AFSA - Alliance Annual Report - October 6, 2011

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
and the American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA)
October 6, 2011

  1. Alliance Background  

    Date Signed

    September 24, 2008

    Evaluation Period

    September 24, 2010 - September 23, 2011

    Overview

    The OSHA and AFSA Alliance focuses on providing AFSA's members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to material handling and fall hazards and addressing motor vehicle safety issues. 

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Mat Chibbaro - Office of Safety Systems (OSS), Directorate of Standards and Guidance (DSG)
    Bill Hamilton - OSS, DSG
    Bruce Love - Office of Small Business Assistance, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)
    Dean McKenzie - Office of Construction Services, Directorate of Construction Morgan Seuberling Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, DCSP

    AFSA:

    Janet Knowles - Vice President of Marketing & Communications
    Jeff Livaudais - Director of Membership
    Steve Muncy - President

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    December 2, 2010 - Implementation Team Meeting
    April 19, 2011 - Implementation Team Meeting
    August 18, 2011 - Implementation Team Meeting

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Training and Education Goal

      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop training and education programs for fire sprinkler installers regarding material handling, fall and motor vehicle safety issues and to provide expertise in communicating such information to employers and employees in the construction industry.

      During this evaluation period, the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team has not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      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 OSHA's and AFSA's Web sites) to employers and employees in the fire sprinkler installation industry.

      Products

      • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Series

      Through the OSHA and AFSA Alliance, the AFSA developed a series of toolbox talks that addresses an overview of PPE and Hard Hats. AFSA posted the PPE toolbox talks on its Alliance Web site and OSHA established a link to it on the OSHA and AFSA Web page and the Alliance Program Participant Developed Product page on the OSHA Web.

      AFSA and OSHA Alliance-related Web Page

      AFSA developed and maintains an OSHA and AFSA Alliance Web page on the AFSA Web site. The page has information on the OSHA and AFSA Alliance and links to the OSHA Web site. In addition, the Web site hosts resources developed by AFSA through the Alliance Program and links to OSHA resources such as the Distracted Driving Web page and the Record Keeping Advisor.

      OSHA and AFSA Alliance Web Page

      OSHA developed and maintains an OSHA and AFSA Web page that is posted on the OSHA Web site. The page includes the Alliance agreement, annual reports, news releases, information on activities and events of the Alliance and links to resources developed by AFSA through the Alliance Program.

      OSHA Electronic Tools

      Through the OSHA and AFSA Alliance, AFSA representatives are continuing to participate on the editorial boards for the following Safety and Health Topics pages:

        • Fall Protection
        • Fire Safety
        • Motor Vehicle Safety
       
      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or AFSA's conferences, local meetings, or other events, including the AFSA Convention and Exhibition.

      Events

      AFSA Annual Convention and Expo, September 14-18, 2011, San Antonio, Texas

      OSHA supported AFSA's Annual Convention and Expo through the following activities:

      • OSHA representatives from Region VI staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and distributed OSHA Safety and Health publications to conference attendees.

      AFSA Annual Convention and Expo, September 29-October 3, 2010, Providence, Rhode Island

      OSHA supported AFSA's Annual Convention and Expo through the following activities:

      • Dean McKenzie, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Construction Services, Directorate of Construction, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation entitled "Slips, Trips, and Falls and Aerial Platform Safety."
         
      • OSHA representatives from Region I staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and distributed OSHA Safety and Health publications to conference attendees.
       
      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on safety and health issues, including those related to fire sprinkler installation, that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

      • During this evaluation period, the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team has not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.
      • Encourage AFSA local boards to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including fall protection and materials handling.

      • During this evaluation period, the OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team has not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goal

      • Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on ground support operations issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

      Events

      OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable Meeting, Department of Labor, February 17, 2011, Washington, DC

      On February 17, 2011, a representative from the American Fire Sprinkler Association participated in the OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable meeting in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, Alliance Program participants received OSHA updates, discussed products developed through the Roundtable, including the next series of draft Construction Workplace Design Solutions, and identified potential projects and compliance assistance resources to help address safety and health hazards in the construction industry.

      2011 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 1-7, 2011, Washington, DC.

      The American Fire Sprinkler Association and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported 2011 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The theme for 2011 was "Celebrating a Century of Safety."

      To help support the week, AFSA emailed the 2010 NAOSH Week promotional materials to AFSA staff and local chapters and published information on the week in the AFSA newsletter.

      OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable Meeting, Department of Labor, September 20, 2011, Washington, DC

      On September 20, 2011, a representative from the American Fire Sprinkler Association participated in the OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable meeting in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, Alliance Program participants received OSHA updates, discussed products developed through the Roundtable, including the next series of draft Construction Workplace Design Solutions, and identified potential projects and compliance assistance resources to help address safety and health hazards in the construction industry.

    2. Executive Summary

      During the OSHA and AFSA Alliance's third year, the organizations further established a productive working relationship. Through the OSHA and AFSA Alliance, AFSA developed and disseminated the PPE Series of toolbox talks. AFSA posted the toolbox talks on its Web site and OSHA posted links to the toolbox talks on the OSHA and AFSA Web page and the Alliance Program Participant Developed Product page on the OSHA Web site.

      AFSA representatives are sharing their expertise with OSHA by participation in reviewing OSHA's electronic assistance tools. AFSA members are serving on editorial boards for Fall Protection, Fire Safety, and Motor Vehicle Safety and Health Topics pages.

      In addition, AFSA invited an OSHA representative from the National Office to give a presentation during their 2010 Annual Convention and Expo. OSHA personnel staffed Alliance exhibit booths at both the 2010 and 2011 Annual Conventions.

      Finally, as part of their outreach, AFSA supported and promoted 2011 NAOSH Week and participated in two Alliance Program Construction Roundtables.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

       

      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and AFSA Web Page site on the OSHA Web site Data Not Available
      AFSA and OSHA Web page on the AFSA Web site Data Not Available
      OSHA Fall Protection Safety and Health Topics page 121,387

      OSHA Fire Safety Safety and Health Topics page

      		 67,770

      OSHA Motor Vehicle Safety Safety and Health Topics page

      		 22,143

      September 14-18, 2011: AFSA Annual Convention and Expo, San Antonio, Texas

      OSHA Staffed Alliance Exhibit      		 600

      September 29-October 3, 2010: AFSA Annual Convention and Expo, Providence, Rhode Island

      Speaker: Dean McKenzie, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Construction Services, Directorate of Construction, USDOL-OSHA      		 4

      September 29-October 3, 2010: AFSA Annual Convention and Expo, Providence, Rhode Island

      OSHA Staffed Alliance Exhibit      		 600

      July 2011: "OSHA Offers Free Consultation Services"

      SprinklerAge      		 5,000
      Total

      217,504
  4. Upcoming Milestones

    Over the next year, OSHA and AFSA will continue to work together to providing AFSA's members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to material handling and fall hazards and addressing motor vehicle safety issues.  The OSHA and AFSA Alliance Implementation Team will develop a series of toolbox talks that address hazards in the fire sprinkler instillation industry.

    AFSA representatives will continue to serve on three Safety and Health Topics page's editorial boards and support 2010 NAOSH Week. Moreover, AFSA will a representative from invite an OSHA representative to give a presentation at the AFSA Annual Convention and Expo 2009 which will be held in San Diego, California on October 14-18, 2009. Finally, AFSA will invite OSHA representatives to participate in local AFSA chapter meetings to help promote OSHA's Cooperative Programs.

Report prepared by: Rob Swick, Program Analyst, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, December 31, 2009.