Alliance -- An OSHA Cooperative Program<< Back to American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA)

  1. Alliance Background

    1. Date Signed

      September 24, 2008

    2. Evaluation Period

      September 24, 2011 – September 23, 2012

    3. Overview

      The OSHA and AFSA Alliance focuses on providing AFSA's members and others in the fire sprinkler installation industry with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to material handling and fall hazards and addressing motor vehicle safety issues.

    4. Implementation Team Members

      OSHA:  
      Mat Chibbaro
      Bill Hamilton
      Bruce Love
      *Dean McKenzie
      Morgan Seuberling
      Courtney Murray
      Dewayne Blye

      		 Office of Safety Systems (OSS), Directorate of Standards and Guidance (DSG)
      OSS, DSG
      Office of Small Business Assistance, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)
      Office of Construction Services (OCS), Directorate of Construction (DOC)
      Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, DCSP
      OCS, DOC
      OCS, DOC
      AFSA  
      Janet Knowles
      Jeff Livaudais
      Steve Muncy

      		 Vice President of Marketing & Communications, AFSA
      Director of Membership, AFSA
      President, AFSA
      *Dean McKenzie served on the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team until June 20, 2012.
  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    • November 17, 2011
    • March 12, 2012
    • July 25, 2012
    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.

  3. Results

    The following table summarizes the Alliance's activities in support of the goals in the Alliance agreement.

    Training and Education Goal 1: Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop training and education programs for fire sprinkler installers regarding material handling, fall and motor vehicle safety issues and to provide expertise in communicating such information to employers and employees in the construction industry.
    Activity
    Type    		 Activity Name/Summary OSHA
    Initiative
    Supported    		 Number
    Reached
    or Trained
      During the reporting period, the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team have not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.    
    Outreach and Communication Goal 1: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 to employers and employees in the fire sprinkler installation industry.
    Activity
    Type    		 Activity Name/Summary OSHA
    Initiative
    Supported    		 Number
    Reached
    or Trained
    Product Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Series.
    Through the OSHA and AFSA Alliance, the AFSA developed a series of toolbox talks that addresses an overview of Hearing Conservation and Hearing Protection. The Hearing Conservation Toolbox Talk is posted on the AFSA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the AFSA Web site and linked to from the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Web page and the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products page on the OSHA Web site.    		   Data Not Available
    Product Fire Safety Series.
    Through the OSHA and AFSA Alliance, the AFSA developed a series of toolbox talks that addresses an overview of fire safety procedures and an "Introduction to Fire Extinguishers." The Toolbox Talks are posted on the AFSA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the AFSA Web site and linked to from the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Web page and the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products page on the OSHA Web site.    		   Data Not Available
    Product Hand Tool Series.
    Through the OSHA and AFSA Alliance, the AFSA developed a series of toolbox talks that addresses choosing safer hand tools and an overview for the safe use of hand tools. The Toolbox Talks are posted on the AFSA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the AFSA Web site and linked to from the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Web page and the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products page on the OSHA Web site.    		   Data Not Available
    Product March 2012 Issue of SprinklerAge.
    AFSA published an article entitled "OSHA Announces New Online Outreach Training Program Providers."    		   5,000
    Product May 2012 Issue of AFSA Contractor Network.
    AFSA published an article entitled "Prevent Falls in Construction." The article contained a link to OSHA's Fall Protection in Construction Campaign Web page in the bi-monthly newsletter.    		 Falls in Construction Initiative 5,500
    Product June 2012 Issue of SprinklerAge.
    AFSA published an article entitled "OSHA's 2012 Heat Campaign-Don't Overlook Simple Steps: Water, Rest, Shade." The article provided links to OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Web page and the Android-based heat index app.    		 Heat Illness Prevention Initiative 5,000
    Product July 2012 Issue of AFSA Contractor Network.
    AFSA published the 2012 Heat Illness Prevention information and included a link to OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Web page in the bi-monthly newsletter.    		 Heat Illness Prevention Initiative 5,500
    Product AFSA and OSHA Alliance-Related Web Page.
    AFSA continually updates the AFSA and OSHA Alliance Web page. The page includes links to the OSHA and AFSA Alliance agreement and related documents on the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site. During the reporting period, links to the AFSA-developed toolbox talks created through OSHA and AFSA Alliance were added to the page.    		   Data Not Available
    Product OSHA and AFSA Alliance Web Page.
    OSHA is continuing to update the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Web page posted on the Agency Web site. The page includes information on Alliance events, links to the OSHA and AFSA agreement, news releases, and a link to the AFSA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the AFSA Web site. During the reporting period, links to the AFSA-developed toolbox talks created through OSHA and AFSA Alliance were added to the page.    		   Data Not Available
    Other OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages.
    AFSA representatives served on the editorial boards of the OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages providing their expertise and technical review for Fall Protection, Fire Safety, and Motor Vehicle Safety until January 15, 2012.    		   Data Not Available
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 2: Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or AFSA's conferences, local meetings, or other events, including the AFSA Convention and Exhibition.
    Activity
    Type    		 Activity Name/Summary OSHA
    Initiative
    Supported    		 Number
    Reached
    or Trained
    Speaker AFSA Mid Atlantic Chapter of the American Fire Sprinkler Association Monthly Meeting, May 17, 2012, Horsham, Pennsylvania.
    Scott Shimandle, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Region III, Allentown, Pennsylvania Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation entitled "What to Do When OSHA Arrives at the Worksite."    		   7
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 3: Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on safety and health issues, including those related to fire sprinkler installation that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
    Activity
    Type    		 Activity Name/Summary OSHA
    Initiative
    Supported    		 Number
    Reached
    or Trained
      During the reporting period, the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team have not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.    
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 4: Encourage AFSA local boards to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including fall protection and materials handling.
    Activity
    Type    		 Activity Name/Summary OSHA
    Initiative
    Supported    		 Number
    Reached
    or Trained
      During the reporting period, the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team have not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.    
     
    Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goal 1: Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on workplace hazards, including those associated with fire sprinkler installation, to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues. Encourage AFSA local boards to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including fall protection and materials handling.
    Activity
    Type    		 Activity Name/Summary OSHA
    Initiative
    Supported    		 Number
    Reached
    or Trained
    Other OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable (APCR) Meeting, Department of Labor, Washington, DC.

    On March 8, 2012, a representative from AFSA participated in OSHA's APCR meeting in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, Alliance Program participants received OSHA updates, discussed products developed through the Roundtable, including the next series of draft Construction Workplace Design Solutions, and identified potential projects and compliance assistance resources to help address safety and health hazards in the construction industry.    		 Falls in Construction Data Not Available
    Other North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 6-12, 2012, Washington, DC.
    AFSA and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported 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."

    To help support the event, AFSA disseminated information about the 2012 NAOSH Week to their membership and posted the 2012 NAOSH Week banner to the Alliance-related Web page.    		   Data Not Available
    TOTAL
    Reached
    or
    Trained    		     21,007

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    Over the next year, OSHA and AFSA will continue to work together to provide AFSA's members and other industry workers with information, guidance, and access to resources that will help to protect worker health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to material handling and fall hazards and addressing motor vehicle safety issues. The OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team will continue to develop toolbox talks for the Hazard Communication Standard and Safety Data Sheets for the fire sprinkler instillation industry. In addition, AFSA will continue to publish information and compliance assistance materials focusing on OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention and Falls in Construction initiatives.

    AFSA will continue to invite OSHA to participate at their AFSA 2013 Annual Convention and Expo and in local AFSA chapter meetings to help promote OSHA's Cooperative Programs.

    Finally, AFSA representatives will be joining with other Alliance Program participants to support 2013 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, May 5 – May 11, 2013.

    Report prepared by: Morgan Seuberling, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, October 1, 2012.