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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

February 2008 – February 2009
Alliance Background

Date Signed

Originally: September 8, 2004
Renewed: October 11, 2006
Renewed: January 26, 2009

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
  • Jim Lightfoot
 Compliance Officer OSHA
  • Doug Fletcher
 CAS OSHA
  • Bill Hetzler
 Executive Director 21 D

Evaluation Period

February 2008 – February 2009

Implementation Team Meetings

Implementation team meetings were suspended in lieu of regular electronic communication between alliance participants.

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: (Dec.08) Jim Lightfoot, CSHO, and Mike Connett, CSHO, attended the NGFA’s Annual Conference in December 2008.
- Presentation on 1910.272 at Safety Day training program
- Booth


GEAPS Annual Conference (Grain Elevator and Processing Society): (Feb.08) Two presentations:

- OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Program
(Doug Fletcher, CAS)
- Nebraska’s Enforcement Activities in the Grain Industry
(Bernie Hauber, Team Leader)		    
 

~ 50 attendees

~ 500 booth visitors






~ 75

~ 100
Total		  
~ 725


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 Nebraska fatalities, as well as combustible dust, bin entry, fall protection, and other safety and health topics are regularly forwarded throughout the association.

IV. Upcoming Milestones

The Alliance was recently renewed for an additional term. Although the NE Grain & Feed Association (NGFA) no longer has a full-time safety and health specialist/trainer, they continue to be supportive of safety and health education. We are currently in the process of scheduling Combustible Dust training, sponsored by the Midwest OSHA Education Center (MOEC) – Kirkwood College affiliate, for members of the NGFA.