Alliance -- An OSHA Cooperative Program << Back to Concluded Alliances

(signed September 19, 2002; renewed March 4, 2004; renewed November 3, 2005; renewed August 29, 2007; concluded September 19, 2009)
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Alliance Program

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Compliance Assistance


The OSHA and SPI Alliance focuses on providing SPI's members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources to promote machine safety particularly in identifying machinery hazards and providing potential solutions to reduce injuries (e.g., lacerations, burns, and amputations). In addition, the organizations will work together to raise awareness of hazard communication issues in the workplace. The goals of the Alliance include:

Training and education:

  • Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop training and education programs for plastic industry employers and employees regarding machine guarding and lockout/tagout, and to provide expertise in communicating such information to employers and employees in the industry.

Outreach and communication:

  • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and SPI conferences, local meetings, or other industry events.
  • Promote and encourage SPI members' participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Programs, and Consultation and its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.
  • Work with other Alliance participants on projects on hazard communication issues that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

Related Documents

Alliance Agreements

Alliance Annual Reports

Alliance News Releases


Activities and Events (Archive)
  • June 22-26, 2009: NPE 2009, International Plastics Showcase. McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.
    • Bill Coulehan, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Calumet City, Illinois Area Office, USDOL-OSHA and representatives from the OSHA Directorate of Training and Education staffed an OSHA and SPI Alliance Program exhibit booth.
  • June 19-23, 2006: NPE 2006, International Plastics Showcase. McCormick Place, Chicago, Illinois.
    • Bill Coullehan, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Calumet City, Illinois Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, staffed an OSHA and SPI Alliance Program exhibit booth and distributed OSHA safety and health information.
    • June 22, 2006: Cathleen Cronin, Director, Office of Training and Educational Development, Directorate of Training and Education, USDOL-OSHA, made a presentation on the OSHA and SPI Alliance and OSHA's Susan Harwood Training Grant Program as part of a panel on workforce development grants and training resources.
    • June 21, 2006: Jim Washam, then-Machine Guarding and Lockout Coordinator, Region V, Chicago North, Illinois Area Office, USDOL-OSHA; and Wayne Wilson, Corporate Director of Safety Training, United Southern Industries, Inc.; taught workshops on rollstock and sheet extrusion machinery safety and roll-fed and inline thermoforming machinery safety.
    • June 20, 2006: Jim Washam, then-Machine Guarding and Lockout Coordinator, Region V, Chicago North, Illinois Area Office, USDOL-OSHA; and Wayne Wilson, Corporate Director of Safety Training, United Southern Industries, Inc.; taught workshops on injection molding machinery safety and blow molding machinery safety.

Products and Resources

Alliance Program Participant Developed Products

  • Injection Molding Machine Safety Training Course. Through the OSHA and Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) Alliance, SPI developed a training course for injection molding machines with machine-specific modules on machine guarding and lockout/tagout. (2006, June)
  • Rollstock and Sheet Extrusion Machine Safety Training Course. Through the OSHA and Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) Alliance, SPI developed a training course for rollstock and sheet extrusion with machine-specific modules on machine guarding and lockout/tagout. (2006, June)
  • Roll-fed and Inline Thermoforming Machine Safety Training Course. Through the OSHA and Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc. (SPI) Alliance, SPI developed a training course for roll-fed and inline thermoforming machines with machine-specific modules on machine guarding and lockout/tagout. (2006, June)

OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages

OSHA eTools

Additional Resources


+ Alliance Implementation Team members participated in the development of this resource.

Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs at 202-693-2200 for assistance accessing PPT materials.

*These files are provided for downloading.