Alliance -- An OSHA Cooperative Program << Back to National Alliances

(signed September 23, 2002; renewed October 13, 2004; renewed January 29, 2007; renewed March 3, 2009)
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Compliance Assistance


The OSHA and ABSA Alliance will continue to focus on enhancing workplace health and safety and to assist employers, including small businesses, in developing a preventive focus for biological safety issues. The Alliance's goals include:

Outreach and communication:

  • Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and ABSA's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
  • Speak, exhibit or appear at OSHA's or ABSA's conferences, local meetings, or other events such as ABSA's Annual Conference.
  • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding ABSA's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by ABSA and through OSHA or ABSA developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

Promoting the national dialogue concerning biological safety in the workplace:

  • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on Biosafety issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

Milestones and Successes

Related Documents

Alliance Agreements

Alliance Annual Reports

Alliance News Releases

Activities and Events (Archive)
  • May 6-12, 2012: 2012 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. The American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) and a number of other Alliance Program participants support 2012 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by ASSE and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. 2012 Theme: “Safety, What Every Business Needs.”
  • May 1-7, 2011: 2011 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. The American Biological Safety Association and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported 2011 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers, an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The theme for 2011 was "Celebrating a Century of Safety."
  • September 30-October 6, 2010: 53rd Annual Biological Safety Conference, Hyatt Regency, Denver, Colorado.
    • October 3, 2010: Nancy Hauter, Director, Office of Health Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, USDOL-OSHA, presented “All You Ever Wanted to Know About OSHA” to 30 attendees.
    • October 3-5, 2010: Representatives from OSHA Region VIII and the Directorate of Enforcement Programs staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth.
  • May 2-8, 2010: 2010 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. The American Biological Safety Association and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported the 2010 NAOSH Week, "Mission NAOSH 2010: Safe Workplaces." Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers, an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace.
  • October 19-25, 2009: 2009 Drug-Free Work Week. The American Biological Safety Association and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported the 2009 Drug-Free Work Week. Sponsored annually by the U.S. Department of Labor's Working Partners for an Alcohol and Drug-Free Workplace Program, the Week focuses on educating employers, employees and the public about the importance of being drug-free as an essential component of a safe and healthful workplace.
  • October 18-21, 2009: 52nd Annual Biological Safety Conference, Hyatt Regency Miami Convention Center, Miami, Florida. Representatives from Region IV staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth during the conference.
  • May 3-9, 2009: 2009 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. The American Biological Safety Association and more than 55 other Alliance Program participants supported 2009 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers, an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The theme for 2009 NAOSH Week was "Safety Means Always Coming Home."

Products and Resources

Alliance Program Participant Developed Products

  • Lentivirus Vector Fact Sheet [PDF* - 114 KB]. Through the OSHA and American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Alliance, ABSA developed a fact sheet that provides professional staff a reference tool on the proper handling and safety procedures for working with these infectious systems in a laboratory. (2012, October)
  • Biological Safety Officer (BSO)/Biological Safety Professional (BSP) Competency Fact Sheet [PDF* - 155 KB]. Through the OSHA and American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Alliance, ABSA developed a fact sheet providing the definition, skills level, knowledge, and experience required for the BSO and BSP. (2011, November)
  • Principles of Good Microbiological Practice Fact Sheet [PDF* - 135 KB]. Through the OSHA and American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Alliance, ABSA developed a fact sheet providing laboratory workers with a reference tool on the proper handling and safety procedures for working with infectious agents or materials. (2011, May)
  • General Microbiology Fact Sheet [PDF* - 3 MB]. Through the OSHA and American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Alliance, ABSA developed a fact sheet providing laboratory workers with a reference tool for the most common diseases including information on transmission, signs and symptoms, and incubation period as well as a micrograph visual aid. (2010, December)
  • Select Agent Diseases Fact Sheet [PDF* - 367 KB]. Through the OSHA and American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Alliance, ABSA developed a fact sheet providing laboratory workers with a reference tool that includes the symptoms, transmission, and treatment for some of the most commonly encountered pathogens or biological toxins that are federally regulated and have the potential to pose a severe threat to public health and safety. (2008, July)
  • Zoonotic Diseases Fact Sheet [PDF* - 478 KB]. Through the OSHA and American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Alliance, ABSA developed a fact sheet providing laboratory workers with a reference tool that includes the symptoms, transmission, and treatment for some of the most commonly encountered diseases that are generally found in animals but can be spread to humans. (2008, July)
  • Principles of Biosafety Fact Sheet [PDF* - 57 KB]. Through the OSHA and American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Alliance, ABSA developed a fact sheet providing laboratory workers with safety information through twelve valuable rules of biosafety. (2008, April)
  • BioSafety Levels (US) [PDF* - 88 KB]. Through the OSHA and American Biological Safety Association (ABSA) Alliance, ABSA developed a document that describes the four levels of biosafety. (2008, April)
OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages

OSHA eTools

Publications and Newsletters

Additional Resources

+Alliance Implementation Team members participated in the development of this resource.

Areas of Emphasis

Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs at 202-693-2200 for assistance accessing PDF materials.

*These files are provided for downloading.