American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, Inc. (AAOHN) - August 23, 2005

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Alliance Background

Date Signed

May 7, 2003

Overview

The OSHA and AAOHN Alliance focuses on promoting healthy and safe workplaces, for large and small businesses, especially in the areas of emergency management, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and workplace violence. In addition, OSHA and AAOHN are helping businesses promote employee wellness and prevent illnesses and injuries within the workplace.

Implementation Team Members

OSHA:
Shelia Arbury Greg Barber Elise Handelman Sandi Khan	Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine (DSTM) Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP) DSTM Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)

AAOHN:
James McCoy Ann Cox Jennifer McDuffee^* Susan Randolph	Public Policy and Advocacy Manager Executive Director Director of External Affairs President

^*Jennifer McDuffee served as a team member until March 2005.

Evaluation Period

May 7, 2004 - May 6, 2005

Implementation Team Meetings

July 27, 2004
November 22, 2004
February 25, 2005 Meeting, OSHA, Washington, DC
Meeting, OSHA, Washington, DC
Meeting, OSHA, Washington, DC

In addition to these formal meetings, the Alliance coordinators from both groups maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the Alliance's progress and results.

Results

Events and Products

Outreach and Communication Goals
- Disseminate health and safety information and guidance directly to businesses and through meetings (e.g. Chamber of Commerce events, Rotary Club meetings), conferences, events, and print and electronic media, including links from OSHA's and AAOHN's Web sites.
Products

OSHA and AAOHN Alliance Web Site

The OSHA and AAOHN Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site includes links to related documents, activities and events, products and resources, and milestones and successes. This Web site is kept up-to-date on a regular basis. For more information on the number of site visits please see the "Alliance Program Reach" table on page 5.

AAOHN Web Site

AAOHN continues to update its internal Web site with information on the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance and articles on OSHA news that affects the occupational health nursing profession. In addition, AAOHN is discussing developing an AAOHN-OSHA Alliance Web page on the AAOHN Web site.

AAOHN's Ergonomic Web site

AAOHN developed an ergonomic Web site as the first initiative of the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance in 2003. AAOHN redesigned the Web site in September 2004 and updates it on a regular basis. Ergoresources is a one-stop shop where occupational and environmental health nurses and other professionals who manage workplace health and safety programs can find current information on ergonomics.

Print and Electronic Media

AAOHN posted several articles in their monthly publication, ProHealth Alert that provides OSHA information to its members.
- Encourage AAOHN chapters to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices and State Plan States to address health and safety issues, including emergency management, MSDs, and workplace violence.
Products

Updates

The OSHA-AAOHN implementation team is providing information on OSHA and AAOHN activities to OSHA's Regional and Area Offices and State Plan States and AAOHN's Chapters. OSHA provided information on Region 5's free Health Care Facilities Workplace Violence Seminars to AAOHN representatives.

OSHA's Limited Access Web Page

OSHA posted a link to AAOHN's Chapter list on OSHA's Limited Access Web Page (LAP) that provides contact information to AAOHN Chapters. OSHA representatives can the list to contact AAOHN Chapters if they are looking for training information or instructors in a specific safety and health topic area.

Events

AAOHN 2005 Symposium and Exposition

At the AAOHN 2005 Symposium and Exposition, held April 29-May 6 in Minneapolis, Minnesota representatives from Minnesota OSHA provided speakers and helped staff the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance exhibit booth.
- Develop electronic assistance tools for OSHA's Web page that address health and safety issues, including emergency management, MSDs, and workplace violence.
Products

OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages and eTools

Representatives from the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance serve on the editorial boards of and maintain the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages as part of the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance:
- Encourage AAOHN chapters to act as resources for OSHA's Training Institute and Education Centers to assist in the promotion and presentation of health and safety courses, including emergency management, MSDs and workplace violence.
  
  The OSHA and AAOHN Alliance implementation team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.
Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
- Raise awareness of and demonstrate commitment to improving the health and safety of the workplace and reducing injuries and illnesses whenever AAOHN and OSHA leaders address groups.
Events

AAOHN 2005 Symposium and Expo, April 29-May 6, 2004, Minneapolis, Minnesota

David Ferkul, Certified Industrial Hygienist, Workplace Safety Consultation, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, gave a presentation on OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs to over 100 attendees on May 5, 2005. In addition, Mr. Ferkul, and Jolyn Crum, Industrial Hygienist, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, shared the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance exhibit booth. Over 1,000 symposium attendees visited the AAOHN-OSHA Alliance exhibit booth.
- Encourage AAOHN's members to act as industry liaisons and resources for OSHA's cooperative programs and Compliance Assistance Specialists.
  
  The OSHA and AAOHN Alliance implementation team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.
Executive summary

Through the Alliance Program, OSHA and AAOHN are working together to address safety and health issues including, workplace violence, emergency preparedness, and MSDs. The organizations have established very effective lines of communication and a successful working relationship.

Through the Alliance, OSHA and AAOHN increased awareness of the compliance assistance resources and programs that are offered by both organizations. AAOHN has demonstrated their committed to the Alliance Program by supplying information and resources as requested by the Agency including, providing expertise on OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages.

In addition AAOHN reviewed and provided comments on OSHA's documents, Nationwide Site Specific Targeting (SST-04) Program, and Bloodborne Pathogens Standard: Extension of the OMB Approval of Information-Collection Requirements, and Guidelines for Preventing the Transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in Health Care Settings, 2005.

The speaking and exhibiting opportunities are invaluable to the success of the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance. At the AAOHN 2005 Symposium and Exposition, April 29-May 6, 2005, Minneapolis, Minnesota, AAOHN representatives requested a speaker from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry to update its members on OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs. Mr. David Ferkul, Certified Industrial Hygienist, Workplace Safety Consultation, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry gave a presentation on OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs to over 100 attendees. In addition, Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry shared the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance exhibit booth with more than 1,000 attendees visiting the booth. The Alliance exhibit booth proved to be an excellent vehicle for speaking directly to occupational health professionals regarding the Agency's outreach efforts.

Alliance Program Reach

Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)	Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
OSHA-AAOHN Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site	6,356
April 30-May 6, 2005: AAOHN 2005 Symposium and Expo. Minneapolis, Minnesota Presentation on May 5, 2005 by David Ferkul, Certified Industrial Hygienist, Workplace Safety Consultation, Minnesota Department of Labor Exhibit booth	1,000
May 2004: The AAOHN/OSHA Alliance-One Year Later AAOHN News letter.	8,700
June 2004: OSHA Releases Seven New Fact Sheets ProHealth Alert	8,700
August 2004: OSHA Offers Tips for Working in Hot Weather ProHealth Alert	8,700
September 2004: OSHA Invites Comments on Amendments to Oregon State Standards; OSHA Issues New Protocol on Controlled Negative Pressure REDON ProHealth Alert	8,700
October 2004: OSHA's Ergonomics Guidelines Announced for Poultry Processing Industry; OSHA Unveils Safety and Health Topics Page for Residential Construction ProHealth Alert	8,700
November 2004: OSHA Proposes Revised Rule on Hexavalent Chromium ProHealth Alert	8,700
December 2004: OSHA Offers General Industry Sector Quick Start Guide ProHealth Alert	8,700
January 2005: OSHA to Issue Final Rule on Federal Agency Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements; OSHA Offers General Industry Sector Quick Start Guide ProHealth Alert	8,700
February 2005: OSHA Schedules Public Hearings on Hexavalent Chromium; OSHA Reminds Employers to Post Injury/Illness Summaries Beginning February 1, 2005; OSHA Offers Best Practices for Hospital Receiving Victims of Mass Casualties ProHealth Alert	8,700
March 2005: OSHA Launches Web Area on Occupational Noise Hazard; OSHA Offers New Hispanic Outreach Web Tool ProHealth Alert	8,700
April 2005: OSHA Announces Results of Pilot Beryllium Screening Program; OSHA Identifies 14,000 Workplaces with High Injury and Illness Rates ProHealth Alert	8,700
May 2005: Joint NIOSH/OSHA Publication Focuses on Avian Influenza ProHealth Alert	8,700
TOTAL	111,756

Upcoming Milestones

The OSHA and AAOHN have agreed to renew the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance agreement for another two years. In addition to focusing on workplace violence and MSDs issues, the organizations have agreed to replace emergency management with promoting the use of Automated External Defibrillator's (AED's) in the workplace as an Alliance focus area. The Alliance team members are planning a number of activities to continue promoting healthy and safe workplaces.

The OSHA-AAOHN Alliance will continue its focus on musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace by updating information on the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance Web page and on the AAOHN Web site, ergoresources.org. AAOHN is discussing the development of an AAOHN-OSHA Alliance Web page on the AAOHN Web site that will include links to OSHA's ergonomic information. AAOHN will continue to post OSHA conference, and safety and health information on its Web site, as requested.

AAOHN representatives have agreed to continue serving on the editorial boards for the following OSHA Safety and Health Topic pages: Medical Screening and Surveillance, Occupational Health Professionals and Workplace Violence, Tuberculosis and will begin serving on the editorial board for the AED Safety and Health Topic page. In addition, AAOHN members have agreed to continue reviewing and providing expert input on OSHA safety and health documents, as requested.

Further, the OSHA-AAOHN implementation team is developing plans to promote the Alliance through a number of speaking and exhibiting opportunities including, the AAOHN 2006 Symposium and Expo, May 5-12, 2006 in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Through the OSHA-AAOHN Alliance, the organizations are working with the American Heart Association (AHA), another Alliance Program participant, to promote the use of AEDs in the workplace. Representatives from OSHA and AHA have submitted three proposals for the AAOHN 2006 Symposium and Exposition, May 5-12, 2006 in Albuquerque, New Mexico on the new Inter-Agency First Aid Guidelines including cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of AED's. Additionally, representatives from AAOHN will participate in a planned Alliance Ergonomic Roundtable scheduled for spring 2006.

Report prepared by: Sandra Khan, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, August 23, 2005


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