AAFA - Alliance Annual Report - May 10, 2005

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the
American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA)
May 10, 2005

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    February 14, 2003

    Date Renewed

    March 24, 2005

    Evaluation Period

    February 14, 2004 – February 13, 2005

    Overview

    The OSHA–AAFA Alliance helps foster a culture of injury and illness prevention by sharing best practices and technical safety and health knowledge, especially in the area of ergonomics.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Brett Besser
    Salt Lake City Technical Center (SLTC)
    Cathy Cronin
    Office of Training and Education (OTE)
    Bob Curtis
    SLTC
    Brently Donaldson
    OTE
    Kim Lazor
    Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary
    Tirzah Leiman–Carbia
    Office of Small Business Assistance
    Nancy McCormick
    Region IX
    Lisa Ramber
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Beth Sherfy
    OOSA

    AAFA:

    Gloria Carter
    TC2
    Michael Della Mea
    Sara Lee Branded Apparel
    John Eapen
    American & Efird Inc.
    Roger Hopkins
    Carhartt
    Steve Jesseph
    Sara Lee Branded Apparel
    Charlotte Lewengrub
    Quabaug Corporation
    Carey McCombie
    AAFA Government Relations
    Greg Murphy
    Kellwood Company
    Don Roberson
    Maidenform Inc.
    Michael Scott
    American & Efird Inc.
    Harris Tharsher
    Jockey International Inc.

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    April 5, 2004
    Implementation Team Meeting
    December 15, 2004
    Ergonomics Manual Meeting
    January 5, 2005
    Ergonomics Manual Meeting

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Outreach and Communication Goals

      • Develop and disseminate information and guidance through print and electronic media, particularly the AAFA and OSHA Web sites.

      Products

      Apparel and Footwear Safety and Health Topics Page

      Representatives from the OSHA–AAFA Alliance continue to help to review and revise OSHA's Apparel and Footwear Industry Safety and Health Topics page. This page is maintained as a product of the Alliance between OSHA and AAFA. The following AAFA member serves on the page's editorial board:

      • Charlotte Lewengrub, Compliance Manager, Quabaug Corporation

      AAFA's Web site

      AAFA continues to update its Web site, which contains a page on the OSHA and AAFA Alliance that includes links to the OSHA and AAFA Alliance agreement, OSHA's Apparel and Footwear Industry Safety and Health Topics page, OSHA's Sewing eTool and OSHA Ergonomics Safety and Health Topics page. It also has links to the ergonomics manual, Ergonomics for Supervisors: Volume 1, An Industry Manual for the Apparel and Footwear Industries, which was developed by the Alliance implementation team.

      OSHA and AAFA's Alliance Web page

      The OSHA and AAFA Web page on the OSHA Web site continues to be updated on a regular basis and includes links to the Alliance agreement and related documents, activities and events, milestones and successes, and products of the Alliance such as the ergonomics manual, Ergonomics for Supervisors: Volume 1, An Industry Manual for the Apparel and Footwear Industries. For more information on the number of visits to the OSHA and AAFA Alliance Web page, please see the Alliance Program Reach table on page 5.

      • Disseminate information and guidance in applicable foreign languages.

      During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at conferences, local meetings, or other events to promote the effectiveness of ergonomics programs.

      During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

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

      During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

      Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goals

      • Encouraging AAFA members to act as industry liaisons and resources for OSHA's cooperative programs and Compliance Assistance Specialists.

      During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

      • Share information on best practices of AAFA members, as determined by OSHA and AAFA, with others in the industry.

      Products

      Ergonomics Manual: Ergonomics for Supervisors, Volume I - An Introductory Manual for the Apparel and Footwear Industries

      The OSHA and AAFA Alliance implementation team members developed an ergonomics manual for the apparel and footwear entitled, Ergonomics for Supervisors: Volume 1, An Industry Manual for the Apparel and Footwear Industries. The manual provides practical suggestions for supervisors to help reduce the number and severity of injuries by identifying, evaluating and controlling hazards using proven methods from the apparel and footwear industries. Chapters in the manual cover such topics as an introduction to ergonomics, work station design, and musculoskeletal disorders, among other topics.

      Training and Education Goals

      • Develop and deliver training and education programs on ergonomics issues.

      During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

      • Cross–train OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals in AAFA ergonomics programs or best practices, as determined by OSHA and AAFA.

      During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

    2. Executive Summary

      During the OSHA and AAFA Alliance's second year, the implementation team developed several resources with information about the Alliance, ergonomics and other safety and health issues. OSHA and AAFA continue to update their Web sites with relevant information. The OSHA–AAFA Alliance Web page on the OSHA Website features links to related documents, activities and events, and milestones and successes. AAFA's Web site features a Web page on the OSHA and AAFA Alliance that includes links to the OSHA and AAFA Alliance agreement, OSHA's Apparel and Footwear Industry Safety and Health Topics page, OSHA's Sewing eTool, OSHA Ergonomics Safety and Health Topics page, and other OSHA resources.

      During the past year, the AAFA Alliance implementation team contributed to OSHA's compliance assistance products. An AAFA member continued to serve on the Apparel and Footwear Industry Safety and Health Topics page editorial board, providing expert input to SLTC to help maintain the page.

      Although the Alliance agreement contains a number of goals, during the evaluation period, the OSHA and AAFA Alliance implementation team focused on developing an ergonomics manual for the apparel and footwear industry, Ergonomics for Supervisors, Volume I – An Introductory Manual for the Apparel and Footwear Industries. The manual is designed to direct supervisors through the process of developing an effective ergonomics program. The manual provides practical suggestions for supervisors to help reduce the number and severity of injuries by identifying, evaluating and controlling hazards using proven methods from the apparel and footwear industries. Chapters in the manual cover such topics as an introduction to ergonomics, work station design, and musculoskeletal disorders, among other topics. To develop this manual, representatives from the Alliance reviewed existing ergonomics practices in the apparel and footwear industries. AAFA asked member companies for successful approaches, programs and processes that have successfully reduced exposure to these stressors. A link to the manual is on the OSHA and AAFA Alliance Web page.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)

      Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and AAFA Alliance Webpage on the OSHA Web site

      4,649
      AAFA Alliance Web page on the AAFA Web Site

      Data Not Available
      Apparel and Footwear Safety and Health Topics Page

      21,699
      TOTAL

      26,348

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    Building on the success for the first two years of the Alliance, OSHA and AAFA will renew the agreement for two additional years. The Alliance implementation team will continue to provide information, guidance, and access to training resources to help protect apparel and footwear industry employees' from ergonomic injuries. The team will identify projects, including developing training and education for AAFA members and others in the apparel and footwear industry, making presentations at conferences, and developing and reviewing compliance assistance resources.

    The OSHA and AAFA Alliance implementation team will promote the availability of the ergonomics manual, Ergonomics for Supervisors, Volume I – An Introductory Manual for the Apparel and Footwear Industries, on OSHA's and AAFA's Web sites and through press releases issued by both organizations and related articles in print and online media. Additionally, through the Alliance, AAFA plans to offer six training sessions to education AAFA members and others in the apparel and footwear industry. The sessions will be held in Charlotte, North Carolina; Los Angeles, California; Miami, Florida; El Paso, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; and New York, New York. AAFA plans to invite OSHA representatives from the region or state where the training session is being held to help with the presentations and attend the training. After the training sessions are completed, the group plans to translate the ergonomics manual into Spanish for Spanish–speaking employees. In addition, the OSHA–AAFA implementation team will explore developing additional industry-specific ergonomics guidance documents and case studies.

    Additionally, OSHA and AAFA will identify opportunities for promoting the Alliance to the apparel and footwear industry and other members of the public. AAFA has agreed to discuss the products, activities and successes of its Alliance with OSHA at the National Safety Congress in Orlando, Florida on September 22, 2005. AAFA will participate in a panel discussion entitled, Successes of OSHA's Ergonomic Alliances, with representatives from OSHA and other Alliance Program participants, including The Dow Chemical Company, the Graphic Arts Coalition, and the National Telecommunications Safety Panel.

    The members of the Alliance implementation team will update the OSHA and AAFA Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site and the AAFA's Web site with Alliance information. The team also will review and update the Apparel and Footwear Industry Safety and Health Topics page.

    Report prepared by: Elizabeth Sherfy, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, May 10, 2005.