ACCA - Alliance Close-out Report - May 8, 2005

OSHA and Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) Alliance
Close-out Report

On May 8, 2003, OSHA and the Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) formed an Alliance focusing on providing ACCA members and others with information to help them protect employee health and safety, particularly by addressing safety supervision, equipment and material handling, driver and vehicle safety, ladder and lift use, and lock-out/tag-out in the heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) industry.

Due to staff changes at ACCA, the Alliance had limited development of materials, products and activities to meet the original goals of the Alliance. As a result, OSHA and ACCA agreed to conclude the Alliance agreement as of May 8, 2005 and encourage ACCA to inform members about OSHA's other cooperative programs.

However, the following successes resulted from the OSHA and ACCA's work together to meet the Alliance's goals:

  • March 11, 2005, Joann Natarajan, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Region VI Austin, Texas Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, and Ron Tom, Texas Workers Compensation Commission, Workers' Safety and Health Division, gave a presentation about the Consultation Program to 50 members of ACCA's Executive Committee at the 2005 ACCA Conference & Indoor Air Expo, Austin, Texas.
     
  • February 25, 2004, Dorinda Folse, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Region VI Baton Rouge Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, presented an overview of the OSHA/ACCA Alliance to members of ACCA's Safety and Health Committee. Sandra Stokes, Louisiana Department of Labor, also made a presentation on the OSHA Consultation Program at the 2004 ACCA Conference and Indoor Expo, New Orleans, Louisiana.
     
  • The Alliance Program had a tabletop display at the 2004 and 2005 ACCA Conference & Indoor Air Expo.
     
  • ACCA distributed 50 copies of the Forklift Safety Information Packet to its members. The information packet, prepared by OSHA, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division, is designed to increase awareness of the hazards of powered industrial forklift use by young workers.