- Alliance Background
Date Signed:
August 17, 2007
Overview
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Allentown Area
Office, and the American Red Cross, Greater Lehigh Valley Pennsylvania Chapter
formed an Alliance to provide 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.
Implementation Team Members
Scott G. Shimandle, Compliance Assistance Specialist, USDOL/OSHA - Allentown
Joy Zukauskas, Director, Health and Safety Services, American Red Cross of the
Greater Lehigh Valley
Evaluation Period
August 17, 2008 – August 16, 2009
-
Implementation Team Meetings
| Sept. 15, 2008 |
E-mail correspondence for Workplace Safety Seminar for
Trainers |
| Oct. 1, 2008 |
Meeting with Director, Health and Safety Services and one
of the Volunteer Red Cross Trainers |
| Oct. 6, 2008 |
E-mail correspondence canceling Workplace Safety Seminar
for Red Cross Trainers |
| Oct. 27, 2008 |
E-mail correspondence for Workplace Safety Seminar for the
American Red Cross clients (new and existing) |
| Oct. 30, 2008 |
Outreach/Training - Best Practices for Medical Emergency
Response Seminar (Lower Bucks County Chapter event) |
| Nov. 10, 2008 |
E-mail correspondence for Workplace Safety Seminar |
| Nov. 12, 2008 |
Outreach/Training – Workplace Safety Seminar |
| March 26, 2009 |
E-mail correspondence for Best Practices for Medical
Emergency Response Seminar |
| Apr. 6, 2009 |
Meeting for Best Practices Seminar |
| Apr. 16, 2009 |
E-mail correspondence for May 6, 2009 – Protecting
Workers on the Job Means Sending Them Home Safe Webinar |
| Apr. 24, 2009 |
Outreach/Training - Best Practices for Medical Emergency
Response Seminar |
-
Events and Products
Training and Education
-
Events
October 30, 2008 – OSHA Best Practices for Emergency Response Seminar conducted
for the American Red Cross of Lower Bucks County. Note: Although this particular
Chapter is not related to the American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley
Chapter, the outreach/training event was identical as that which was held with
the Lehigh Valley Chapter. Since this event was with the same National
Organization and the Lower Bucks County currently does not have a "chapter
specific" Alliance, it has been included in this annual evaluation to ensure
that the national alliance efforts with the American Red Cross are captured.
November 12, 2008 – Workplace Safety Seminar was conducted for clients of the
American Red Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley.
April 24, 2009 - Best Practices for Medical Emergency Response Seminar was
conducted for new, existing and prospective clients.
-
Products
PowerPoint presentation has been modified by this Chapter of the American Red
Cross, since it was originally developed by the National Offices of both OSHA
and American Red Cross.
Outreach and Communication
-
Events
See seminar events listed above.
-
Products
New PowerPoint presentation was developed and used locally.
Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
-
Events
No events conducted to promote the National dialogue on Workplace Safety and
Health. All dialogue has been on a local level.
-
Products
No products developed at this time.
-
Results
The Best Practices for Medical Emergency Response Seminar(s) were conducted for
new, existing and prospective clients of the American Red Cross and topics
covered included Emergency Action Plans, First-Aid/CPR/AEDs and Bloodborne
Pathogens.
The Workplace Safety Seminar was conducted for existing clients of the American
Red Cross and topics covered OSHA standards that all employers (general
industry and construction) would need to know, including but not limited to:
recordkeeping of injuries/illnesses, emergency action plans, hazardous
chemicals, machine guarding, fall hazards and protective equipment.
Additionally, OSHA inspection activities including Local and National Emphasis
Programs were discussed, along with the most frequently cited standards for
General Industry and the Construction Industry.
| Type of
Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) |
Number of
Individuals Reached or Trained |
| Best Practices for Medical
Emergency Response (Lower Bucks Chapter) |
23 |
| Workplace Safety
Seminar |
25 |
| Best Practices
for Medical Emergency Response |
40 |
| TOTAL |
28 |
-
Challenges
As previously report there had been a change in the staff at the American Red
Cross of the Greater Lehigh Valley, and as a result of that change, and from
previous implementation meetings a decision was made to attempt to have an
outreach session for the American Red Cross trainers (paid staffers, volunteer
instructor/trainers as well as the third party trainers). The Director of Health
and Safety Services had attempt to arrange a session (scheduled for Oct. 1,
2008) to present information on the OSHA Alliance, its’ goals and objectives and
to hopefully conduct a brainstorming session with their trainers to identify
safety and health issues that they have encountered when they conduct safety and
health training services to Red Cross clients. However, upon solicitation for
assistance in preparing for this session, only one trainer responded favorably.
As such a meeting was held with the Director of Health and Safety Services and
this volunteer trainer and the discussion focused on her specific issues
relative to swimming pool safety issues. Recently, the Safety and Health
Services department has lost all but two of its’ full time staff. As such, the
outreach sessions will most likely continue to focus on current and potential
clients and not Red Cross staff.
-
Upcoming Milestones
Based on comments received, after the Workplace Safety Seminar (through a seminar
evaluation form developed by the American Red Cross), it was identified that evacuation
plan development is a topic that needs to be expanded upon for a future training event or a
brainstorming session. Issues listed appeared to focus on the need to identify available
resources in an emergency situation and how to "write" an evacuation plan.
|
Newsletter
RSS Feeds
Print This Page
Text Size
Printing Instructions
