ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and the
Association for High Technology Distribution (AHTD)
December 12, 2005

I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

November 29, 2004

Overview

The OSHA and AHTD Alliance focuses on promoting worker safety and health in industrial workplaces, including small businesses, and to protect employees' health and safety. Through the Alliance, the organizations are providing industrial workers, supervisors and machine designers with information and guidance to raise awareness of the importance of proper selection, use, maintenance and installation of machine guarding equipment and the use of lockout/tagout procedures.

Implementation Team Members

Evaluation Period

November 29, 2004 - November 28, 2005

II. Implementation Team Meetings

III. Results

1. Events and Products
   
   Outreach and Communication Goals
    
   • Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing and disseminating information on machine guarding equipment and lockout/tagout procedures, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and the AHTD's Web site to employers and employees in the industry.)
   Products
   
   Print and Electronic Media
   
   Articles on the OSHA and AHTD Alliance have appeared in a number of printed and online publications, including Nation's Builder News Online, Southeast Construction Industry News, and OSHA Quick Takes. Over 48,000 individuals were reached through the publications. For more information on the articles, please see the Alliance Program Reach table.
   
   OSHA and AHTD Alliance Web Page
   
   OSHA created an OSHA and AHTD Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. The page includes a copy of the OSHA and AHTD Alliance agreement, a photograph of the signing ceremony, news releases and activities and events; products and resources; and milestones and successes.
   
   AHTD and OSHA Alliance Web Page
   
   AHTD created a link from AHTD's Products and Resources, Resource Center Web page to the OSHA and AHTD Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site.
   
   OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages
   
   Through the Alliance, several members of AHTD have been added to the editorial boards for OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages as follows:
   • • Robotics:
       • Jim Norton, Gibson Engineering Co. Inc., Norwood, MA
       • Chris Soranno, Scientific Technologies Inc., Fremont, CA
     • Control of Hazardous Energy:
       • Jim Norton, Gibson Engineering Co. Inc., Norwood, MA
       • John Thompson, Dittman and Greer Inc., Middletown, CT
     • Machine Guarding:
       • Joe Lazarra, Scientific Technologies Inc., Fremont, CA
       • Jim Norton, Gibson Engineering Co. Inc., Norwood, MA
       • John Pirner, PowerMation, St. Paul, MN
       • Greg Taylor, Cross Company, Belmont, NC
       • John Thompson, Dittman and Greer Inc., Middletown, CT,
   • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's and AHTD's conferences, meetings or other events, such as the AHDT Spring and Fall Meetings and regional safety conferences that AHTD member companies may participate in.
   Events
   
   2005 AHTD Spring Meeting, New Products Showcase, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, April 8, 2005
   
   OSHA provided AHTD with 200 copies of selected OSHA publications which were distributed by AHTD members at the association's Spring Meeting, New Products Showcase Reception, April 8, 2005 in Hilton Head, South Carolina. The OSHA publications included: the Alliance Program brochure; OSHA Inspection booklets; Questions and Answers for Small Business brochure; Control of Hazardous Energy Fact Sheet and the Consultation Program Fact Sheet.
   
   2005 AHTD Spring Meeting, General Session Presentation, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, April 8, 2005
   
   On April 8, 2005, John J. Deifer, Area Director from OSHA's Region IV Savannah, Georgia Area Office, gave a presentation on OSHA's Strategic Management Plan, cooperative programs and the OSHA and AHTD Alliance to 150 attendees during one of the meeting's general sessions. Mr. Deifer provided comprehensive information on OSHA's five year Strategic Management Plan and how the Alliance Program is guided by the plan. In addition, he discussed the achievements and future goals of the OSHA and AHTD Alliance.
   
   Exhibit at 2005 Fall Meeting, New Products Showcase Reception, Albuquerque, New Mexico, September 15, 2005
   
   September 15, 2005, Herman Norwood and Cathy Morino from the State of New Mexico Environment Department, Occupational Safety and Health Bureau, staffed an exhibit booth at the AHTD 2005 Fall Meeting, New Products Showcase in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They distributed OSHA and New Mexico Occupational Safety and Health Bureau publications and answered question from 200 attendees.
    
   • Encourage AHTD's members to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues in the industrial workplace, including machine safeguarding and lockout/tagout procedures.
     
     The OSHA and AHTD Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.
      
   • Work with other Alliance participants on projects to address safety and health issues in the industrial workplace including machine safeguarding and lockout/tagout procedures.
     
     The OSHA and AHTD Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.
      
   • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding AHTD best practices or effective approaches and publicize the results through outreach by AHTD and through OSHA-or AHTD-developed training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
   Products
   
   PowerPoint® Presentation on Machine Guarding
   
   The OSHA and AHTD Alliance implementation team developed a 2 hour training course on Machine Guarding Devices, to present to OSHA staff. The presentation addresses high technology machine guarding devices that are used in the workplace. Several of the topics in the presentation include: safety interlock switches, guard locking devices such as trip cords and safety mats, safety light curtains, two hand trip controls and safety
   
   laser curtains. The OSHA and AHTD implementation team intend to offer this training course to OSHA Region I staff during 2006.
   
   Promoting the National Dialogue Goals:
    
   • Develop and disseminate case studies illustrating the business value of safety and health and publicize their results.
     
     On April 1, 2005, OSHA Alliance Program staff and representatives from AHTD Alliance participated in a conference call and discussed efforts to develop information for a potential success story or a case study on hydraulic press brakes.
      
   • Participate in stakeholder and other forums for providing input on machine safeguarding and lockout/tagout issues in the workplace.
     
     Events
     
     OSHA Alliance Program Hazard Communication Roundtable, Washington, DC, February 15, 2005
     
     Jim Norton, AHTD Treasurer, participated on behalf of the association in the OSHA Alliance Program Hazard Communication Roundtable, February 15, 2005 in Washington, DC. This roundtable provided Alliance Program participants with an opportunity to learn about the status of OSHA's Hazard Communication initiative; share information about their own Alliances, including any activities related to Hazard Communication; and learn about what other Alliances are doing to address Hazard Communication issues. Representatives from 18 Alliances participated in the roundtable.
     
     At the meeting, the following workgroups were established and projects were identified for the Alliance Program participants to work on together to develop Hazard Communication related compliance assistance resources:
      
     • Hazard Communication and Awareness Training:
     • Developing Model material Safety data Sheets: and
     • Promoting the Globally harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
     Jim Norton is a member of the Hazard Communication Awareness and Training workgroup.
     
     OSHA Alliance Program Hazardous Communication Roundtable, Promoting the Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals Workgroup, Washington, DC, August 1, 2005
     
     Jim Norton participated at the follow-up Alliance Program Hazard Communication Roundtable meeting focusing on promoting the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals on August 1, 2005 at the Department of Labor in Washington, DC. The Workgroup participants discussed the development and distribution of compliance assistance resources to promote the GHS to small business in anticipation of OSHA's issuing a Federal Register notice announcing its intention to adopt the GHS.
2. Executive Summary
   
   Through the OSHA and AHTD Alliance, the organizations established an excellent working relationship and are working together to raise awareness about high technology machine guarding devices that are used in the workplace to prevent injuries and mitigate hazards.
   
   OSHA created an OSHA and AHTD Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. The page includes a copy of the OSHA and AHTD Alliance agreement, a photograph of the signing ceremony, news releases and activities and events; products and resources; and milestones and successes. In addition, OSHA added several AHTD members to the editorial boards for OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages for Robotics, Control of Hazardous Energy, and Machine Guarding.
   
   OSHA and AHTD shared information and participated in outreach opportunities during the reporting period. For example, OSHA's Region IV Savannah, Georgia Area Office, Director, John J. Deifer gave a presentation on OSHA's cooperative programs and the OSHA and AHTD Alliance to 150 AHTD members at the association's 2005 Spring Meeting on April 8, 2005 in Hilton Head, South Carolina. In addition, OSHA distributed a number of its publications at AHTD's 2005 Spring and Fall Meetings. In addition, representatives from the New Mexico Consultation Program were able to distribute safety and health information and answer questions during the AHTD 2005 Fall Meeting in Albuquerque, NM.
   
   Further, the OSHA and AHTD Alliance developed a training course on machine guarding devices for OSHA staff. The implementation team developed a PowerPoint® presentation, that discusses such topics as safety interlock switches, guard locking devices such as trip cords and safety mats, safety light curtains, two hand trip controls and safety laser curtains.
3. Alliance Program Reach

IV. Upcoming Milestones

In the next year of the Alliance, OSHA and AHTD will continue to work together to identify opportunities to promote safety and health and the OSHA and AHTD Alliance through potential presentations and exhibit opportunities at AHTD events such as the AHTD 2006 Spring Meeting in Orlando, Florida.

In addition, the OSHA and AHTD Alliance implementation team plans to deliver a training course on machine guarding devices to OSHA staff in OSHA's Region I in 2006. The team will work with Region I staff to identify appropriate dates, locations and times for the training course.

Further, AHTD members will continue to serve on the editorial boards for OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages: Robotics, Machine Guarding, and Control of Hazardous Energy.


Report prepared by: Richard L. Harris, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services Alliances, December 14, 2005