I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

September 14, 2004

Overview

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Georgia Utility Contractors Association, Inc. (GUCA), Georgia Hispanic Contractors Association (GHCA), Georgia Institute of Technology –Safety, Health, and Environmental Technology Division (Georgia Tech) and the Metro Area Fire Departments established the Safety Awareness Facilitation Education (S.A.F.E.) Alliance. The S.A.F.E. Alliance is focused on reducing and preventing exposure to trenching and excavation hazards.

II. Implementation Team and Contributors:

Representatives from OSHA, GUCA, the GHCA, Georgia Tech and the Metro Area Fire Departments conducted all required quarterly meeting by teleconferencing, formal meetings and training sessions on the following dates: 11/30/05, 7/17/06 and 10/2006

Evaluation Period:

September 14, 2005, through September 14, 2006

III. Events and Products

Training and Education

Events

• Fire Departments participating in the Alliance are providing training to small fire houses and volunteer firefighters, which addresses issues such as the following – "What is the safest way to deal with a trench collapse…?"

Products

• In 2005 Gwinnett County and Cobb County Fire Departments each developed a Trenching Safety Training DVD. During this period the two DVD’s were consolidated into an effective training and education resource. The final DVD was mass produced with approximately 1,800 copies of the DVD distributed throughout Metro Atlanta and the state.

Outreach and Communication

Events

• The Douglas County Fire and Emergency Services Department signed an Alliance Addendum on November 30, 2005
• On September 23, 2006, approximately 100 copies of the Trenching Safety Training DVD were distributed during the Hispanic Contractors Association of Georgia (HCAG) Safety and Health Fair.
• On October 10 -12, 2006, approximately 100 copies of the Trenching Safety Training DVD were distributed during the 2006 Georgia Safety, Health and Environmental Conference.
• On October 4, 2006, approximately 200 copies of the Trenching Safety Training DVD were distributed during the Georgia Utility Coordinators Council (GUCC) Annual Conference in Dillard, GA.
• The City of Atlanta, Clayton County, Cobb County, Dekalb County, Fulton County, Gwinnett County and Douglas County Fire Departments have distributed the DVD to each of the Fire Houses, in their respective county.

Products

• None

IV. Results

Trenching fatality in Georgia 2002 - 2006

*Note: The May 2006 fatality in Byron, GA, is not included in this figure, because Federal OSHA does not have jurisdiction for public-sector employees in the state.

V. Upcoming Milestones in FY 2006

• Alliance participants would like to develop a sticker with OSHA's phone numbers. The sticker would be distributed to the local fire departments for each of their fire trucks.
• Expansion of the agreement to all interested counties in the Metro-Atlanta area