ABSA - Alliance Annual Report - December 5, 2006

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the
American Biological Safety Association (ABSA)
December 5, 2006

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    September 23, 2002

    Date Renewed

    October 26, 2004

    Overview

    The OSHA and ABSA Alliance promotes healthy and safe workplaces, especially in the area of biological safety. The organizations are working together to share technical information and best practices in the control and mitigation of biological hazards in the workplace. In addition, OSHA and ABSA are identifying emerging biological safety issues and potential methods to address these issues.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Cathy Cronin
    Office of Training and Education (OTE)
    Karen Heckmann
    OTE
    Jack Longmire
    Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine
    Sandi Khan
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Melody Sands
    Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP)
    Dionne Williams
    DEP

    ABSA:

    Betsy Gilman-Duane
    Wyeth Research
    Penny Holeman
    Johnson & Johnson
    Rich Rebar
    GlaxoSmithKline

    Evaluation Period

    September 23, 2005 - September 22, 2006

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    December 12, 2005
    Implementation Team Meeting, OSHA, Washington, D.C.
    April 18, 2006
    Implementation Team Meeting, OSHA, Washington, D.C.
    September 20, 2006
    Implementation Team Meeting, OSHA, Washington, D.C.

    In addition to these formal meetings and conference calls, the Alliance coordinators from both groups maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the Alliance's progress and results.

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Training and Education Goals

      • Provide the OSHA Training Institute, upon request, with educational and training materials and resources on biological safety.

      Products

      Essentials of Biosafety: Assessment and Strategies

      Through the OSHA and ABSA Alliance, ABSA members provided OSHA with information and best practices during the Agency's development of Essentials of Biosafety: Assessment and Strategies for OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs).

      • Provide peer review, upon request, of OSHA's training curricula on topics relevant to biological safety.

        During the reporting period the OSHA and ABSA implementation team did not address this Alliance goal.

      Outreach and Communication Goals

      • ABSA and OSHA will share technical information and best practices regarding biological safety.

        During the reporting period the OSHA and ABSA implementation team did not address this Alliance goal.
         
      • ABSA will provide OSHA with technical advice, information and recommendations related to biological safety.

        During the reporting period the OSHA and ABSA implementation team did not address this Alliance goal.
         
      • ABSA will provide peer review, upon request, of OSHA technical documents concerning biological safety issues.

        During the reporting period the OSHA and ABSA implementation team did not address this Alliance goal.
         
      • ABSA and OSHA will work together to identify emerging occupational biological safety issues and methods to address those issues.

        During the reporting period the OSHA and ABSA implementation team did not address this Alliance goal.
         
      • ABSA will identify individuals within the Association who have expertise on specific biological safety issues, and who have agreed to serve as direct points of contact for OSHA regarding those issues.
         

      Products

      ABSA Member List

      ABSA provided OSHA with an updated list of its members who have expertise in several different biosafety disciplines and are willing to provide technical expertise, review, and guidance to OSHA staff. The ABSA member list is posted on the OSHA and ABSA Alliance page on the OSHA's Intranet.

      • ABSA will provide OSHA, upon request, with information about international regulations and guidelines relevant to biological safety.

        During the reporting period the OSHA and ABSA implementation team did not address this Alliance goal.
         
      • ABSA will be available for consultation, upon request, to OSHA Compliance Assistance Specialists regarding biological safety issues.

        During the reporting period the OSHA and ABSA implementation team did not address this Alliance goal.
         
      • ABSA will assist OSHA in identifying and developing technical links on biological safety for the OSHA web site.
         

      Products

      ABSA and OSHA Alliance Web Page

      ABSA created an ABSA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organizations Web site in 2004. ABSA continually updates the page which includes links to OSHA Safety and Health Topic pages including Avian Flu, Biological Agents, Indoor Air Quality and Small Pox.

      OSHA and ABSA Alliance Web Page

      OSHA is continuing to update the OSHA and ABSA Alliance Web site that is posted on the Agency's Web site. The page includes links to the OSHA and ABSA agreement, news releases, events, milestones and successes and a link to the ABSA and OSHA Alliance Web page on ABSA's Web site.

      OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages

      ABSA members serve on the editorial boards of the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages:

      • Anthrax
      • Avian Flu
      • Biological Agents
      • Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention
      • Botulism
      • Foodborne Disease
      • Hantavirus
      • Hazardous Waste
      • Indoor Air Quality
      • Ionizing Radiation
      • Legionnaires' Disease
      • Mold and Fungi
      • Plague
      • Ricin
      • Smallpox
      • Tularemia
      • Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

      Please see Appendix A for a list of the ABSA reviewers.

      • OSHA will participate in ABSA conferences.

      Events

      48th Annual Biological Safety Conference, Vancouver, British Columbia, October 23-26, 2005

      A number of OSHA representatives participated in the 48th Biological Safety Conference, October 23-26, 2005 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Melody Sands, Director, Office of Health Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, USDOL-OSHA, Dionne Williams, Team Leader, Office of Health Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, USDOL-OSHA, and Karen Heckmann, Office of Training and Education, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP), USDOL-OSHA provided OSHA's Professional Development Course, "Introduction to OSHA for Biosafety Professionals," during the pre-conference training session on October 22, 2005. In addition, OSHA and ABSA shared an Alliance exhibit booth during the conference.

      Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goals

      • ABSA and OSHA will work together to encourage employers to incorporate biological safety strategies into their overall safety and health programs.

      Events

      Center for Disease Control; International Symposium on Biosafety, Atlanta, Georgia

      Melody Sands, Director, Office of Health Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, USDOL-OSHA gave a presentation, "OSHA Safety and Health Requirements for Biosafety and Animal Research Facilities," to over 100 attendees at the Center for Disease Control; International Symposium on Biosafety, January 23, 2006 in Atlanta, Georgia. The presentation included information on the OSHA and ABSA Alliance.

      Multi-Regional Delegation, Department of State, Department of Labor, Washington, D.C.

      On January 26, 2006, Dionne Williams, Team Leader, Office of Health Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation, "OSHA Overview-Healthcare Safety," that included information on the OSHA and ABSA Alliance to over 30 delegation attendees.

      Association of periOperative Registered Nurses 53rd Congress, Washington, D.C.

      On March 18, 2006, Dionne Williams, Team Leader, Office of Health Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation, "OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens in Healthcare Safety," to over 25 attendees.

    2. Executive summary

      During the reporting period, OSHA and ABSA worked together to provide the Agency with technical expertise and guidance in the area of biological safety and address controlling and mitigating the spread of biological hazards in the workplace.

      For example, the OSHA and ABSA Alliance maintained several resources with information about the Alliance, biological hazards and other safety and health materials. The OSHA and ABSA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site features links to the Alliance agreement, the renewal agreement, related documents, activities and events, and milestones and successes. The ABSA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site features a biological hazards page that provides ABSA members and other visitors to the site with resources for addressing biological hazards, including links to the OSHA and ABSA Alliance Web page, OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages and compliance assistance materials. Additionally, through the Alliance, ABSA members helped to review and provide information for many of OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages and eTools covering such issues as hazardous waste, Legionnaires disease, mold and fungi, tularemia and viral hemorrhagic fevers through serving on the tool's editorial boards.

      In addition, OSHA representatives, Melody Sands, Director, Office of Health Enforcement, DEP, Dionne Williams, Team Leader, Office of Health Enforcement, DEP, and Karen Heckmann, Office of Training and Education, DCSP, provided the OSHA Professional Development Course, "Introduction to OSHA for Biosafety Professionals," during a pre-conference training session, at the 48th Annual Biological Safety Conference, on October 14, 2005 . The OSHA and ABSA Alliance also had an exhibit booth during the conference. OSHA shared safety and health information and products on OSHA's cooperative programs and compliance assistance resources, particularly the Alliance and Consultation Programs, with conference attendees. In addition, Melody Sands and Dionne Williams made presentations on the OSHA and ABSA Alliance and biological safety issues at the following conferences; Center for Disease Control; International Symposium on Biosafety, January 23, 2006: Association of periOperative Registered Nurses 53rd Congress, March 18, 2006; and to a Multi-Regional Delegation of the Department of State, January 26, 2006.

      ABSA representatives also provided OSHA with information and guidance during the Agency's development of Essentials of Biosafety: Assessment and Strategies training course for OSHA CSHOs.

      In addition, ABSA provided OSHA with an updated list of its members who are willing to provide technical expertise and guidance to OSHA staff. The list of ABSA's members is located on the OSHA and ABSA Alliance Limited Access Page on OSHA's Web site.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

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

      Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and ABSA Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site

      5,150
      OSHA and ABSA Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site

      Data not available

      Members of ABSA serve on 17 of OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages:

      • Anthrax
      • Avian Flu
      • Biological Agents
      • Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention
      • Botulism
      • Foodborne Disease
      • Hantavirus
      • Hazardous Waste
      • Indoor Air Quality
      • Ionizing Radiation
      • Legionnaires' Disease
      • Mold and Fungi
      • Plague
      • Ricin
      • Smallpox
      • Tularemia
      • Viral Hemorrhagic Fevers

      125,259
      October 22, 2005
      48th Annual Biological Safety Conference
      Vancouver, British Columbia
      OSHA Training

      50
      October 23-26, 2005
      48th Annual Biological Safety Conference
      Vancouver, British Columbia
      OSHA Exhibited

      1,600
      January 23, 2006
      Center for Disease Control; International Symposium on Biosafety
      Atlanta, Georgia
      OSHA presentation: Melody Sands

      100
      January 27, 2006
      Multi-Regional Delegation
      Washington, D.C.
      OSHA presentation: Dionne Williams

      30
      March 18, 2006
      Association of periOperative Registered Nurses 53rd Congress
      Washington, D.C.
      OSHA presentation: Dionne Williams

      20
      TOTAL

      132,210

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the upcoming year, OSHA and ABSA will renew the Alliance agreement and continue to promote awareness of the Program and work together toward the control and mitigation of biological hazards in the workplace. The organizations will also work to identify emerging biological safety issues and potential methods to address these areas.

    The OSHA and ABSA Alliance implementation team members also are committed to maintaining and updating the OSHA and ABSA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site and ABSA's Alliance-related Web page on the organization's Web site.

    In addition, ABSA representatives will continue to contribute their expertise and serve on editorial boards for 17 OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages. ABSA members will also review other biological safety and health documents developed by OSHA, as requested.

    OSHA representatives, Melody Sands, Karen Heckmann, and Dionne Williams, have also committed to delivering OSHA's Professional Development Course, "Introduction to OSHA for Biosafety Professionals," at the 49th Annual Biological Safety Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, October 16 -21, 2006. In addition, ABSA is providing exhibit space for an OSHA and ABSA Alliance booth.

    ABSA is also planning to support and promote the 2007 NAOSH Week, May 6-12, 2007. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), another Alliance Program participant, is the Week's sponsor and numerous other Alliance Program participants are also supporting the event. Further, ABSA representatives have agreed to work with other Alliance Program participants including, the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses, the Laser Institute of America and the Association of Occupational Health Professionals in Healthcare to update OSHA's Hospital eTool.

    Finally, OSHA and ABSA representatives, John Keene, Diane Fleming and Barbara Johnson will teach OSHA's, Essentials of Biosafety: Assessment and Strategies, training course to OSHA CSHOs, October 2-6, 2006 in Bethesda, Maryland.

    Report prepared by: Sandra Khan, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, December 5, 2006.

Appendix A

Editorial Review Board

Matthew J. Bankowski, ViroMed (LabCorp), Minnetonka, MN

Franklin R. Champlin, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS

Mary L. Cipriano, Abbott, Abbott Park, IL

Robert P. Ellis, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Glenn A. Funk, ABSA President

Raymond W. Hackney, Jr., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC

Philip Hagan, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Robert J. Hawley, Midwest Research Institute, Frederick, MD

Richard Henkel, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA

Debra L. Hunt, Duke University, Durham, NC

Peter C. Iwen, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE

John H. Keene, Biohaztec Associates, Inc., Midlothian, VA

Paul Michael Kivistik, University of Nevada, Reno, NV

Joseph P. Kozlovac, USDA-ARS, Beltsville, MD

Jens H. Kuhn, Harvard Medical School, Southborough, MA

Margy S. Lambert, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI

R. Thomas Leonard, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA

Paul J. Meechan, Merck Research Laboratories, West Point, PA

Mark Nicas, University of California, Berkeley, CA

Beryl J. Packer, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Tim Ravita, Constella Health Sciences, Atlanta, GA

Richard Rebar, GlaxoSmithKline R&D, King of Prussia, PA

Jonathan Y. Richmond, Jonathan Richmond & Associates, Inc., Southport, NC

Deanna S. Robbins, Department of Veterans Affairs, Baltimore, MD

Richard J. Shaughnessy, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK

Allan Showler, USDA-ARS, Weslaco, TX

Cecil R. Smith, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH

Gerard J. Spahn, The Salk Institute, La Jolla, CA

Donald Vesley, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN

Catherine L. Wilhelmsen, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), Fort Detrick, MD

Linda B. Wolfe, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, Cambridge, MA

Jeffrey D. Wolt, Iowa State University, Ames, IA

Alan G. Woodard, International Environmental Health Alliance, Gansevoort, NY