Alliance -- An OSHA Cooperative Program << Back to American Red Cross

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    May 19, 2005

    Date Renewed

    August 6, 2008

    Overview

    Through the OSHA and American Red Cross (ARC) Alliance, the organizations are providing employers and employees, including non-English and limited English speaking employees, with information, guidance, and access to training resources. The Alliance specifically addresses workplace issues, including emergency preparedness, disease prevention education and first aid training.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:
     
    Sheila Arbury Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management (DTSEM)
    Sandra Khan Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs
    Kay Dellinger DTSEM

    American Red Cross:
     
    Jean Erdtmann Director, Program Management and Field Support
    Steve Rieve Director, Program and Product Management/Health and Safety Services

    Evaluation Period

    May 19, 2009 – May 18, 2010

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    • September 23, 2009             Web Cast Conference Call
    • November 9, 2009                Implementation Team Meeting
    • May 12, 2009                       Implementation Team Meeting
    In addition to the scheduled Implementation Team meetings, the Alliance coordinators from both groups maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the Alliance's progress and results.

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products
       
      Outreach and Communication Goals

      • 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 American Red Cross' Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
      Products

      OSHA and the American Red Cross Alliance Web Page

      OSHA is continuing to update and maintain the OSHA and ARC Alliance Web page that is posted on the OSHA Web site. The page includes the OSHA and ARC Alliance agreement, renewal agreement, annual reports, news releases, information on activities and events, and milestones and successes of the Alliance. The page also includes links to the ARC Pandemic Flu Web page and the ARC Alliance-related Web page on the ARC Web site.

      American Red Cross Alliance-related Web Page

      The ARC developed an Alliance-related Web page on the ARC Web site that features the goals of the OSHA and ARC Alliance and a link to the OSHA and ARC Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site. In addition, the page featured information about the 2010 NAOSH Week.

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and the ARC conferences or other events such as Web cast presented by the ARC local chapter meetings.
      "Is Your Business Prepared For Pandemic Flu?" Web cast, September 24, 2009

      Gary Lescallett, Senior Industrial Hygienist, Office of Science and Technology Assessment, DTSEM, and Ted Yee, Medical Officer, Office of Occupational Medicine (OOM), DTSEM, gave presentations on OSHA regulations, emergency preparedness and pandemic flu.

      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues to increase emergency preparedness and disease prevention education to the workplace and also increase first aid information to individuals with LEP and youth workers.
      Events

      2010 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 2-8, 2010

      On May 2-8, 2010, the ARC and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported the 2010 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. Sponsored annually by the American Association 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 2010 was "Mission NAOSH 2010: Safe Workplaces."

      • Encourage ARC chapters to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Vice President for Preparedness and Health and Safety Services Offices to increase emergency preparedness and disease prevention education to workplaces and increase first aid information to LEP and youth workers.
      Products

      OSHA Regional and Area Office Alliances

      The ARC Chapters are continuing to recognize the value of working together with OSHA through the Alliance Program. The following Regional and Area Office Alliances have been signed:
       
      • Region III, Allentown, Pennsylvania Area Office, and the American Red Cross, Greater Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania Chapter signed August 17, 2007

        Through the Alliance, the organizations are providing local businesses and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to falls, amputations, ergonomic, chemical, electrical and other physical hazards, development of emergency preparedness programs and/or addressing implementation of an effective safety and health program.

      • Region III, Wilkes-Barre , Pennsylvania Area Office and the American Red Cross, Wyoming Valley Chapter signed January 11, 2008

        Through the Alliance, the organizations are providing local businesses and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to fall, amputation, ergonomic, chemical, electrical and other physical hazards and/or addressing implementation of effective safety and health program issues.
      Promoting the National Dialogue Goals

      • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings to discuss emergency preparedness, disease prevention education and first aid issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
      Products

      First Aid Advisory Taskforce

      Kay Dellinger, Medical Officer, OOM, DTSEM, serves on the ARC and American Heart Association (AHA), an Alliance Program participant, First Aid Advisory Taskforce. The First Aid Advisory Taskforce is responsible for updating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and first aid guidelines every five years.

    2. Executive Summary

      OSHA and ARC continue to work together to address workplace issues, including emergency preparedness, disease prevention education and first aid training. The positive relationship that OSHA and ARC established over the past five years has led to the development of many programs and projects that the team is currently working on or has produced. For example:

      • Through the OSHA and ARC Alliance, the organizations worked together to develop the Web cast, "Is Your Business Prepared For Pandemic Flu?" Gary Lescallett, Senior Industrial Hygienist, Office of Science and Technology Assessment, DTSEM and Ted Yee, Medical Officer, OOM, DTSEM, gave presentations on OSHA regulations, emergency preparedness and pandemic flu.

      • ARC and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported the 2010 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 2-9, 2010. Sponsored annually by the American Association 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 2010 was "Mission NAOSH 2010: Safe Workplaces."

      • The OSHA and ARC Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site is updated regularly and includes links to the Alliance agreement, news releases, activities and events and milestones and successes.

      • The ARC developed and posted an Alliance-related Web page on the ARC Web site. The page is updated regularly and includes links to the OSHA and ARC Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site.

      • ARC continues to encourage its Chapters to form Regional and Area Office Alliances. To date, the ARC and OSHA have signed Alliance agreements with Region III, Allentown and Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania Area Offices.

      • OSHA representative, Kay Dellinger, Medical Officer, OOM, DSTM, serves on the ARC and AHA First Aid Advisory Taskforce
    3. Alliance Program Reach
       
      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and
      Electronic Distribution, etc.)      		 Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and ARC Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web site 4,982
      ARC and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the ARC Web site Data not available
      September 24, 2009: "Is Your Business Prepared For Pandemic Flu?" Web cast 1,800
         
      Total 6,782

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the upcoming year, OSHA and the ARC will undertake several activities to reach the goals of the Alliance. For example:
     
    • Through the Alliance, the ARC and OSHA plan to continue to develop free-of-charge Web casts on a number of emergency preparedness topics, including first aid and emergency evacuation plans.

    • ARC is working with the AHA, an Alliance Program participant, to develop a fact sheet, Best Practice Fact Sheet on CPR

    • OSHA will also maintain and update the OSHA and ARC Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web site. In addition, the ARC will maintain and update its Alliance-related Web page on the ARC Web site.

    • The ARC will join with other Alliance Program participants in supporting the 2011 NAOSH Week.

    • The organizations also plan to develop compliance assistance resources for non-English and Limited-English speaking employers and employees, including developing fact sheets on disaster preparedness for hurricanes and tornados.

    • ARC representatives will begin serving on a number of editorial boards for OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages.

    • ARC Chapter representatives will work with OSHA Regional and Area Offices to form new Alliances.

    Finally, based on the successes realized during the past 5 years, OSHA and the ARC agreed to renew the Alliance agreement in 2011.

Report prepared by: Sandra Khan, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, July 24, 2010.