I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

August 23, 2002

Date November, 2005 Alliance Renewed for 3 years

Overview

The purpose of the Alliance is to provide Illinois Council on Long Term Care members 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 blood, ergonomic, chemical, electrical and physical hazards and for the implementation of effective safety and health programs.

Implementation Team Members

Nancy Hauter, CAS, Chicago North, Robert Leonard, CSHO Calumet City and Terry Sullivan, Director of ICLTC

II. Implementation Team Meetings

OSHA, Illinois On-site Consultation Service, and ICLTC met during the year. OSHA’s relationship with the Council began in 1992. The relationship building and Safety and Health program development stages have evolved. Most contact was made by E-mail and telephone. The council regularly requests clarification on OSHA standards and encourages their members to seek answers from OSHA’s area offices. The Council’s newsletter publishes every request by OSHA. Every council member uses a safety and health program that was developed with OSHA’s guidance in 1994. The program was updated in 1998 and again in 2001. Council members were retrained when the updates were released. OSHA, Illinois On-site Consultation Service and ICLTC main contact during this reporting period has been through training sessions.

There has been 3 training sessions conducted with OSHA. The sessions were announced in the Council’s newsletters and many homes were encouraged to attend by fax and phone.

This office combined several nursing home sessions with members of the Illinois Council on Long Term Care, Illinois Health Care Association and The Life Services Network.

When the renewal of the ICLTC Alliance was discussed with the Council, Terry Sullivan expressed his satisfaction with the relationship.

III. Activities and Products

Evaluation Period.

This report covers October 19, 2005 to January 10, 2007

Alliance Activity.

As a part of the Alliance, The Chicago OSHA Offices in Illinois conducted 3 training sessions in the Chicago Area for nursing homes in the Illinois Council on Long Term Care. The sessions covered: recordkeeping, general nursing home hazards, ergonomics and limited lifting programs.

Alliance Products.

The Council’s Safety and Health Program, which was developed and updated with OSHA’s guidance, is available to all nursing homes through the Council.

IV. Results

Year after year very few of the Council’s members appear on the list of high injury and illness work sites. We have discussed ways to recognize homes with the lowest Injury and illness rates.

The Statewide training activity reached 40 to 55 nursing home representatives at each of the 3 sessions provided. As the nursing home communities, through their internal training sessions, would share the information, it is estimated that the training affected working condition of least 5000 employees.

IV. Upcoming Milestones

Chicago North AO CAS and Robert Leonard, CSHO continue to schedule meetings with ICLTC regularly.

Report Prepared by: Bob Leonard – Calumet City Area Office and Nancy Hauter, Compliance Assistance Specialist, OSHA Chicago North Area Office