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ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Philadelphia Area Office
Philadelphia Area Office ~ American Mushroom Institute
December 22, 2009
  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed: September 28, 2007

    Date Renewed: October 27, 2009

    Alliance Overview.

    The AMI/OSHA Alliance goal is to develop and provide training and education programs for the mushroom growing industry to prevent falls and amputations, and to reduce or eliminate chemical, electrical and physical hazards. Other goals include the development and implementation of effective safety and health programs and providing expertise in communicating safety and health information to employers and employees. As a result of the Alliance’s measurable success the agreement was renewed for an additional two years.

    Implementation Team Members.

    Committee Members:

    Eugene Richard – AMI/CAC
    James Touey – OSHA
    Rick Wright – To – Jo Mushrooms
    Daniel Beltran – Masda Mushrooms
    Eric Dunlap – KAOLIN Mushrooms
    John Hillard – Giorgi Mushoom Co.
    Peter Gray – Phillips Mushroom Farm
    Bill Green – Phillips Mushroom Farm
    Monica Rocha – Country Fresh Mushroom Co.
    Joanne Osborne – S & P Conveyors Inc.
    Viviana Cordero – C. P. Yeatman & Son
    Jerry Yeatman – C. P. Yeatman & Son
    Chris Alonzo – Pietro Industries
    James Howard – Country Fresh Mushroom Co
    Sam Wilson – Needhams Mushroom Farm
    Linda Musser – Country Fresh Mushroom Co.
    Saloman Ortiz – S & P Conveyors Inc.
    Dan Leo – John C. Leo & Son
    Ruth Schultz- Kaolin Mushroom Union

    Contributors:

    Albert D’Imperio – Area Director, OSHA Philadelphia Area Office
    Magnolia Torres, OSHA Compliance Safety & Health Officer
    Barbara Bray, OSHA Region III Resource Technician
    Joseph McKeefery, Wage & Hour
    Laura Phelps – President AMI
    Don Needham – Chairman of CAC
    Ed Leo – Owner of John C. Leo & Son
    Dave Carroll – President of Giorgi Mushroom
    Bill Barber – Giorgi Mushroom
    Eric Lorenz - Penn State University Sr. Extension Associate Pesticide Education

     
  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    Implementation Meeting held at the American Mushroom Institute facility located in Avondale (Kennett Square), PA.

    Second Year of Alliance- First Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on January 8, 2009, at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square

    Second Year of Alliance- Second Quarterly Meeting held on February 5, 2009, at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square

    Second Year of Alliance - Third Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on April 23, 2009, at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square

    Second Year of Alliance- Fourth Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on July 30, 2009 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square


  3. Activities and Products

    Evaluation Period:

    The evaluation covers from the time frame of September 28, 2008 through September 28, 2009.

    Events and Products
     
    • Training and Education

      November 8, 2008, CAS provided a training session to the AMI for the Alliance Members. A Power Point presentation was conducted covering: Introduction to OSHA and the Inspection Process, Working with OSHA through Cooperative Programs, Most Frequently Cited Standards in the Farming Industry

      On February 5, 2009 CAS provided a training session at the AMI for the Alliance Group Members. A Power-point presentation was conducted covering: Electrical Hazards, Confined Space Programs and OSHA’s Multi-Employer Citation Policy

      May 28, 2009, Alliance Group Meeting to discuss the agenda for the Second Annual Alliance Breakout Session
       
    • Outreach and Communication
       
      • On November 12, 2008, a meeting was conducted with representatives of the American Mushroom Institute and the Farmworkers Health and Safety Institute. The discussions were predicated on potentially utilizing resources and reference information that had been previously generated by the Friends of Farmworkers Group through an OSHA Susan Hardwood Grant.
         
      • On June 18, 2009, the AMI/OSHA Alliance conducted their Second Annual Alliance Break-out Session”. Topics for the full day event included presentations by OSHA representatives on “Navigating the OSHA Web-site”, as well as “SST Selection for Programmed Inspections”. Additional presentations were provided by AMI representatives covering “Recordkeeping” and “Pick-light Electrical Safety”. There were also two guest speakers, a Department of Labor Wage & Hour representative provided an update on his agency and a Penn State Instructor provided guidance on Hazard Communications in the Agriculture Industry.
         
    • Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
       
      • Four articles have been published by Alliance members in the American Mushroom Institute’s National Monthly Magazine “Mushroom News” from September of 2008 to September 2009.
         
      • November 2008- Article “Goals of the Alliance Set” Eugene Richards, AMI
         
      • March, 2009 – Article “Be Prepared in the Event That You Have an OSHA Inspection”. What programs OSHA looks for during an inspection. Eugene Richards, AMI.
         
      • February 2009- Article “First Aid” Medical Surveillance, First Aid Training requirements, preparing your worksite Eugene Richards, AMI
         
      • September – 2009- Article “June Meeting Draws a Crowd” Article talks about the Second Annual AMI/OSHA Alliance Break-Out Session” Sara Manning Mushroom News/AMI
  4. Results

    The Alliance had an extraordinary second year. The implementation team has continued to be enthusiastic about the unlimited potential of the cooperative program. The Alliance group has continued to voluntarily provide their respective injury/illness data for the second year in a row. This statistical information has allowed the industry to share in trends and has developed a reliable focus for the alliance. The continued gathering of this information will develop a measurable base-line for the industry employers to be compared to in future years. Additionally, the injury illness information gathered to date has allowed for the AMI Alliance Members to begin focusing on the development of sample OSHA S & H Programs which are pertinent to the Mushroom Growing industry. The Alliance group has formulated sub-committees which have been tasked with developing these industry specific programs.
     
    Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
    AMI Alliance Group Training Session– Electrical Safety , Confined Space Power Point Presentation 15 Trained – Effecting 1000 employees
    AMI Alliance Group Training Session: Introduction to OSHA and the Inspection Process, Working with OSHA through Cooperative Programs, Most Frequently Cited Standards in the Farming Industry 15 Trained – Effecting 1000 employees
    Alliance Group Break-out Session 50 Trained – Effecting 10,000 employees
    TOTAL: 3 60 Trained – Effecting 12,000 employees

     
    The work of the group also has a major impact on the Mushroom industries’ Hispanic Workforce. It is estimated that 90% of the estimated 12,000 employee workforce in this industry are Hispanic.

     
  5. Upcoming Milestones

    The focus of the Alliance’s third year is to continue to develop sample safety programs that are Mushroom Industry specific. The Alliance Group is on target to issue four sample programs in the next year. The group has already developed a sample Personal Protective Equipment program which is in the process of being disseminated and intends to produce a sample LOTO Program, Hazard Communications and Powered Industrial Truck program in this year, and a variety of other programs in the next two years of the agreement.


    Report Prepared by: James Touey Compliance Assistance Specialist

    For more information, contact the Office of Outreach Services and Alliances at 202-693-2340 or go to OSHA.


Page last updated: 03/01/2010