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U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Fort Lauderdale Area Office
8040 Peters Road, Suite H-100
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33324
(954) 424-0242; Fax (954) 424-3073

National Safety Council (NSC) SOUTH FLORIDA – THE SAFETY CENTER (Formerly the NSC - Broward County, Dade County, Palm Beach County, Southwest Chapters Alliance)

Annual Alliance Report
May 28, 2009

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    August 18, 2005 and Renewed on May 2, 2008

    Alliance Overview

    The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Safety Council (NSC), Broward County, Dade County, Palm Beach County, Southwest Chapters agreed to establish an Alliance to reduce and prevent employee exposure to workplace hazards in the construction and general industries, by developing effective safety and health tools (i.e., Safety and Health Management Systems, Fleet Safety Programs, Warehousing Safety, as well as First Aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) Programs).

    Implementation Team Members

    The Fort Lauderdale OSHA Area Office and the National Safety Council, South Florida Chapter.

    Evaluation Period

    May 2, 2008, to May 19, 2009

     
  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    Representatives from OSHA and the NSC participated in the following Alliance meetings: October 1, 2007; February 27, 2008; May 2, 2008 (Alliance renewed); September 16, 2008; and March 12, 2009.
     
  3. Activities and Products

    Training and Education

    Events
     
    • Launched Safety Council University, on on-line learning platform designed to reach small business and those organizations that desire to standardize training processes and subsequent tracking mechanisms.
       
    • Continued to expand the Forklift Training Institute, with the primary goal to implement standards of training/education regarding OSHA’s Powered Industrial Truck standard.
       
    • The NSC conducted a total of 52 classes addressing occupational safety and health such as forklift operator training, MOT training at different levels, CPR and First Aid, Confined Spaces, Recordkeeping, and OSHA OTI classes.
    Products
     
    • None
    Outreach and Communication

    Events
     
    • The group continued to distribute safety & health outreach material developed by OSHA Region IV, such as the Struck-By, Photo and Falls CDs along with the Tool Box Review Booklet. These are provided in paper and electronic form.
    Products
     
    • None
    Promoting the National Dialogue on Safety and Health

    Events
     
    • The NSC conducted free training on OSHA Subpart S (Electrical Safety) to 22 employers in the South Florida area, through a Susan Harwood grant.
       
    • The NSC conducted a series of breakfast meetings for NSC-members and Non-Members on a variety of safety and health topics.
    Products
     
    • None
       
  4. Results
    1. The outreach activities have reached employees exposed to hazards that have resulted in many of the fatalities in South Florida. Continued training in these areas insures the success of reducing injuries and fatalities related to forklifts, struck-by and other construction and general industry related activities.
       
    2. During this period the NSC discontinued the offering of the OSHA 500 & 501 Courses. The NSC is now placing more emphasis providing the OSHA 30-hour Outreach Course. Additionally, the NSC has continued to expand its course offerings to the Hispanic Community, which include the following:
       
      1. OSHA Outreach 10 & 30 hour Construction
      2. OSHA Outreach 10 & 30 hour General Industry
      3. Construction: Confined Space, Trenching/Excavation, Fall Protection, Scaffolding & Rigging
      4. First Aid/CPR/AED
      5. HAZWOPER
    3. This chapter of NSC has undergone reorganization and a shift in direction. They have presently separated occupational safety & health from their defensive driving and other activities.
       
      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      Workzone Safety 320
      First/CPR 472
      OSHA 30hr 112
      Fleet Safety 75
      Forklift Safety 192
      Confined Spaces 33
      TOTAL 1240
     
  5. Upcoming Milestones
     
    • Develop a South Florida Task Force to work with the OSHA Ft. Lauderdale Office on development of a system designed to decrease the number of Warehouse/Distribution related injuries & fatalities involving Powered Industrial Trucks.
       
    • Implement new levels of vocational and professional certificated programs, designed to provide required education/training to coincide with various stages of an employee’s level of responsibility.
       
    • Promote the OSHA Outreach 30 Hour General Industry & Construction programs and integrate into our NSC SFC certificated platform.
       
    • Increase participation in the OSHA Outreach 30-hour course, to assure that supervisors are knowledgeable of their responsibilities in protecting employees from exposures to hazards.
       
    • Continue to conduct monthly breakfast sessions on safety and health topics for NSC-members and non-members, especially area small business owners.
    Report Prepared by: Vergie Y. Bain, CAS

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