Belfor - Alliance Close-out Report - July 19, 2005

On July 19, 2004, OSHA and Belfor USA formed an Alliance focusing on providing Belfor USA employees and others in the construction and restoration industries with information to help them protect employee health and safety. The Alliance particularly focused on addressing mold removal and motor vehicle safety. In addition, the agreement focused on a number of areas, including increasing non-English or limited English speaking employee access to safety and health information and available training resources and identifying contacts within Belfor USA that can provide OSHA with information regarding mold removal.

Due to the restoration activities following hurricane season in 2004, Belfor USA had limited resources to develop materials, products and activities to meet the goals of the Alliance. As a result, OSHA and Belfor USA agreed to conclude the Alliance as of July 19, 2005. OSHA encouraged Belfor USA to consider developing Alliances with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices.

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

  • A Belfor USA representative participated on the OSHA Alliance Program's Construction Roundtable Fall Protection and Design for Safety Workgroups and OSHA's Alliance Program Hazard Communication Roundtable.
     
    • OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable - July 8, 2004
      • Fall Protection Workgroup - January 31, 2005
      • Design for Safety Workgroup - February 1, 2005
    • OSHA Alliance Program Hazard Communication Roundtable - February 15, 2005
  • May 24, 2005, Danezza Quintero, Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, Office of Construction Services, USDOL-OSHA, presented an overview of OSHA's activities within the construction industry, including the OSHA-Belfor USA Alliance to 65 attendees at the Belfor USA Safety Coordinators Annual Meeting in Troy, Michigan.
     
  • Belfor USA shared information with the OSHA Office of Training and Education by developing a module, focusing on safety hazards in desert locations that was included as an appendix to the Agency's Disaster Site Worker training course curriculum.