2018

Annual Report on the
Alliance Program
October 1, 2017, to September 30, 2018
Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Alliance Program Purpose and Benefits
- Alliance Program Participants
- Alliance Program Goals
- Alliance Program Impact in Fiscal Year (FY) 2018
- Looking Ahead to FY 2019
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Executive Summary
OSHA's Alliance Program was created in 2002 to develop voluntary, collaborative working relationships with organizations that are committed to workplace safety and health. Each year, OSHA's Alliances reach millions of employers and workers, providing them with safety and health information, tools, and resources through newsletters, social media posts, presentations at conferences and meetings, training, and other projects. Alliance Program participants' activities are captured and shared with the public in individual annual reports that are available on OSHA's public website. This report compiles information, data, and examples from the individual annual reports for the 245 Alliances active during Fiscal Year (FY) 2018 to showcase the impact of the program as a whole.
OSHA develops Alliances at the National, Regional, and Area Office levels, and all of the Alliance Program participants work collaboratively with the agency to improve workplaces and support OSHA's outreach and education mission. Alliances enable the agency to more effectively reach employers and workers in small, high-hazard, and other industries, which may not otherwise engage with the agency.
Throughout FY 2018, National Alliance Program participants:
- Conducted more than 1,500 activities to disseminate information about OSHA's safety and health initiatives and resources, reaching more than 8.9 million people,1 which represents a significant increase from FY 2017.
- Provided billboard space to support a variety of outreach initiatives, including billboards to promote OSHA's fall prevention campaign that were viewed by an estimated 18.2 million people.
- Conducted more than 200 training events and activities, including exhibits and presentations that reached more than 216,000 people.
- Provided 22 technical training sessions for 335 representatives from federal OSHA, state OSHA agencies, and On-Site Consultation programs.
OSHA's Regional and Area Office Alliances involved OSHA field staff in more than 900 outreach and training activities attended by more than 400,000 people. In addition, approximately 1.8 million employers and workers were impacted through these attendees.
In FY 2019, OSHA will continue to work with Alliance Program participants to promote workplace safety and health, by signing an expected 20 new Alliances and renewing Alliances with existing organizations that remain committed to working with OSHA. The program will also continue to support the agency's strategic goals through varying communications portals, engagement of participants and their members in agency outreach initiatives, and coordination with organizations in industry sectors of interest to the agency. In the coming year, OSHA will also issue an updated Alliance Program Directive to create a program framework and administrative requirements that ensure sustainability and better align with relationship building, information sharing, and dissemination.
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Alliance Program Purpose and Benefits
OSHA and Alliance Program participants (participants) work together to develop and share safety and health information, resources, and tools with workers and employers, and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. Participants also assist OSHA in building trust and establishing relationships with employers and workers that traditionally have been hard for the agency to reach, such as small employers. The agency and regulated community have seen positive results since the program's inception. Participants find the routine exchange with OSHA beneficial to their members, improving perception of the agency and willingness to interact with the agency at a local level. From the agency's stand point, Alliances have actively supported outreach campaigns (e.g., Fall Prevention, Heat Illness Prevention, and Safe + Sound Campaigns) and remain important intermediaries for OSHA and NIOSH, 2 as exemplified by the extended reach and resulting impact showcased in this report.
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Alliance Program Participants
The Alliance Program is open to all groups that are committed to workplace safety and health, including trade and professional organizations, labor organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and other government agencies. Alliances are established by OSHA's National, Regional, and Area Offices. In FY 2018, OSHA worked with 245 Alliances, including 33 National Alliances and 212 Regional and Area Office Alliances. During FY 2018, 25 organizations signed new Alliances with OSHA, 47 organizations renewed their Alliances, and 15 organizations concluded their Alliances. This level of activity has remained relatively consistent over the last five years. The majority of Alliance signatories are trade associations, consulates of Mexico and other countries, professional associations, and unions. The primary areas of emphasis include construction, Hispanic worker outreach, and youth outreach. Figures 1 – 3 provide additional data on program participation, signatories, and emphasis areas.
Figure 1: Alliance Program Participants, FY 2002 – FY 2018
Figure 2: Current Distribution of Alliance Program Participants by Emphasis Area
Figure 3: Current Distribution of Alliance Program Participants by Organization Type
State Plans and OSHA's On-Site Consultation programs are also signatories to a number of Regional and Area Office alliances. In addition, State Plans are encouraged to develop their own Alliance Programs and sign Alliance agreements. At least seven State Plans have adopted their own Alliance Programs, including: Arizona, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Oregon.
-
Alliance Program Goals
An Alliance may focus on an entire industry or on specific hazards within an industry. OSHA and the participant define, implement, and meet a set of short- and long-term goals that fall into:
- Outreach and Communication – e.g., speaking and exhibiting at conferences, promoting and encouraging members to participate in OSHA's outreach initiatives, and developing compliance assistance resources.
- Training and Education – e.g., developing training curricula and materials, and delivering training and education programs to the public or OSHA staff.
-
Alliance Program Impact in FY 2018
Each year, OSHA's Alliances reach millions of employers and workers through activities that include dissemination of safety and health information, presentations at conferences and meetings, training, and other projects. This information is captured in an Annual Report for each Alliance, which is prepared by OSHA Alliance Coordinators in coordination with the participating organization(s). Annual reports for each National, Regional, and Area Office Alliance are shared with the public through OSHA's website.
-
National Office Alliance Program Participants
The information provided below has been drawn from data provided by the national participants, and illustrates the combined reach and impact of the program in supporting OSHA outreach initiatives and areas of emphasis. Regional and Area Office data is gathered and presented separately.
-
Outreach and Communication
In FY 2018, OSHA's national participants conducted more than 1,500 activities to disseminate information about safety and health initiatives, and resources from OSHA and other organizations. This was a significant increase from the approximately 600 dissemination activities in FY 2017. These activities included posting OSHA information on participants' websites, sending email blasts to members and other stakeholders, and distributing information through social media channels. These activities reached more than 8.9 million people. 3 In addition, Lamar Advertising Company provided billboard space to promote OSHA's Fall Prevention Campaign and other outreach initiatives. These billboards were viewed by an estimated 18.2 million people.
The following chart shows national participant dissemination activities by OSHA's areas of emphasis.
OSHA Emphasis Area Number of Dissemination Activities Number Reached Construction 191 1,015,367 Fall Prevention 188 2,422,233 Hazard Communication/Chemicals 76 55,122 Heat Illness Prevention 42 1,261,471 Oil and Gas 21 310,612 Recordkeeping/Reporting 51 550,892 Safety and Health Programs 32 197,591 Safe and Sound Week 325 1,663,975 Silica 88 806,692 Small Business 57 742,705 Temporary Workers 11 116,276 Trenching 27 209,074 Young Workers 6 294,767 -
Support for Key OSHA Initiatives
The following are examples of activities conducted by OSHA's national participants in support OSHA's key initiatives.
- National participants played a critical role in supporting OSHA's Safe + Sound Campaign, and, in particular, Safe + Sound Week in August 2018.
- American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), CWPR - The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), and National Safety Council (NSC) were co-sponsors and organizers of the campaign, helping to develop and plan it. These organizers, along with OSHA and NIOSH recruited partners, developed materials explaining safety and health programs and promoting Safe + Sound Week, held public webinars, and encouraged participation within their chapters and across the country.
- Many of the partners helping to promote the campaign and week were current or former national participants.
- National participants conducted 325 dissemination activities reaching more than 1.6 million people.
- National participants developed 21 products, including facts sheets and a promotional video.
- National participants supported OSHA's FY 2018 Fall Prevention Campaign and the National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. For example
- CWPR, NSC, and ASSP were partners, and worked with OSHA and NIOSH to plan the event.
- In April 2018, the Scaffold & Access Industry Association worked with other organizations in the Houston area to host a Fall Prevention Safety Day.
- Lamar Outdoor Advertising provided free billboards to promote the FY 2018 National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.
- National participants played a critical role in supporting OSHA's Safe + Sound Campaign, and, in particular, Safe + Sound Week in August 2018.
-
Events and Training for Members and Public
National participants also conducted more than 200 events and training activities for the public in FY 2018, including exhibits and presentations. These events reached more than 216,000 people.
For example, the American Staffing Association (ASA) hosted a webinar on OSHA's temporary worker initiative bulletin on hazard communication, the Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC) held a webinar on OSHA's new recordkeeping/reporting requirements and the Injury Tracking Application, and the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA) hosted webinars on grain handling safety and co-sponsored the National Grain Stand-Up.
-
Training for OSHA Staff
National participants also provided 22 training sessions in FY 2018 for federal OSHA, state OSHA agencies, and On-Site Consultation programs, training 335 staff. For example:
- Altec Industries, Inc. continued its series of best practice seminars on the safe operation of various types of equipment, including mobile cranes and insulated aerial devices. Staff from Arizona OSHA and Oregon OSHA received the training.
- Global Cold Chain Alliance provided training sessions on industrial ammonia refrigeration systems in coordination with OSHA's Directorate of Training and Education.
- Industrial Truck Association provided five best practice seminars on forklift safety.
- United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and the International Alliance of the Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC (IATSE) provided two training sessions on safety and health issues in the entertainment industry.
-
Alliance Products and Review of OSHA Products
National participants developed nine new Alliance products and updated five existing Alliance products. These products provide information to employers and workers on specific industries or hazards addressed by the Alliances. Alliance participants also developed 21 products in support of OSHA's Safe + Sound Campaign.
The following are examples of products developed in FY 2018. For a complete listing, see the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products page.
- The Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR) developed a fact sheet and video in support of OSHA's Safe + Sound Campaign.
- National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety (STEPS) Network and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health developed a hazard alert on multi-gas monitors. The alert has been distributed to thousands of employers and workers in the oil and gas extraction industry.
- The American Chemistry Council (ACC) developed an infographic on personal protective equipment for automotive refinishing and coating applications.
- The Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) developed several new and updated information sheets on the hazard communication standard.
National participants also provided subject matter experts to review OSHA products. For example, representatives from the National STEPS Network and NIOSH Alliance participated in the workgroup that updated OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool modules. The American Staffing Association provided feedback on several of OSHA's temporary worker initiative bulletins.
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-
Regional and Area Office Alliance Program Participants
In FY 2018, OSHA field staff were involved in almost 900 Regional and Area Office Alliance participant outreach activities, which were attended by almost 400,0000 employers and workers and impacted more than 1.8 million people.
The following table shows the number of Regional and Area Office participant activities in FY 2018, and the number of people reached by these activities. 4
Region
Total Number of Alliances
Number of Activities
Number Attended
Number Affected
1
43
143
67,385
102,277
2
4
9
514
5,510
3
20
171
19,783
282,907
4
23
45
204,439
295,628
5
24
144
73,698
207,954
6
59
253
16,561
538,610
7
10
22
5,521
37,006
8
19
98
7,638
323,608
9
4
1
300
300
10
5
8
284
21,750
Totals
211
894
396,123
1,815,550
The following table shows the number of Regional and Area Office Alliance activities broken out by OSHA areas of emphasis.
RegionTotal AlliancesTotal Activities*ConstructionErgonomicsFall PreventionHazard CommunicationHeat Illness PreventionOil and GasRecordkeeping/ReportingSafety and Health ProgramsSilicaSmall BusinessTemporary WorkersTrenchingYouth1
43
143
59
16
49
38
20
2
36
30
38
82
15
6
16
2
4
9
6
-
9
1
-
-
1
1
1
-
-
-
-
3
20
171
78
15
65
40
26
19
49
39
48
73
24
15
53
4
23
45
19
5
17
5
9
-
9
10
18
16
6
1
2
5
24
144
70
9
50
27
13
6
29
38
34
61
16
17
19
6
59
253
123
5
126
53
73
41
43
52
37
106
16
14
2
7
10
22
6
2
5
4
5
-
5
4
1
6
2
-
8
19
98
22
7
24
33
12
16
35
46
22
59
14
13
1
9
4
1
-
-
-
-
1
-
1
-
-
1
-
-
-
10
5
8
3
-
3
-
1
-
-
1
-
1
1
-
1
Totals
211
894
386
59
348
201
160
84
208
221
199
405
94
67
94
* A single activity may cover more than one area of emphasis, and therefore may be counted in more than one area of emphasis column.
The following are examples of activities conducted by Regional and Area Office Alliance Program participants in FY 2018:
- National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) of Texas. The Dallas and Fort Worth Area Offices have an Alliance with NUCA that focuses on the prevention of trench hazards for underground utility contractors and excavators. On Nov. 17, 2017, OSHA and NUCA co-sponsored a free four-hour Live Outdoor Trench Training event for more than 250 attendees.
- Georgia Struck-By Alliance. The Georgia Area Offices have an Alliance with a variety of state agencies, associations, and other organizations to protect workers from struck-by and work zone hazards. The Alliance has sponsored annual safety stand-downs in conjunction with Roadway Work Zone Awareness Week. In 2018, stand-downs were held at 442 jobsites in Georgia, reaching 22,830 workers.
- Mountain States Energy Alliance. The Denver Area Office has an Alliance with the Mountain States Energy Alliance to reduce exposure to hazards in the oil and gas industry. In May 2018, the Denver Area Office gave a presentation on silica to oil and gas employers.
- Erie Institute of Technology (EIT). The Erie, Pennsylvania Area Office has an Alliance with EIT to reduce the exposure of young workers to safety and health hazards. In support of this Alliance, the CAS gave a series of "Introduction to OSHA" presentations for EIT students and staff.
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Looking Ahead to FY 2019
In FY 2019, OSHA will continue to work with trade and professional organizations, labor organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and other government agencies through the Alliance Program to promote workplace safety and health. Working with participants, OSHA will identify opportunities to speak and exhibit about workplace safety and health issues and the Alliance Program. OSHA and participants will also continue to identify training opportunities.
OSHA plans to sign 20 new Alliances and renew Alliances with organizations that remain committed to working with OSHA to address occupational safety and health issues. In the coming year, OSHA will issue and begin implementing an updated Alliance Program Directive to create a program framework and administrative requirements that ensure sustainability and better align with relationship building, information sharing, and dissemination. OSHA will also work to more fully collect activity data and information from participants at all levels (National, Regional, and Area Office) and present it in a more cohesive format in FY 2019.
Participants will continue to support the Agency's strategic goals through their expansive dissemination efforts and engagement in agency outreach initiatives. Participants will continue to raise awareness of and engage members in established national safety and health initiatives (OSHA's Safe + Sound Campaign and Safe + Sound Week, Fall Prevention Campaign and the National Stand Down), as well as promote newer initiatives on trench safety, grain handling, and safe summer jobs for youth. OSHA will also continue to leverage participants' expertise to enhance technical resources for staff, such as the OSHA Technical Manual, and compliance assistance tools for employers, workers, and the public, such as OSHA eTools, Safety and Health Topics pages, publications, and training courses.
1 Note that this figure does not represent 8.9 different people. Multiple dissemination activities by an Alliance participant may reach the same group of people. For example, a particular Alliance may send two email blasts on different topics to its 500 stakeholders, which accounts for 1,000 people reached in our calculation.
2 Okun AH, Watkins JP, Schulte PA. Trade associations and labor organizations as intermediaries for disseminating workplace safety and health information. Am J Ind Med. 2017;60:766–775. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22746
3 Note that this figure does not represent 8.9 million different people. Multiple dissemination activities by an Alliance participant may reach the same group of people. For example, a particular Alliance may send two email blasts on different topics to its 500 stakeholders. This counts at 1,000 people reached in our calculation.
4 The numbers include only those Alliance activities in which an OSHA staff person was involved and reported in the OSHA Information System (OIS). There is a small percentage of Regional and Area Office Alliance activities that do not involve an OSHA staff person and are not reflected in these numbers.
2017

Annual Report on the
Alliance Program
October 1, 2016, to September 30, 2017
Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL)
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Alliance Program Purpose and Benefits
- Alliance Program Participants
- Alliance Program Goals
- Alliance Program Impact in Fiscal Year (FY) 2017
- Looking Ahead to FY 2018
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Executive Summary
OSHA's Alliance Program was created in 2002 to develop voluntary, collaborative working relationships with organizations that are committed to workplace safety and health. Each year, OSHA's Alliances reach millions of employers and workers, providing them with safety and health information, tools, and resources through newsletters, social media posts, presentations at conferences and meetings, training, and other projects. Alliance Program participants' activities are captured and shared with the public in individual annual reports that are available on OSHA's public website. This report compiles information, data, and examples from the individual Annual Reports for the 234 Alliances active during Fiscal Year (FY) 2017 to showcase the impact of the program as a whole.
OSHA develops Alliances at the National, Regional, and Area Office levels, and all of the Alliance Program participants work collaboratively with the agency to improve workplaces and support OSHA's outreach and education mission. Alliances enable the agency to more effectively reach employers and workers in small, high-hazard, and other industries, which may not otherwise engage with the agency.
Throughout FY 2017, National Alliance Program participants:
- Conducted more than 600 activities to disseminate information about OSHA's safety and health initiatives and resources, reaching more than 5.9 million people.1
- Provided space to support a variety of outreach initiatives through billboards, which promoted OSHA's fall prevention campaign and were viewed by an estimated 17.5 million people.
- Conducted more than 130 events, including exhibits and presentations, and reached more than 118,000 people.
- Provided 60 training activities for employers and workers, which reached more than 100,000 people.
- Provided 32 technical training sessions for 573 representatives from federal OSHA, state OSHA agencies, and On-Site Consultation programs.
OSHA's Regional and Area Office Alliances involved OSHA field staff in more than 700 outreach and training activities attended by more than 275,000 people, with an estimated additional outreach to 2 million employers and workers.
In FY 2018, OSHA will continue to work with Alliance Program participants to promote workplace safety and health, by signing 16 new Alliances and renewing Alliances with existing organizations that remain committed to working with OSHA. The Program will also continue to support the Agency's strategic goals through varying communications portals and engagement of members in agency outreach initiatives. In the coming year, OSHA will also review the Alliance Program Directive to identify areas of the program that can be enhanced.
-
Alliance Program Purpose and Benefits
OSHA and Alliance Program participants (participants) work together to develop and share safety and health information, resources, and tools with workers and employers, and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. Participants also assist OSHA to build trust and establish relationships with employers and workers that traditionally have been hard for the agency to reach, such as small employers.
The agency and regulated community have seen positive results since the program's inception. Participants find the routine exchange with OSHA beneficial, improving members' perception of the agency and their willingness to interact with the agency at a local level. From the agency's stand point, Alliances have actively supported outreach campaigns (e.g., Fall Prevention, Heat Illness Prevention, and Safe + Sound Campaigns) and enabled OSHA to reach employers and workers with whom the agency might not traditionally interact. A recent National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) study 2 underscores this point, concluding that business and professional trade associations, and labor organizations are important intermediaries for OSHA and NIOSH in transferring workplace safety and health information to their members. OSHA's own experience during the Safe + Sound Week 2017 illustrated this conclusion. With agency partners, many of which were Alliances, OSHA reached roughly 1.2 million followers through Twitter, far more than OSHA alone (roughly 6,000) could reach.
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Alliance Program Participants
The Alliance Program is open to all groups that are committed to workplace safety and health, including trade and professional organizations, labor organizations, businesses, educational institutions, and other government agencies. Alliances are established by OSHA's National, Regional, and Area Offices. In FY 2017, OSHA worked with 234 Alliances, including 34 National Alliances, and 200 Regional and Area Office Alliances. During FY 2017, 14 organizations signed new Alliances with OSHA, 50 organizations renewed their Alliances, and nine organizations concluded their Alliances. This level of activity is representative and has remained relatively consistent over the last four years. The majority of Alliance signatories are trade associations, consulates, professional associations, and unions. The primary areas of emphasis include construction, Hispanic worker outreach, and youth outreach. Figures 1 – 3 provide additional data on program participation, signatories, and emphasis areas.
Figure 1: Alliance Program Participants, FY 2002 – FY 2017
Figure 2: Current Distribution of Alliance Program Participants by Emphasis Area
Figure 3: Current Distribution of Alliance Program Participants by Organization Type
State Plans and OSHA's On-Site Consultation programs are also signatories to a number of Regional and Area Office alliances. In addition, State Plans are encouraged to develop their own Alliance Programs and sign Alliance agreements. At least seven State Plans have adopted their own Alliance Programs, including: Arizona, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Oregon.
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Alliance Program Goals
An Alliance may focus on an entire industry or on specific hazards within an industry. OSHA and the participating organizations define, implement, and meet a set of short- and long-term goals that fall into:
- Outreach and Communication – e.g., speaking and exhibiting at conferences, promoting and encouraging members to participate in OSHA's outreach initiatives, and developing compliance assistance resources.
- Training and Education – e.g., developing training curricula and materials, and delivering training and education programs to the public or OSHA staff.
-
Alliance Program Impact in FY 2017
Each year, OSHA's Alliances reach millions of employers and workers, and many OSHA staff through activities that include dissemination of safety and health information, presentations at conferences and meetings, training, and other projects. This information is captured in an Annual Report for each Alliance, which is prepared by OSHA Alliance Coordinators, in coordination with the participating organization(s). Annual Reports for each National, Regional, and Area Office Alliance are shared with the public through OSHA's website.
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National Office Alliance Program Participants
The information provided below has been drawn from data provided by the national participants, and illustrates the combined reach and impact of the program in supporting OSHA outreach initiatives and areas of emphasis. Regional and Area Office data is gathered and presented separately.
-
Outreach and Communication
In FY 2017, OSHA's national participants conducted more than 600 activities to disseminate information about safety and health initiatives, and resources from OSHA and other organizations. These activities included posting OSHA information on their websites, sending email blasts to their stakeholders, and distributing information through their social media channels. These activities reached more than 5.9 million people. 3 In addition, Lamar Advertising Company provided billboard space to promote OSHA's Fall Prevention Campaign. These billboards were viewed by an estimated 17.5 million people.
The following chart shows national participant dissemination activities by OSHA's areas of emphasis.
OSHA Emphasis Area Number of Dissemination Activities Number Reached Construction 87 1,044,303 Ergonomics 12 264,295 Fall Prevention 70 976,302 Hazard Communication/Chemicals 48 28,497 Heat Illness Prevention 47 378,412 Oil and Gas 32 454,459 Recordkeeping/Reporting 55 1,138,260 Safety and Health Programs, Safe and Sound Week 107 585,838 Silica 39 511,868 Small Business 15 88,089 Temporary Workers 12 1,247,194 Walking-Working Surfaces 16 76,629 Young Workers 4 39,062 National participants also conducted more than 130 events in FY 2017, including exhibits and presentations. These events reached more than 118,000 people.
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Support for Key OSHA Initiatives
The following are examples of activities conducted by OSHA's national participants in support OSHA's key initiatives.
- National participants played a critical role in supporting OSHA's inaugural Safe + Sound Week in June 2017.
- American Society of Safety Professionals, American Industrial Hygiene Association, and National Safety Council were co-sponsors and organizers of the initiative, helping to develop and plan it. These organizers, along with OSHA and NIOSH recruited almost 100 partners, developed materials explaining safety and health programs and promoting Safe + Sound Week, held public webinars, and encouraged participation within their chapters and across the country.
- More than two-thirds of the partners helping to promote Safe + Sound Week were current or former national participants.
- Lamar Outdoor Advertising provided free billboard space to help promote the event.
- The American Pipeline Contractors Association, American Staffing Association, and American Road and Transportation Builders Association (part of the Roadway Work Zone Safety and Health Partners Alliance) held webinars and participated in the week.
- National participants supported OSHA's FY 2017 Fall Prevention Campaign and the National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. For example:
- In May 2017, the Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Institute worked with 30 member companies to conduct their own stand-down that reached more than 6,600 employees.
- In April 2017, the Scaffold & Access Industry Association partnered with other organizations in the Houston area for a Fall Prevention Safety Day.
- Lamar Outdoor Advertising provided free billboards to promote the FY 2017 National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction.
- National participants played a critical role in supporting OSHA's inaugural Safe + Sound Week in June 2017.
-
Training
National participants provide free training to workers, employers, and other stakeholders. In FY 2017, national participants conducted 60 training events for more than 100,000 participants. For example, the Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR) provided a free online course on Absorbed Glass Mat Battery Handling and Safety. The course was developed through the Alliance and provided to 298 attendees. The American Staffing Association (ASA) held three webinars for more than 1,300 attendees on OSHA's temporary worker initiative bulletins.
National participants also provided 32 training sessions in FY 2017 for federal OSHA, state OSHA agencies, and On-Site Consultation programs, training 573 staff. For example:
- Altec Industries, Inc. continued its series of best practice seminars on the safe operation of various types of equipment, including mobile cranes, tree care aerial devices, and wood chippers. Staff from OSHA Regions 2 and 7, California OSHA, and South Carolina OSHA received the training.
- Global Cold Chain Alliance provided training sessions on industrial ammonia refrigeration systems.
- Laser Institute of America provided a best practice seminar on laser safety for staff from OSHA Region 2.
- Industrial Truck Association provided three best practice seminars on forklift safety.
- United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and the International Alliance of the Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC (IATSE) provided eight training sessions on safety and health issues in the entertainment industry.
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Other Projects: Alliance Products and Review of OSHA Products
National participants developed 29 new Alliance products and updated 17 existing Alliance products. These products, which include fact sheets, toolbox talks, and videos, provide information to employers and workers on specific industries or hazards addressed by the Alliances.
The following are examples of products developed in FY 2017. For a complete listing, see the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products page.
- American Pipeline Contractors Association developed a toolbox talk on silica and a fact sheet on confined spaces in construction.
- The American Staffing Association and National Safety Council developed a case study (PDF) that provides practical information for staffing companies and host employers to better protect temporary workers from workplace injuries, and understand which party is responsible for recording injuries on the OSHA Form 300 injury and illness log.
- National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety (STEPS) Network and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health developed a hazard alert on preventing fatalities from ignition of vapors by mobile engines and auxiliary motors. The alert has been distributed to thousands of employers and workers in the oil and gas extraction industry.
- The Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair developed an online course on Absorbed Glass Mat Battery Handling and Safety.
- The International Window Cleaning Association developed a window cleaning field safety guide.
National participants also provided subject matter experts to review OSHA products. For example, the National STEPS Network and NIOSH Alliance participated in the workgroup that developed a new Transportation module for the OSHA Oil and Gas Well Drilling and Servicing eTool.
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-
Regional and Area Office Alliance Program Participants
In FY 2017, OSHA field staff were involved in more than 700 Regional and Area Office participant outreach activities, which were attended by more than 275,000 employers and workers. OSHA estimates that almost two million people were potentially impacted by these activities.
The following table shows the number of Regional and Area Office participant activities in FY 2017, and the number of people reached by these activities.4
Region
Total Number of Alliances
Number of Activities
Number Attended
Number Affected
1
40
100
25,658
47,589
2
3
7
3,229
6729
3
19
122
21,093
370,729
4
27
37
2,409
292,713
5
20
143
97,624
228,209
6
53
239
112,206
893,713
7
8
21
953
32,059
8
14
58
6,183
83,993
9
4
1
70
500
10
12
13
5749
6730
Totals
200
741
275,174
1,962,964
The following table shows the number of Regional and Area Office Alliance activities broken out by OSHA areas of emphasis.
RegionTotal AlliancesTotal Activities*ConstructionErgonomicsFall PreventionHazard CommunicationHeat Illness PreventionOil and GasReportingSafety and Health ProgramsSilicaSmall BusinessTemporary WorkersWalking-Working SurfacesYouth1
40
100
8
13
33
25
11
34
22
36
55
18
11
20
2
3
7
1
7
3
3
4
3
4
3
3
1
6
3
19
122
11
2
44
22
17
12
39
25
27
59
19
23
59
4
26
37
2
2
20
3
8
5
6
10
9
5
1
2
5
20
143
7
11
59
35
22
6
44
55
32
68
25
15
30
6
53
239
25
1
102
40
79
43
55
84
34
94
50
18
10
7
8
21
4
2
3
4
4
7
1
8
2
4
4
8
14
58
3
8
9
13
5
13
33
24
16
31
9
16
5
9
4
1
10
12
13
2
6
2
1
1
3
3
2
1
2
2
Totals
200
741
58
42
282
146
150
74
219
229
163
329
132
91
138
* A single activity may cover more than one area of emphasis, and therefore may be counted in more than one area of emphasis column.
The following are examples of activities conducted by OSHA Regional and Area Office participants in FY 2017:
- Georgia Struck-By Alliance. The Georgia Area Offices have an Alliance with a variety of state agencies, associations, and other organizations to protect workers from struck-by and work zone hazards. The Alliance has sponsored annual safety stand-downs in conjunction with Roadway Work Zone Awareness Week. In 2017, stand-downs were held at 411 jobsites in Georgia, reaching 23,354 workers.
- Buckeye Service, Transmission, Exploration, Production Safety (STEPS) Network. Through its Alliance with the Buckeye STEPS Network, the Columbus, Ohio Area Office regularly provides presentations to members of this organization. For example, a Compliance Assistance Specialist (CAS) provided an OSHA update at a Buckeye STEPS meeting in June 2017 on topics including Safe + Sound Week, the National Trench Stand-Down, recordkeeping, the OSHA Oil and Gas eTool, and heat illness prevention.
- National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) of Texas. The Dallas and Fort Worth Area Offices have an Alliance with NUCA that focuses on the prevention of trench hazards for underground utility contractors and excavators. Since signing the Alliance in 2015, participants have provided annual free outdoor trench training in English and Spanish. More than 210 attended the 2017 event.
- T&T Staff Management. The El Paso, Texas Area Office has an Alliance with T&T Staff Management, a temporary staffing agency, which held an event for 175 people in 2017 to support the OSHA National Stand-Down to Prevent Falls in Construction. An OSHA CAS gave a presentation at the event.
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Looking Ahead to FY 2018
In FY 2018, OSHA will continue to work with trade associations, professional organizations, governmental entities, businesses, and academia through the Alliance Program to promote workplace safety and health. Working with participants, OSHA will identify opportunities to speak and exhibit about the program and workplace safety and health issues. OSHA and Program participants will also continue to identify training opportunities.
OSHA plans to sign 16 new Alliances and renew Alliances with organizations that remain committed to working with OSHA to address occupational safety and health issues. In the coming year, OSHA will also review the Alliance Program Directive to identify areas of the program that can be enhanced, and will work to more fully integrate participant activity data and information collected at all levels (National, Regional, and Area Office) to present it in a more cohesive format in FY 2018.
The Alliance Program participants will also continue to support the Agency's strategic goals through their expansive dissemination effort, and engagement of members in agency outreach initiatives. Alliance Program partners provided significant support for OSHA's Safe + Sound Campaign and inaugural Safe + Sound Week in FY 2017, and this effort continues to grow in FY 2018. OSHA will introduce several additional outreach initiatives in FY 2018, including a focus on both trenching and grain handling. These efforts will be supported by key Alliance Program participants and other stakeholders. OSHA will also continue to leverage Alliance Program participants' expertise to enhance compliance assistance tools and provide input on OSHA eTools, Safety and Health Topics pages, publications, and training courses.
1 Note that this figure does not represent 5.9 different people. Multiple dissemination activities by an Alliance participant may reach the same group of people. For example, a particular Alliance may send two email blasts on different topics to its 500 stakeholders, which accounts for 1,000 people reached in our calculation.
2 Okun AH, Watkins JP, Schulte PA. Trade associations and labor organizations as intermediaries for disseminating workplace safety and health information. Am J Ind Med. 2017;60:766–775. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22746
3 Note that this figure does not represent 5.9 million different people. Multiple dissemination activities by an Alliance participant may reach the same group of people. For example, a particular Alliance may send two email blasts on different topics to its 500 stakeholders. This counts at 1,000 people reached in our calculation.
4 The numbers include only those Alliance activities in which an OSHA staff person was involved and reported in the OSHA Information System (OIS). There is a small percentage of Regional and Area Office Alliance activities that do not involve an OSHA staff person and are not reflected in these numbers.
2016
Each year, OSHA’s National Alliances reach millions of employers and workers, and many OSHA staff through activities that include dissemination of safety and health information, presentations at conferences and meetings, and training. During the most recent reporting cycle, collectively, OSHA’s National Alliances reached over 1 million employers and workers with information about OSHA’s outreach initiatives, enforcement and rulemaking activities, and new publications and resources. OSHA and its Alliance partners also worked together to provide information to over 7500 attendees at almost 30 meetings and conferences. In addition, Alliance partners provided important technical training to OSHA staff through 26 training seminars that reached almost 600 OSHA staff members.
The following highlights these and other activities of OSHA’s National Alliances in FY 2016. For successes by Regional and Area Office Alliances, see the Regional and State Plan Alliance Success Stories page.
Products
Through the Alliance Program, national Alliance participants developed 25 new products and updated 6 others. These products, which include fact sheets, toolbox talks, and videos, provide information to employers and workers on specific industries or hazards addressed by the Alliances. Alliance participants also translated two products into Spanish. The following are examples of products developed in FY 2016. For a complete listing, see the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products page.
- American Pipeline Contractors Association developed a fact sheet on Best Practice for Cold Weather Awareness (PDF).
- American Staffing Association developed a video on the safety and health obligations of host employers that use temporary workers from staffing firms.
- American Staffing Association and National Safety Council developed a case study (PDF) that provides practical information for staffing companies and host employers to better protect temporary workers from workplace injuries, and understand which party is responsible for recording injuries on the OSHA Form 300 injury and illness log.
- Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources published a series of articles in its Environment of Care publication, including: Assault Halt: OSHA and The Joint Commission Offer Guidance and Resources to Curb Workplace Violence (PDF) and Helping Health Care Workers to Breathe Easy: OSHA updates TB enforcement instruction (PDF).
- National Association of Women in Construction developed a handout in English (PDF); Spanish (PDF) on portable toilet and sanitation best practices for women in construction.
- National Association of Landscape Professionals developed a card (PDF) to help landscaping irrigation crews safely transport chemicals.
- National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety (STEPS) Network and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health developed a Hot Work in Oilfields Hazard Alert (PDF) that has been distributed to thousands of employers and workers in the oil and gas extraction industry.
- Scaffold & Access Industry Association developed fact sheets on Aerial Work Platform (AWP) Safety Devices (PDF) and Selecting and Implementing a Fall Protection System for an AWP (PDF).
- Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Institute developed a series of toolbox talks, including Protective Clothing (PDF) and Silica (PDF).
Training for OSHA Staff
Through the Alliance Program, national Alliance participants provided 21 free training sessions in FY 2016 for 293 representatives from federal OSHA, state OSHA agencies, and On-site Consultation programs. For example:
- Altec Industries, Inc. continued its series of free best practice seminars on the safe operation of various types of equipment. Altec provided training on tree care aerial equipment and wood chipper devices for Washington state OSHA staff in March 2016. Altec provided mobile crane training for OSHA Region 1 in May 2016 and training on tree care aerial equipment and wood chipper devices for Mississippi Consultation Program in August 2016.
- Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) continued its series of educational training sessions focusing on industrial ammonia refrigeration systems. GCCA provided training for OSHA Region 4 in February 2016.
- Laser Institute of America (LIA) continued its series of free best practice seminars on laser safety. LIA provided training for OSHA Region 4 in February 2016 and for OSHA Region 3 in June 2016.
- Industrial Truck Association (ITA) continued it series of free best practice seminars on forklift safety. ITA provided training for OSHA Region 8 in June 2016, for OSHA Region 5 in July 2016, and for OSHA Region 7 in August 2016.
- Scaffold & Access Industry Association (SAIA) continued its series of free best practices seminars on mast climber work platforms. SAIA provided training for OSHA Region 9 in April 2016.
- United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT) and the International Alliance of the Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories and Canada, AFL-CIO, CLC (IATSE) provided training on safety and health issues in the entertainment industry for OSHA Regions 2 and 3 in April 2016 and for Region 2 in May 2016.
Other Training
Alliance participants also provide free training to workers, employers, and others. For example:
- Independent Electrical Contractors sponsored a webinar on OSHA’s new silica standard in June 2016 for 150 participants.
- National Safety Council sponsored a webinar on OSHA’s new silica standard in April 2016 for 250 participants.
Support for Key OSHA Initiatives
In addition to developing products and providing training, OSHA’s national Alliances took other measures to support OSHA’s key initiatives. For example:
- Several Alliances agreed to be co-sponsors of OSHA’s Safe & Sounds Campaign for safety and health programs, including American Industrial Hygiene Association, American Pipeline Contractors Association, American Society of Safety Engineers, Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair, Independent Electrical Contractors, Laser Safety Institute, National Safety Council, National Association of Women in Construction, National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety Network, Scaffold & Access Industry Association, and United States Institute for Theatre Technology.
- Several Alliances supported OSHA’s 2016 campaign to prevent falls in construction. For example:
- The Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Institute worked with 38 member companies to have their own stand-down that reached more than 7,700 employees.
- In May 2016, the Scaffold & Access Industry Association partnered with other organizations in the Houston area for a Fall Prevention Safety Day.
- Lamar Outdoor Advertising provided free billboards to promote OSHA’s 2016 fall prevention stand-down.
- American Staffing Association provided feedback on OSHA’s temporary worker bulletins and promoted them on its Web site and publications.
- The Alliance Program’s Construction Roundtable met twice in FY 2016. During the year, the Roundtable participants:
- Developed a white paper on Proposed Strategies to More Effectively Reach Small Contractors in Residential Construction and a New Construction Employee Safety Orientation Checklist.
- Developed a short course on designing for construction safety, with both instructor (PDF) and participant (PDF) guides. The course provides employers, contractors, owners, design/build firms, engineers, architects, and others with information on how to recognize and anticipate construction hazards, and how to eliminate those hazards with construction design features.
- Developed a design solution (PDF) focusing on horizontal grab bars on ladders in an effort to prevent falls.
- National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety (STEPS) Network and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health held a “Step Up for Safety” stand-down event in the spring of 2016 for employers and workers in the oil and gas extraction industry. Over 8,700 workers were trained, 3,200 jobsite inspections were conducted, and 5,000 hazards were identified.
2015
The following highlights some of the successes of OSHA’s national Alliances in FY 2015. For successes by Regional and Area Office Alliances, see the Regional and State Plan State Success Stories page.
Products
Through the Alliance Program, national Alliance participants develop 39 products such as fact sheets, toolbox talks, and videos to provide information to employers and workers on specific industries or hazards covered by the Alliances. Alliance participants also translated 10 products into Spanish. The following are examples of products developed in FY 2015. For a complete listing, see the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products page.
- Airline Ground Safety Panel (AGSP). Developed several fact sheets and toolbox talks that provide best practices for keeping ground crew workers safe on the job, including: Pushback Vehicles Fact Sheet: Preventing Caught In Between Injuries and Pushback Vehicles Fact Sheet: Preventing Struck By Injuries.
- Joint Commission and Joint Commission Resources. Published a series of articles in its Environment of Care publication, including: Guidelines for Zero Tolerance: New OSHA Publication Helps Prevent Violence in the Health Care Setting (PDF) and Protecting Temporary Workers: Personnel Safety in the Health Care Setting (PDF).
- National Association of Landscape Professionals. Developed publications to help protect landscape workers, including Mower and Hedge Trimmer Safety in English (PDF) and Spanish (PDF).
- National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety (STEPS) Network and National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Developed a Tank Gauging Hazard Alert (PDF) that has been distributed to thousands of employers and workers in the oil and gas extraction industry.
- Society for Chemical Hazard Communication. Developed several information sheets that provide guidance on the revised hazard communication standard, including: Corrosive to Metal and Flammable Gases.
Training for OSHA Staff
Through the Alliance Program, national Alliance participants provide 15 free training sessions in FY 2015 for 242 representatives from federal OSHA, state OSHA agencies, and On-site Consultation programs. For example:
- Altec Industries, Inc.. Continued its series of free best practice seminars on the safe operation of various types of equipment. On March 24, 2015, Altec provided mobile crane training for OSHA Region 6. On June 10-11, 2015, Altec provided training on mobile cranes, insulated aerial devices, and digger derricks for OSHA national office and Maryland OSHA staff. On August 4-5, 2015, Altec provided mobile crane training for OSHA national office and Maryland OSHA staff.
- Fertilizer Safety and Health Partners. Provided Responsible Ag training and a facility tour on July 30, 2015 for participants from federal OSHA, state OSHA agencies, and other federal agencies. Training focused on safe storage and handling of fertilizers (and regulatory compliance) at agricultural retail facilities.
- Laser Safety Institute (LIA). Continued its series of free best practice seminars on laser safety. LIA provided training for OSHA Region 4 on May 21, 2015, and for OSHA Region 9 on October 24, 2014 and March 11, 2015.
- Industrial Truck Association (ITA). Continued it series of free best practice seminars on forklift safety. On May 13, 2015, ITA conducted a seminar in York, Pennsylvania for OSHA Region 3. ITA conducted a seminar in Nashville, Tennessee for OSHA Region 4 on August 12 and August 13, 2015.
Other Training
Alliance participants also provide free training to workers, employers, and others. For example:
- Society for Chemical Hazard Communication. Hosted a webinar on September 9, 2015 on "Hazard Communication 2012: Inspection Procedures for the Hazard Communication Standard: CPL 02-02-079." More than 2,000 people viewed the webinar. The transcript is available on the SCHC Web page.
Support for Key OSHA Initiatives
In addition to developing products and providing training, OSHA’s national Alliances took other measures to support OSHA’s key initiatives. For example:
- Airline Ground Safety Panel (AGSP) developed a heat stress toolbox talk.
- American Staffing Association. Provided feedback on two new OSHA temporary worker bulletins (personal protective equipment, whistleblower protection) and promoted them on its Web site and publications.
- Lamar Outdoor Advertising. Supported OSHA’s 2015 fall prevention campaign with 20 print billboards reaching almost 1 million views and 13 additional digital boards. Lamar also provided Kentucky with 7 billboards with an estimated 220,000 views.
- National Association of Landscape Professionals. Promoted OSHA’s heat app in its newsletters and other publications to support OSHA’s heat illness prevention campaign.
- National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE). Disseminated OSHA’s "Guide to Restroom Access for Transgender Workers" through its Facebook page, blog, and other channels. The Facebook post received 55,000 impressions, nearly 1,000 "Likes", 450 shares, and 206 comments and the blog had 2,700 hits.