ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and
Abbott
October 15, 2007

I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

September 10, 2003

Date Renewed

November 15, 2005

Evaluation Period

September 9, 2006 - September 8, 2007

Overview

Through the Alliance, OSHA and Abbott are committed to providing the health care industry and others, including small businesses, with information, guidance and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety. Through the Alliance, the groups are particularly addressing ergonomics, emergency preparedness and the business value of safety and health management system programs in the workplace.

Implementation Team Members

* Beth Sherfy served as the Alliance Coordinator until November 1, 2006
** Lee Anne Jillings served as the Alliance Coordinator from November 1, 2006 to January 8, 2007
*** Rob Swick serves as the Alliance Coordinator since January 8, 2007

II. Implementation Team Meetings

The OSHA and Abbott Alliance implementation team met on September 28, 2006. In addition, during the evaluation period, Jim Murphy and Mike Connors were in regular contact to discuss participating in speeches and presentations about the case studies developed through the OSHA and Abbott Alliance, and Alliance Program issues.

III. Results

1. Events and Products
   
   Outreach and Communication Goals
    
   • Work with OSHA 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 and Abbott's Web site) to employers and employees in the industry.
     
     Products
     
     OSHA and Abbott Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site
     
     OSHA maintains an OSHA and Abbott Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. The Web page includes links to the OSHA and Abbott Alliance agreement and renewal agreement, news releases, annual reports, and milestones and successes. The OSHA and Abbott Alliance Web page also contains links to the eight case studies and slide presentation developed through the Alliance. During the reporting period, information about Alliance-related speeches were added to the page. For information on the number of visits to the OSHA and Abbott Alliance Webpage, please see the Alliance Program Reach table.
     
     Motor Vehicle Safety, Safety and Health Topics Page
     
     The following representative from Abbott serves on the editorial board of the OSHA Motor Vehicle Safety, Safety and Health Topics Page, providing expertise and technical review:
      
     • Joe McKillips, Manager of Global Fleet Safety
     Print and Electronic Media
     
     An article about the OSHA and Abbott Alliance appeared in the June 2007 Alliance Quarterly Review. For more information on the articles, please see the Alliance Program Reach table.
      
   • Speak, exhibit or appear at OSHA's or Abbott's national or local meetings or other events such and health care industry conferences.
     
     Events
     
     23rd Annual National Voluntary Protection Programs Participants'' Association (VPPPA) Conference, Washington D.C., August 27-30, 2007
     
     Paula White, Director, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, USDOL- OSHA; Mike Connors, Regional Administrator, Region V, USDOL-OSHA; and Jim Murphy, Director, Global Crisis Management and Business Continuity Planning, Abbott participated on a panel " Making the Business Case for Safety and Health" to 90 attendees at the 23rd Annual National VPPPA Conference on August 28, 2007 in Washington D.C. The panel highlighted material developed through the OSHA and Abbott Alliance and provided real world of examples of how excellence in safety and health adds value and provides organizations with a competitive advantage.
      
   • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professional regarding Abbott's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by Abbott and through OSHA- or Abbott-developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
     
     National Institute for Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH): National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector Research Council Meeting, July 11, 2007
     
     Lee Anne Jillings, Director, OOSA, USDOL-OSHA, presented "The Business Case for Safety and Health" slide presentation to 30 safety and health professionals at the NIOSH: NORA Wholesale and Retail Trade Sector Research Council Meeting on July 11, 2007. The presentation provides an overview of the eight case studies developed through the OSHA and Abbott Alliance.
      
   • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on health care or small business that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
     
     During the evaluation period, no products or resources were developed to meet this Alliance goal.
   Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goals
    
   • Develop and disseminate case studies illustrating the business value of safety and health and publicize their results.
     
     Case Studies
     
     The OSHA and Abbott Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site features eight case studies and a slide presentation "the Business Case for Safety and Health" developed through the Alliance, which are available to the public. In addition, members of the Alliance implementation team disseminate information about the case studies through numerous speeches and presentations. The following is a list OSHA and Abbott Alliance-developed case studies:
      
     • The Business Case for Safety: Adding Value and Competitive Advantage slide presentation
     • Auto Parts Manufacturing: "Auto Parts Manufacturing Corporation"
     • Ergonomics in Manufacturing: "Ergonomic Improvements in Manufacturing"
     • Ergonomics in Nursing Homes: "Countryside Care Nursing Home"
     • Ergonomics in an Office Setting: "Blue Cross Blue Shield Rhode Island"
     • Fleet Safety: "Fleet Safety at Abbott"
     • Global Safety and Health: "Abbott of Costa Rica"
     • Occupational Exposure Limits: "Procuring R-Active at Abbott"
     • Stadium Construction: "The Great American Ballpark"
   • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on ergonomics, health care or small-business issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or provide input on safety and health issues.
     
     During the evaluation period, no products or resources were developed to meet this Alliance goal.
2. Executive Summary
   
   OSHA and Abbott are continuing to work together to provide the healthcare industry and others including small businesses, with information, guidance and access to training resources that will help them improve employees' workplace safety and health.
   
   Members of the Alliance implementation team disseminate information about the OSHA and Abbott Alliance-developed case studies through numerous speeches and presentations. Through the speaking opportunities and the online resources, OSHA and Abbott Alliance representatives provide members of the public with information about the Alliance and related compliance assistance tools and resources. For example, representatives from the OSHA and Abbott Alliance reached out to members of the occupational safety and health community by participating in panel at the 23rd Annual National VPPPA Conference on August 28, 2007 in Washington D.C. Moreover, information about the OSHA and Abbott Alliance was disseminated on the June 2007 edition of the Alliance Quarterly Review.
   
   Information about the Alliance, including related documents, activities and events, and milestones and successes, is available on the OSHA and Abbott Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site on the OSHA and Abbott Web page. In addition, a representative from Abbott serves as a member of the editorial board of OSHA's Safety and Health Topics page for Motor Vehicle Safety. For more information, please see the Alliance Program Reach table below.
    
3. Alliance Program Reach

IV. Upcoming Milestones

The organizations will renew the OSHA and Abbott Alliance agreement for two years. Through the renewal agreement, the organizations will work together to develop resources that address emergency preparedness and business continuity planning, including pandemic influenza concerns. As a result of changes to the organizations' priorities, OSHA and Abbott agreed ergonomics will no longer be focus of the Alliance.

In the upcoming year, the OSHA and Abbott Alliance will continue to reach out to employees in the healthcare industry about occupational safety and health issues. Representatives from the Alliance will promote and publicize the safety and health case studies and slide presentation the OSHA and Abbott Alliance developed for business schools and safety and health professionals. Through the Alliance, OSHA and Abbott representatives will identify forums where they can make presentations about how the case studies are effective tools for illustrating the business value of safety and health programs.

The OSHA and Abbott Alliance has also agreed to update its case studies so that the information in the studies remains current. OSHA and Abbott will also continue to update the Alliance's Web page on OSHA's Web site. In addition, Abbott representatives will continue to serve on OSHA's Motor Vehicle Safety and Health Topics page.

Report prepared by: Rob Swick, Program Analyst, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, October 15, 2007.