AGSP - Annual Alliance Report - May 20, 2009

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA
and the
Airline Group
May 20, 2009

  1. Alliance Background
    • Date Signed
    • May 20, 2008
    • Evaluation Period
    • May 20, 2008 - May 19, 2009
    • Overview

    The OSHA and Airline Group Alliance focuses on providing the Airline Group'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 amputations (pinch points, caught in or between), falls, struck by objects, and vehicle accidents/collisions while operating beltloaders and tugs (aircraft ground support equipment). The Airline Group signatories are:

    • American Airlines (American)
    • Air Transport Association of America, Inc. (ATA)
    • Continental Airlines (Continental)
    • JetBlue Airways (JetBlue)
    • Midwest Airlines (Midwest)
    • US Airways (US Air)
    • United Airlines (United)

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    • Todd Briggs - Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    • Charlene Crawford - Office of Small Business Assistance (OSBA)
    • Earl Hicks - OOSA
    • Eric Lahaie - OOSA
    • Tony Mapes - OOSA
    • Rob Swick - OOSA
    • Ryan Tremain - OOSA
    • Elizabeth (Bea) Way - OOSA

    Airline Group:

    • Gwen Butler - United
    • John DeGiovanni - United
    • Kevin Diamonti - American
    • Armane Dunn - United
    • Kenneth Edwards - US Air
    • Arnold Gomez, III - Continental
    • John Hazelwood - US Air
    • Mike Hodes - American
    • Terry Heilman - Midwest
    • Phillip Le Claire - Continental
    • Gerry McGill - Continental
    • Paul Mitsonis - US Air
    • Eric Nystrom - Midwest
    • Marianne Psipsikas - Jet Blue Airways
    • Nobuyo Sakata - ATA
    • Mont Smith - ATA
    • Pat Vess - United
  2. Implementation Team Meetings
    • June 17, 2008 - Implementation Team Meeting
    • June 25, 2008 - Product Development Workgroup
    • July 30. 3008 - Product Development Workgroup
    • August 2, 2008 - Product Development Workgroup
    • September 24, 2008 - Product Development Workgroup
    • October 15, 2008 - Implementation Team Meeting
    • October 29, 2008 - Product Development Workgroup
    • January 28, 2009 - Product Development Workgroup
    • April 22, 2009 - Implementation Team Meeting
  3. 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 the Airline Group's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.

        Products

        General Driving for Beltloaders Fact Sheet

        Through the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance, the Airline Group developed a "General Driving for Beltloaders" fact sheet. The fact sheet addresses the best practices for driving beltloaders. The fact sheet was completed and posted on the on the ATA Web site in March 2009. OSHA established a link from the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web site to the fact sheet on the Airline Group Web site.

        General Driving for Belt Loaders Toolbox Talk

        Through the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance, the Airline Group developed a "General Driving for Belt Loaders" toolbox talk. The toolbox talk addresses the safe operation of beltloaders. The toolbox talk was completed and posted on the on the ATA Web site in March 2009. OSHA established a link from the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web site to the toolbox talk on the Airline Group Web site.

        OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Web Page

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

        The ATA Web site

        The Airline Group created and maintains an OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Web page on the ATA Web site (www.airlines.org). The page has information on the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance and links to the OSHA Web site. In addition, the Web site hosts resources developed by the Airline Group through the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance including a General Driving for Beltloaders Fact Sheet and a General Driving for Beltloaders Fact Sheet.

        OSHA Electronic Tools

        As a result of the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance, Marianne Psipsikas has begun serving on the editorial boards for the eTools and Safety and Health Topics pages:

        • Airline Industry Safety and Health Topics page
        • Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool
        • Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics page
        • Recordkeeping Safety and Health Topics page
        • Safety & Health Management Systems eTool
        • Walking/Working Surfaces Safety and Health Topics page
      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or the Airline Group's (e.g. Airside Partners in Safety, Air Transport Association, and/or International Air Transport Association) conferences, and/or meetings.

        The OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Implementation Team was unable to identify an event for the Alliance to support during the reporting period.

      • Promote and encourage the Airline Group's members' or worksites' participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Programs, and the On-site Consultation Program and its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.

        Business Partner Safety Meetings

        Each of the Airline Group signatories hold regular safety meetings with their business partners. At each of these meetings, the business partners are encouraged to participate in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance the On-site Consultation Program and Voluntary Protection.

        OSHA Challenge Program - A Challenge to Excellence

        The Airline Group posted the Department of Labor-developed article "A Challenge to Excellence," on the ATA Web site. The article describes how OSHA Challenge allows businesses and other organizations to implement safety and health management systems at their own pace and received recognition from OSHA for their accomplishments.

      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program. The OSHA and SIA Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

        2009 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 3-9, 2009

        The Airline Group and more than 55 other Alliance Program participants supported 2009 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers, 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 2009 NAOSH Week was "Safety Means Always Coming Home." To help support the week Airline Group distributed information about 2009 NAOSH Week to its membership. In addition, Nobuyo Sakata, Mont Smith, Gwen Butler, Mike Hodes and Marianne Psipsikas attended the 2009 NAOSH Week kick-off ceremony on May 4, 2008 at the Department of Labor in Washington, DC.

        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.

          The OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Implementation Team was unable to convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings though the Alliance during the reporting period. The team expects to meet this goal over the next year.

    2. Executive Summary

      During the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance's first year, the organizations established a very productive working relationship. Through the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance, the Airline Group developed a "General Driving for Beltloaders" fact sheet. The fact sheet addresses the best practices for driving beltloaders. Further, the Airline Group developed a "General Driving for Belt Loaders" toolbox talk. The toolbox talk addresses the safe operation of beltloaders.

      In addition, OSHA and Airline Group representatives are sharing their expertise through participation on OSHA's electronic assistance tools' editorial boards and events, including:

      • Airline Group members serve on the editorial board for six OSHA eTools and Safety and Health Topics pages.
      • Airline Group signatories held regular safety meetings with their business partners at which the partners are encouraged to participate in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance the On-site Consultation Program and Voluntary Protection.
      • The Airline Group supported 2009 NAOSH Week.
    3. Alliance Program Reach
      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and Airline Group Web Page site on the OSHA Web site 1,555
      Airline Group and OSHA Web page on the ATA Web site          Data Not Available
      OSHA Airline Industry Safety and Health Topics page 7,266
      OSHA Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool 57,308
      OSHA Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics page 45,266
      OSHA Recordkeeping Safety and Health Topics page 303,116
      OSHA Safety & Health Management Systems eTool 36,965
      OSHA Walking/Working Surfaces Safety and Health Topics page 24,142
      May 20, 2008:  "ATA Welcomes Opportunity to Work More Closely with OSHA/Labor Department to Improve Safety of Ground-Service Employees," ATA News Room Data Not Available
      Total 475,618
  4. Upcoming Milestones

    Over the next year, OSHA and the Airline Group will continue to work together to provide the Airline Group's members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will reduce and prevent amputations, falls, struck by objects, and vehicle accidents/collisions while operating beltloaders and tugs.

    Work will be completed on the following Belt Loaders and Tugs Fact Sheet and Reference Guide:

    • Preventing Accidents and Collision Fact Sheet
    • Belt Loader Types and Fundamentals Reference Guide

    Airline Group representatives will continue to serve on six eTool and Scaffold Safety and Health Topics page's editorial boards and support 2010 NAOSH Week. Moreover, the Airline Group will a representative from invite an OSHA representative to give a presentation at the 21st FAA/ATA International Symposium on Human Factors in Maintenance and Ramp Safety which will be held in San Diego, California on September 19-21, 2009. Finally, the Airline Group will invite OSHA representatives to participate in safety meetings to help promote OSHA's Cooperative Programs.

Report prepared by: Rob Swick, Program Analyst, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, June 16, 2009