OSHA and American Apparel and Footwear Association Alliance
Close-Out Report

On February 14, 2003, OSHA and the American Apparel and Footwear Association (AAFA) formed an Alliance to use their collective expertise to help foster a culture of injury and illness prevention by sharing best practices and technical safety and health knowledge, especially in the area of ergonomics. The Alliance was renewed on March 24, 2005.

Because AAFA has decided to focus on other projects and priorities, OSHA and AAFA agreed to conclude the Alliance as of February 14, 2007. A number of successes resulted from OSHA and AAFA working together to meet the Alliance's goals, including:

• The OSHA and AAFA Alliance implementation team members developed an ergonomics manual for the apparel and footwear; 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.
• AAFA's Ergonomics Training Seminars: "A Practical and Economical Approach to Enhancing Your Company's Success Without Reinventing the Wheel" provided training to more than 250 AAFA members and others in the apparel and footwear industry on AAFA's ergonomics manual, Ergonomics for Supervisors: Volume I, An Introductory Manual for the Apparel and Footwear Industries. Representatives from OSHA and State Plan States assisted with the presentations at the following seminars:
  • April 5, 2005, Charlotte, North Carolina: Betty Copeland, Education and Training Specialist, North Carolina Department of Labor, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, and Roseanne Morgan, Health Compliance Officer II, North Carolina Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Division, served as seminar presenters.
  • March 16, 2005, Charlotte, North Carolina: Betty Copeland, Education and Training Specialist, North Carolina Department of Labor, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, and Roseanne Morgan, Health Compliance Officer II, North Carolina Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Division, served as seminar presenters at a special session to train 10 AAFA trainers who are leading the AAFA seminars around the country.
• On February 22, 2006, John Eapan, Vice President, Environmental, Health and Safety, American & Efird, Inc., and a member of the OSHA and AAFA Alliance implementation team, gave an update on the OSHA and AAFA Alliance to the association's Environmental Taskforce and Social Responsibility Committee during AAFA's Annual Meeting in Aventura, Florida.
• On June 12, 2003, Adrienne Huey, Region X, Occupational Safety and Health Manager, USDOL-OSHA, and Frank Strasheim, Region X, Regional Administrator, USDOL-OSHA, presented "OSHA Alliances and Partnerships with the Apparel Industry," to the association's Social Responsibility Committee during the AAFA 2003 Annual Conference. In addition, OSHA staffed an Alliance Program exhibit table.
• AAFA supported and promoted the 2006 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, April 30-May 6, 2006. The association distributed NAOSH Week posters and posted information about the event on its Web site.

Report prepared by: Lisa Ramber, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, February 14, 2007