FIA - Annual Report - December 6, 2007

Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and the
Forging Industry Association (FIA)

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    December 7, 2005

    Overview

    The OSHA and FIA Alliance focuses on the organizations working together to provide FIA's members and others in the forging industry, including small businesses, with information, guidance, and access to training resources that to help them protect employees' health and safety. The Alliance addresses issues associated with ergonomics and machine guarding, including the prevention of amputations that may be experienced by employees in the forging industry.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:
    Rick Harris*
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Lee Anne Jillings
    OOSA
    Sandra Khan
    OOSA
    Sandra Khan
    OOSA

    FIA:
    George Layne
    Director of Training Services
    Connie Long
    FIA staff
    John P. McGillivray
    Scot Forge
    Evaluation Period

    December 7, 2006 – December 6, 2007

    * Rick Harris was the Alliance coordinator until December 2007.

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    March 17, 2007
    Implementation Team Meeting
    May 17, 2007
    Tips Sheets Development Conference Call
    June 12, 2007
    Tips Sheets Development Conference Call
    July 24, 2007
    Tips Sheets Development Conference Call
    November 20, 2007
    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 FIA's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.

      Products

      OSHA and FIA Alliance Web Page

      OSHA continues to maintain the OSHA and FIA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. The page includes the OSHA and FIA Alliance agreement, activities and events, products and resources. In addition, the page links to the FIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the organization's Web site and to the Alliance-developed brochure, "OSHA Cooperative Programs."

      OSHA Alliance Home Page on the FIA Web site

      During the reporting period, FIA redesigned the organization's Web site, which included creating an OSHA and FIA Alliance-related Web page. The Web page includes the FIA and Alliance Program's logos, links to the OSHA and FIA Alliance agreement and the OSHA and FIA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. In addition, the page links to the Alliance-developed brochure, "OSHA Cooperative Programs."

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or FIA's conferences, local meetings, or other events such as FIA's Fall and Annual Meeting of Members.

      Events

      Forging Industry Association Annual Meeting of Members, May 5-8, 2007, Huntington Beach, California

      FIA distributed information on the OSHA's cooperative programs including the OSHA and FIA Alliance Activities Summary and the Alliance developed brochure, "OSHA Cooperative Programs" to the attendees during the FIA Annual Meeting of Members, May 5-8, 2007 in Huntington Beach, California.

      Forging Industry Association Fall Meeting of Members, October 22-23, 2007, Atlanta, Georgia

      FIA distributed information on the OSHA's compliance assistance resources and cooperative programs including the Alliance Program brochure, On-site Consultation Program Fact Sheet, OSHA and Alliance Activities Summary and the Alliance developed brochure, "OSHA Cooperative Programs" to the attendees at the organization's 2007 Fall Meeting of Members, October 22-23, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia.

      • Share information among OSHA personnel and forging industry safety and health professionals regarding FIA's best practices and publicize results through outreach by FIA and through OSHA or FIA developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

      Products

      Tips Sheets, "Help Prevent Eye Injuries", "Help Prevent Hand Lacerations", and "Help Prevent Back Injuries"

      During the reporting period, the OSHA and FIA Alliance implementation team members continued to development of three Tips Sheet, "Help Prevent Eye Injuries," and "Help Prevent Hand Lacerations" and "Help Prevent Back Injuries." The Tip Sheets help to identify activities and tasks that can potentially cause eye injuries and hand lacerations and provides tips on how to prevent the injuries. OSHA reviewed and provided feedback to FIA the draft documents.

      Once completed, FIA will post the documents on the FIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the organization's Web site and OSHA will link to the information from the OSHA and FIA Alliance Web page and the Alliance Program Participants Developed Web page on the Agency's Web site.

      • Promote the benefits of the forging industry participating in OSHA's cooperative programs such as Compliance Assistance, the Voluntary Protection Programs, Consultation and its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.

      Products

      OSHA Cooperative Programs Brochure

      Through the OSHA and FIA Alliance, FIA developed a brochure for the organization's members and others in the forging industry highlighting OSHA's cooperative programs. The brochure describes the Strategic Partnership Program, the Voluntary Protection Programs, On-site Consultation Program and its the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program and highlights the benefits of each OSHA cooperative program.

      Promoting the National Dialogue Goals:

      • Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on forging industry issues to help create innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

        The OSHA and FIA Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

    2. Executive Summary

      Through the OSHA and FIA Alliance, the organizations continued to work together to promote the OSHA and FIA Alliance and to share information and raise awareness about potential workplace hazards and injuries that impact the forging industry.

      For example, OSHA continues to update the OSHA and FIA Alliance Web page on its Web site. The page includes the OSHA and FIA Alliance agreement, activities and events, and products and resources. During the reporting period, the page had over 6,300 visitors.

      In addition, FIA redesigned and maintains the FIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the organization's Web site. The page highlights the goals of the Alliance and includes links to the OSHA and FIA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site; the Alliance agreement; and the Alliance-developed brochure, "OSHA Cooperative Programs." The brochure, developed for the organization's members and others in the forging industry, describes OSHA's cooperative programs and highlights the benefits of participating in the programs.

      Through the Alliance, OSHA and FIA also shared information and participated in outreach opportunities. For example, FIA distributed OSHA publications at the FIA 2007 Annual Meeting of Members in Huntington Beach, California and the 2007 Fall Meeting of Members in Atlanta, Georgia.

      In addition, FIA completed two Safety Tips Sheets, "Help Prevent Eye Injuries," and "Help Prevent Hand Lacerations." The Tips Sheets describe forging industry hazards and provides recommendations for preventing injuries.

      Finally, based upon the ongoing OSHA and FIA Alliance's successes, the organizations agreed to renew their Alliance. The organizations will sign the OSHA and FIA Alliance renewal agreement in early 2008.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity Number of Individuals Reached
      OSHA and FIA Alliance Web page 6,348
      OSHA Alliance Home page on the FIA Web site Data not available
      May 5-8, 2007, FIA Annual Meeting of Members,
      Huntington Beach, CA
      Provided OSHA publications      		 275
      October 22-23, 2007, FIA Fall Meeting of Members, Atlanta, GA
      Provided OSHA publications      		 100
      TOTAL 6,723

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the next year of the Alliance, OSHA and FIA will continue to work together to identify opportunities for promoting safety and health and the OSHA and FIA Alliance through presentations and exhibiting opportunities at the organization's events such as the 19th International Forging Congress and the FIA Annual and Fall Meetings of Members.

    The Alliance will also work on a number of projects including finalizing the draft Tips Sheets, "Help Prevent Eye Injuries", "Help Prevent Hand Lacerations", and "Help Prevent Back Injuries." The OSHA and FIA Alliance may also develop a case study on reducing eye injuries in the forging industry and work together to modify OSHA's Short Course, "Introduction to OSHA for Small Businesses", into a Webinar or training seminar for FIA's members and others in the forging industry.

    Report prepared by: Richard L. Harris, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, December 6, 2007