s White’s presentation to the SMA Safety Committee Meeting (noted above), she discussed
OSHA’s cooperative programs; including VPP and SHARP.
Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goals
- Explore opportunities to establish forums at Steel Group conferences and meetings to discuss
injuries and illnesses that may occur in steel industry plants in order to help forge innovative
solutions to these incidents in the workplace.
Events
Alliance Program’s Hazard Communication Roundtable, Washington, DC, February 15, 2005
Through the Alliance Program, OSHA held a Hazard Communication Roundtable February 15, 2005 in
Washington, DC. This roundtable provided Alliance Program participants with an opportunity to learn
about the status of OSHA's Hazard Communication Initiative; share information about their own
Alliances, including any activities related to Hazard Communication; and learn about what other
Alliances are doing to address Hazard Communication issues. Representatives from 18 Alliances
participated in the roundtable. Kristina Cushing, Manager, Member Services and Administration for
the SMA, John Carroll, Director, Safety and Security for IPSCO, Inc. and Ronald Herring, Safety
Manager for Chaparral Steel participated on behalf of the OSHA and The Steel Group Alliance.
At the meeting, workgroups were established and projects were identified for the Alliance Program
participants to work on together to develop Hazard Communication related compliance assistance
resources. Three workgroups were established to address:
- Hazard Communication Awareness and Training
- Developing Model MSDSs
- Promoting the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
Mr. Carroll, Ms. Cushing, and Mr. Herring expressed interest in participating on the Hazard
Communication Awareness and Training workgroup.
- Executive Summary
During the OSHA and Steel Group Alliance’s first year, the foundation for a solid working
relationship was established among the organizations. OSHA learned more about issues associated with
the steel industry and the Steel Group learned about compliance assistance resources and programs
that the Agency has developed.
Through the Alliance, implementation team members, Kristina Cushing, John Carroll, and Ron Herring
participated in the Alliance Program’s Hazard Communication Roundtable, in Washington, DC, February
15, 2005. They also expressed interest in participating on the Hazard Communication Awareness and
Training workgroup that was established during the meeting.
The Steel Group has begun work on The Steel Group – OSHA Alliance Web site. A preliminary site has
been established and The Steel Group is working on populating the page with safety and health
information. OSHA has provided The Steel Group with a number of links to safety and health resources
on its Web page for inclusion on the Steel Group page.
In addition, OSHA is working with Ron Herring to complete two success stories with Chaparral Steel
that address programs and processes in the company’s facilities. The group has also started planning
a steel industry recordkeeping training seminar.
- Alliance Program Reach
| Type of Activity (Conference,
Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) |
Number of Individuals Reached or
Trained |
| July 7, 2004 – "OSHA Forms Alliance with The Steel
Group," OSHA News Release |
25 News Services |
| July 7, 2004 – "OSHA Forms Alliance with Steel
Group," U.S. Newswire |
150,000 |
| July 9, 2004 – OSHA, The Steel Group Team Up Through
Alliance," Manufacturing Industry News |
Data not available |
| July 9, 2004 – "Steel Organizations Form Safety
Alliance," The Times |
Data not available |
| Jul 12, 2004 – "Iron and Steel Institute Signs
One-Year Agreement with OSHA," Facilities Management Magazine |
Data not available |
| July 15, 2004, "OSHA Forges Alliance," Bureau of
National Affairs (BNA) Occupational Safety and Health Reporter |
25,000 |
| July 19, 2004 – "Steel Group, OSHA Join on Improved
Safety," IndustryWeek Magazine |
Data not available |
| July 2004, "IPSCO’s President Promotes Safety for
North American Steel Workers," American Recycler Magazine |
Data not available |
| July 2004 – "Occupational Safety and Health," Steel
Manufactures Association 2004-2005 Public Policy Statement |
Data not available |
| August 10, 2004 – "OSHA Forms Alliance with Steel
Group," The FABRICATOR Magazine |
Data not available |
| OSHA and The Steel Group Alliance Web page on OSHA’s
Web site |
Data not available |
October 4, 2004 – SMA Safety Committee Meeting,
Atlanta, Georgia
Speaker: Paula White, Director of Cooperative and State Programs, OSHA |
30 |
| TOTAL |
175,055 |
IV. Upcoming Milestones
OSHA and The Steel Group Alliance was originally signed for one year on July 7, 2005 and the
organizations have agreed to renew the Alliance for another year. Through the Alliance renewal
agreement, the organizations will continue working together on a number of projects to develop and
share safety and health compliance assistance information.
For example, The Steel Group is expected to launch its Alliance Web site by August 31, 2005 and will
include numerous links to OSHA training and educational resources. In addition, OSHA has been
invited to attend a number of The Steel Group’s organizations’ meetings and conferences. Paula
White, Director of Cooperative and State Programs has agreed to speak at AISl’s meeting on July 12,
2005, in Gary, Indiana. In addition, OSHA will be invited to exhibit at the AISTech 2006 - The Iron
& Steel Technology Conference and Exposition, May 1-4, 2006, at the Cleveland Convention Center,
Cleveland, Ohio.
The OSHA and The Steel Group implementation team also began working on a number of projects that are
expected to be completed in the Alliance’s second year, including steel industry success stories.
OSHA and Chaparral Steel will finalize the success stories on the company’s MASH Program and the
program to identify leaking cutting torches. After the stories are finished, they will be posted on
OSHA’s Compliance Assistance: Success Stories and Case Studies Web page and linked to from the OSHA
and The Steel Group Alliance Web page.
In addition, OSHA and The Steel Group will continue to produce safety and health information for the
steel industry. Projects that will be addressed in the upcoming year include developing a
recordkeeping workshop for representatives from the steel industry and an OSHA Safety and Health
Topics page for the Basic Steel industry. The OSHA and The Steel Group implementation team has also
discussed working together to develop medical guidelines for a fitness for duty evaluation form.
Finally, the Alliance implementation team is planning a plant tour of IPSCO’s Mobile, Alabama
facility for November 2005. During the tour, the team will gather information that may be used to
develop a steel industry best practices seminar for OSHA staff. OSHA Region IV staff, from the
Birmingham and Mobile Area Offices, will also be invited to participate in the tour.
Report prepared by: Bill Willson, Alliance Co-Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and
Alliances, July 15, 2005.
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