AGSP - Alliance Annual Report - September 10, 2010


ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
and the
Airline Group
September 10, 2010

  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:

    *Rob Swick - Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)

    Bill Willson - OOSA

    Airline Group:

    • Gwen Butler - United
    • Kenneth Edwards - US Air
    • Arnold Gomez, III - Continental
    • Mike Hodes - American
    • Phillip Le Claire - Continental
    • Paul Mitsonis - US Air
    • Marianne Psipsikas - Jet Blue Airways
    • Nobuyo Sakata - ATA
    • Mont Smith - ATA

    *Rob Swick served as the Alliance Implementation Team Coordinator until January 2010.

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    October 28, 2009 - Implementation Team Meeting

    April 28, 2010 - 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

        Preventing Accidents and Collisions Fact Sheet

        Through the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance, the Airline Group developed a "Preventing Accidents and Collisions" fact sheet. The fact sheet addresses the best practices for preventing accidents while driving beltloaders. The fact sheet was completed and posted on the on the ATA Web site in February 2010. 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.

        Belt Loader Types and Fundamentals Reference Guide

        Through the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance, the Airline Group developed a "Belt Loader Types and Fundamentals Reference Guide." The guide assists in identifying the types, parts, control arm parts for beltloaders. The guide was completed and posted on the on the ATA Web site in February 2010. OSHA established a link from the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web site to the guide on the Airline Group Web site.

        OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Web Page

        OSHA continues to update the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Web page on the agency's Web site. The page includes links to the Alliance agreement and related documents, activities and events, and safety and health resources. During the reporting period, information on Preventing Accidents and Collisions Fact Sheet and Beltloader Types & Fundamentals Reference Guide were added to the page.

        The ATA Web site

        The Airline Group created and maintains an OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Web page on the ATA Web site (http://www.airlines.org/SafetyOps/Safety/Pages/AirlineGSE.aspx). 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 Preventing Accidents and Collisions Fact Sheet and Beltloader Types & Fundamentals Reference Guide.

        OSHA Electronic Tools

        Marianne Psipsikas, Sr. Analyst Occupational Health and Safety, JetBlue, continues to server 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 the On-site Consultation Program.

      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

        2010 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 2-8, 2010

        On May 2-8, 2010, the Airline Group Alliance and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported the 2010 National Association of Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week. Sponsored annually by the American Association of Safety Engineers (ASSE), an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering (CSSE), the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The theme for 2010 was "Mission NAOSH 2010: Safe Workplaces." Mike Hodes, Senior Safety Analyst, American; Marianne Psipsikas, Sr. Analyst Occupational Health and Safety, Jet Blue; and Nobuyo Sakata, Director of Safety, ATA, attended the event and represented the Airline Group Alliance, which, along with a number of other Alliance Program participants, supported the Week.

      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

      Through the Alliance renewal agreement, the OSHA and Airline Group Alliance Implementation Team will continue to advance its excellent working relationship by collaborating on projects and activities to achieve the goals of the Alliance. The Airline Group completed work on a number of products including:

      • Preventing Accidents and Collisions Fact Sheet
      • Beltloader Types and Fundamentals Reference Guide

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

      • Airline Group members continuing to 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 2010 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 1,710
      Airline Group and OSHA Web page on the ATA Web site Data Not Available
      OSHA Airline Industry Safety and Health Topics page 8,527
      OSHA Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool 68,358
      OSHA Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics page 42,321
      OSHA Recordkeeping Safety and Health Topics page 339,845
      OSHA Safety & Health Management Systems eTool 41,942
      OSHA Walking/Working Surfaces Safety and Health Topics page 34,267
      Total 536,970
  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 Loader Fact Sheets:

    • Preventing Pinch Point, Amputations and Caught In-Between Injuries Fact Sheet
    • Preventing Injuries Caused by Falling Objects
    • Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls

    In addition, Airline Group representatives will continue to serve on six eTool and Safety and Health Topics page'seditorial boards and support 2011 NAOSH Week

    Finally, the Airline Group hopes to renew the Alliance agreement.

    Report prepared by: Bill Willson, Program Analyst, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, September 14, 2010.