In This Issue
OSHA Administrator Unveils Agency's Five-Year Strategic Management Plan
Retail Grocery Store Draft Ergonomic Guidelines Available for Review
Henshaw Discusses OSHA's FY04 Budget Request with Congress
Ergonomics Advisory Committee Submits First Set of Work Plans
OSHA Provides Information on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
Three Organizations Form Alliances with OSHA
OSHA Joins ASSE, Texas Organizations on Safety Rules for Teens
Communications Tower Industry Hears from OSHA
Partnership with Illinois Grain and Feed Association Pays Dividends
OSHA's Manhattan Area Office Officially Reopens
Peoria Area Office Awards Companies with Innovative Safety and Health Practices
Hospital Workers Safety and Health Seminar Scheduled in Connecticut
Construction Committee Meets May 22-23
Voluntary Protection Program Activity

OSHA Administrator Unveils Agency's Five-Year Strategic Management Plan
     A 15% percent reduction in workplace fatalities and a 20% decrease in workplace injuries and illnesses by 2008 highlight OSHA's strategic management goals for the next five years. OSHA Administrator John Henshaw unveiled the agency's strategic management plan in a speech at the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition in Dallas, May 12. Henshaw said OSHA would focus on reducing occupational hazards through direct involvement, promoting a safety and health culture, and strengthening OSHA's capabilities and infrastructure to ensure its effectiveness and efficiency.

Retail Grocery Store Draft Ergonomic Guidelines Available for Review
     OSHA is asking for comments on its second set of draft ergonomic guidelines published May 9 for the retail grocery store industry. The draft guidelines describe ways to implement ergonomic solutions, train employees, address injury reports, and evaluate progress. Another section provides examples of solutions that may be used by the industry, including recommendations for specific departments within a grocery store. Comments are due by July 8, 2003.

Henshaw Discusses OSHA's FY04 Budget Request with Congress
     OSHA Administrator John Henshaw told Congressional lawmakers May 1 that workplace injury and illnesses continue to decrease, but almost 6,000 workers die from job-related injuries every year. Speaking to the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services and Education, House Appropriations Committee, Henshaw discussed the President's $450 million request for OSHA for FY 2004, saying the budget "supports the wide range of OSHA activities and strikes a balance among compliance assistance, enforcement, and standards development and guidance."

Ergonomics Advisory Committee Submits First Set of Work Plans
     The National Advisory Committee on Ergonomics (NACE) presented its first set of work plans to OSHA following its second meeting in Washington, May 7. The plans resulted from the efforts of the committee's three work groups that focused on guidelines, outreach and assistance, and research. NACE is scheduled to meet again in September.

OSHA Provides Information on Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)
     A new page on OSHA's website provides timely information for workers and employers regarding Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). A new slide presentation discusses both the risks of SARS in the workplace and precautions to be taken. The page also provides links to the Centers for Disease Control for additional guidance.

Three Organizations Form Alliances with OSHA
     OSHA recently formed Alliances with three associations to further occupational safety and health. The American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN), the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) joined with the agency to target various worker safety issues including workplace violence, ergonomics, residential construction, equipment and material handling, and driver and vehicle safety.

OSHA Joins ASSE, Texas Organizations on Safety Rules for Teens
     Students in 23 Houston-area high schools are receiving workplace safety education thanks to a partnership signed May 7 between OSHA, the American Society of Safety Engineers, the Houston Independent School District and the Texas Engineering Extension Service.

Communications Tower Industry Hears from OSHA
     OSHA Administrator John Henshaw asked communication tower owners and providers to work with OSHA in reducing the high fatality rate of workers in the industry. Henshaw sent a personal letter last month to more than 50 owners and large tower contractors asking their support in recognizing contractors with excellent safety and health records and also ensuring that contractors follow OSHA requirements.

Partnership with Illinois Grain and Feed Association Pays Dividends
     More than 700 workplace hazards were identified and either eliminated or controlled in grain handling facilities throughout Illinois thanks to a strategic partnership between the Grain and Feed Association of Illinois (GFAI) and all OSHA area offices in the state. These results were reported during the summer of 2002 at outreach and training sessions between OSHA and more than 110 representatives and employees affiliated with the GFAI.

OSHA's Manhattan Area Office Officially Reopens
     More than a year and a half after its destruction by terrorists, OSHA's area office in Manhattan was officially reopened at 201 Varick St. in New York City by OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. Praising the "undaunted" employees, he noted that the Manhattan office now has a "permanent home from which it will continue its important work of protecting the workers it serves so well." The office was previously located in 6 World Trade Center.

Peoria Area Office Awards Companies with Innovative Safety and Health Practices
     OSHA recently recognized four companies in Illinois for innovative workplace safety and health practices and concepts. Arkay Plastics (Paris), Mel-O-Cream Donuts International, Inc. (Springfield), P.J. Hoerr Construction (Peoria) and Advanced Filtration Systems, Inc. (Champaign) took top honors in the inaugural Project "Z" Awards developed by OSHA's Peoria Area Office as a customer service venture to encourage employers to eliminate and control workplace hazards.

Hospital Workers Safety and Health Seminar Scheduled in Connecticut
     OSHA's Bridgeport, CT, Area Office and the Yale Occupational and Environmental Medicine Program are sponsoring a training session on safety and health issues for hospital workers, May 23, at the Yale Office of Environmental Health and Safety in New Haven. To register for the free seminar, contact Leona May at the Bridgeport office at (203) 579-5581.

Construction Committee Meets May 22-23
     The Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) will hold an open meeting at the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C., May 22-23, beginning at 9 a.m. Notice of the meeting is in the May 6 Federal Register.

Voluntary Protection Program Activity
     The following companies were recently approved for new or continued participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP): Torcon, Inc., Kimball Medical Center, Westfield, NJ (New Star); Total Fina Elf Lubricants USA, Inc., Linden, NJ (1-yr Cond.); Georgia Pacific, Hawthorne Plywood Plant, Hawthorne, FL (Cont. Star); International Paper, Ballpark Woodyard, Natchez, MS (New Star); General Dynamics Aviation Services, Westfield, MA (New Merit); Pratt & Whitney Propulsion & Russian Operations (New Star); Georgia Pacific, Palatka Chip-n-Saw Mill, Palatka, FL (Merit to Star); Goodrich Aerospace Component Overhaul & Repair, Inc., Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Merit to Star); International Paper Beverage Packing Business, Plant City, FL (Cont. Star); and Solutia, Inc., Foley, AL (Cont. Star).