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ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Nebraska Grain and Feed Association (NGF)
Nebraska Fire Marshal
Nebraska Workforce Development – OSHA Consultation

October, 2006 – February, 2008
I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

Originally: September 8, 2004
Renewed: October 11, 2006

Overview

This Alliance establishes an agreement between parties to promote and educate Nebraska employers about the value-added to business by voluntarily implementing an effective safety and health management system. The agreement also focuses on a number of goals including:

Training and education:
  • Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop training and educational programs for NGF members regarding engulfment, struck by, and ergonomic hazards and transportation safety issues, and to provide expertise in communicating such information to employers and employees in the industry.

  • Deliver or arrange for the delivery of OSHA 10 hour course.
Outreach and communication:
  • Work with OSHA and Consultation to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's, Consultation and the NGF's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.

  • Speak, exhibit, or appear at NGF conferences, local meetings, or other events.

  • Cross-train OSHA and Consultation personnel and industry safety and health professionals in NGF's best practices or effective approaches, as jointly determined by OSHA, NGF and Consultation.

  • Promote and encourage NGF members' or worksites' participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Program, Consultation, and SHARP.

  • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding NGF's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by NGF and through OSHA, Consultation or NGF developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
Implementation Team Members
  • Pat Ptacek, Executive Vice President, NGF
  • Justin R. Krahulik, VP of Operations and Education, NGF
  • Jim Lightfoot, Compliance Officer, OSHA
  • Doug Fletcher, CAS, OSHA
  • Eldon Diedrichs, Program Manager, 21 D
  • Dennis Hohbein, State Fire Marshal, SFM
Evaluation Period

10/06-02/08

II. Implementation Team Meetings

During the evaluation period, two implementation team members departed. Justin Krahulik, VP of Operations and Education with the NGFA left the Association and has not been replaced. He was the primary contact for the alliance and coordinated most educational activities. In addition, Dennis Hohbein, State Fire Marshal, retired during this period. His replacement has not yet expressed interest in continuing to support this program. Having said that, Jim Lightfoot and Pat Ptacek continue to correspond on a quarterly basis to discuss future opportunities for the alliance.

III. Training and Education

Events:

During the evaluation period, OSHA representatives were asked to participate in two conferences (see below). The National Grain and Feed Association referred the GEAPS organization to the Omaha Area Office for speakers at their annual conference. The GEAPS organization is an international organization of grain handling and processing professionals and their annual conference was on the scale of a National Safety Congress, for their respective industry.
 
Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
NGFA Annual Conference: Jim Lightfoot, CSHO, attended the NGFAs annual conference in December 2006. He provided literature at a booth that served approximately 1,000 attendees over the two days of the conference. ~ 1,000
GEAPS Annual Conference: (Grain Elevator and Processing Society). Two presentations:

OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program
(Doug Fletcher, CAS)

Nebraska's Enforcement Activities in the Grain Industry
(Bernie Hauber, Team Leader)




~ 75

~ 100

In addition, the Omaha Area Office CAS regularly updates the Nebraska Grain & Feed Association and its membership with electronic information disseminated via e-mail. This includes over 300 grain elevator operators and various support services associated with the grain industry. Information about combustible dust, bin entry, fall protection, and other safety and health topics are regularly forwarded throughout the association.

IV. Upcoming Milestones

The Omaha Area Office (OAO) will continue to support the training efforts of NGF. We are currently working on scheduling a half-day training course on the requirements of 1910.272. This was originally scheduled for the Annual Conference, but was then postponed by the NGFA.