GCCA - Alliance Annual Report - January 11, 2013


ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the
Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) Alliance
January 11, 2013

  1. Alliance Background

    1. Date Signed

      July 30, 2010

    2. Dates Renewed

      N/A

    3. Evaluation Period

      July 30, 2011 - July 29, 2012

    4. Overview

      The OSHA and GCCA Alliance focuses on providing GCCA members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to hazards related to chemical releases from ammonia refrigeration systems and improving the Process Safety Management (PSM) programs for these systems, and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

    5. Implementation Team Members

      OSHA

      Todd Briggs - Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA), Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)

      GCCA

      Ryan Burr - Director of Safety, Americold
      Mike Chapman - Manager, PSM/RMP Services, Tyson Foods, Inc.
      Bob Hunt - Vice Chairman,
      James Marrella - Coordinator of OSHA and EPA Compliance and Training, United States Cold Storage
      Lowell Randel - Director of Government Affairs, GCCA
      Gary Webster - Refrigeration Engineer, Kraft
      Gary White - Refrigeration Engineering Foreman, Bellingham Cold Storage

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    • October 25, 2011
    • February 28, 2012
    • July 10, 2012

    In addition to these formal meetings, the Alliance coordinators from both groups maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the Alliance's progress and results.

  3. Results

    The following table summarizes the Alliance's activities in support of the goals in the Alliance agreement.

    Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives Goal 1: To share information on OSHA's National Emphasis Programs (NEP), Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.

    Activity Type

    Activity Name/Summary

    OSHA Initiative Supported

    Number Reached

    Other

    OSHA Distracted Driving Initiative

    During the evaluation period, GCCA supported OSHA's initiative focusing on distracted driving, including adding a link to the OSHA Distracted Driving Web page from the GCCA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site. GCCA also included distracted driving-related information in their publications, including Cold Connection, which has a distribution of 3,000 people.

    Distracted Driving

    3,000

    Other

    OSHA Alliance Program Hazard Communication/Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) Roundtable, July 18, 2012, DOL, Washington, DC

    GCCA representatives attended the OSHA Alliance Program Hazard Communication/GHS Roundtable at the Department of Labor (DOL) on July 18, 2012. During the meeting, the particpants received an OSHA update, discussed the promotion and dissemination of OSHA- and Alliance Program-developed compliance assistance outreach materials and resources, and asked questions.

    Hazard Communication/GHS

    35

     

    Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives Goal 2: To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on ammonia refrigeration system-related issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

    Activity Type

    Activity Name/Summary

    OSHA Initiative Supported

    Number Reached

    Other

    North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 6-12, 2012 

    GCCA and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported 2012 NAOSH Week, May 6-12, 2012. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The theme for the Week was "Safety, What Every Business Needs."

    To help support the event, GCCA disseminated information about the Week to GCCA members, and established a link to the 2012 NAOSH Week Web page from the GCCA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the association's Web site.

     

    Data Not Available

     

    Outreach and Communication Goal 1: To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA's and the GCCA's Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.

    Activity Type

    Activity Name/Summary

    OSHA Initiative Supported

    Number Reached

    Product

    Ammonia Safety Poster: Emergency Action Plans (EAP)
    Through the OSHA and GCCA Alliance, GCCA developed an ammonia safety poster focusing on EAPs. The poster was posted to the GCCA Web site in March 2012 and linked to from the OSHA and GCCA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site.

    Chemical Facilities

     

    Product

    Ammonia Safety Poster: OSHA National Emphasis Program - Chemical Facilities

    Through the OSHA and GCCA Alliance, GCCA developed an ammonia safety poster focusing on the OSHA NEP for chemical facilities. The poster was posted to the GCCA Web site in July 2012 and linked to from the OSHA and GCCA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site.

    Chemical Facilities

     

    Other

    GCCA and OSHA Alliance Web Page

    GCCA maintains the GCCA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site. The page provides information on the Alliance and links to Alliance-developed products, including ammonia safety posters and a success story. The page also links to OSHA's On-site Consultation Program and Distracted Driving Web pages and the Agency's Ammonia Refrigeration eTool and Safety and Health Topics page.

     

    Data Not Available

    Other

    OSHA and GCCA Alliance Web Page

    OSHA maintains the OSHA and GCCA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. The page provides information on the Alliance, including links to the OSHA and GCCA Alliance agreement, news releases, activities and events, and OSHA's Ammonia Refrigeration eTool and Safety and Health Topics page. The page also links to Alliance-developed products, including ammonia safety posters and a success story.

     

    Data Not Available

    Other

    Print and Electronic Media
    News releases and articles on the OSHA and GCCA Alliance have appeared in a number of printed and online publications, including OSHA's Alliance Quarterly Review (AQR).

     

    110

     

    Outreach and Communication Goal 2: To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or GCCA's conferences, local meetings, or other events such as Ammonia Safety and Training Institute Safety Days, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration conferences, and GCCA conferences.

    Activity Type

    Activity Name/Summary

    OSHA Initiative Supported

    Number Reached

    Speech

    Assembly of Committee Meeting, July 30, 2012, DOL, Washington, DC 

    On July 30, 2012, OSHA and GCCA met at DOL as an activity of the association's Assembly Committee meeting. During the meeting, OSHA staff provided an update on the Agency's NEP for chemical facilities, and GCCA's support, including the proposed development of Alliance-developed outreach documents.

     

    15

    Training

    World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO) Institute, February 15, 2012, Atlanta, Georgia

    Representatives from OSHA Region IV and the Georgia On-site Consultation Program participated in an ammonia refrigeration/PSM educational learning opportunity at the WFLO Institute on February 15, 2012, in Atlanta, Georgia. A summary of the activity was included in March 2012 edition of AQR.

     

    7

    Training

    Lanier Tech Technical College, February 15-17, 2012, Oakwood, Georgia

    Representatives from OSHA Region IV and the Georgia On-site Consultation Program participated in the “Ammonia for Non-Operators” training at Lanier Technical College in Oakwood, Georgia. A summary of the activity was included in March 2012 edition of AQR.

     

    5

     

    Outreach and Communication Goal 3: To develop and disseminate case studies on illustrating the business value of safety and health and publicize their results.

    Activity Type

    Activity Name/Summary

    OSHA Initiative Supported

    Number Reached

     

    During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

     

     

     

    Outreach and Communication Goal 4: To encourage GCCA members to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including those related to PSM programs for ammonia refrigeration systems.

    Activity Type

    Activity Name/Summary

    OSHA Initiative Supported

    Number Reached

     

    During this evaluation period, no products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

     

     

     

    TOTAL

     

     

    3,172

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the upcoming year, OSHA's and GCCA's relationship will continue to grow, and the Alliance Implementation Team will undertake a number of activities and projects in an effort to meet the goals of the agreement. For example, GCCA will work to develop outreach products and materials, including a guidance document focusing on personal protective equipment for ammonia handling, and an ammonia safety checklist focusing on OSHA's NEP for chemical facilities.

    GCCA will invite representatives from OSHA Region IV to attend an ammonia refrigeration educational session at the WFLO Institute Training, February 13, 2013, in Atlanta, Georgia. GCCA will also invite representatives from OSHA Region IV to participate in an ammonia refrigeration training course, February 13-15, 2013, at Lanier Technical College, in Oakwood, Georgia.

    GCCA will support OSHA's national outreach initiative focusing on the prevention of falls in construction.  GCCA will also participate in the OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable to discuss a number of safety and health issues, including the prevention of falls in construction.

    GCCA will invite OSHA representatives to deliver safety and health presentations at a number of conferences and meetings, including GCCA Chapter meetings. OSHA personnel will staff an Alliance Program exhibit booth at the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses-WFLO Annual Convention and Expo, May 4-8, 2013, in Hollywood Florida.

    GCCA will deliver a presentation focusing on PSM at the 2012 Voluntary Protection Programs Participants' Association in Anaheim, California, and the 2012 National Safety Council Congress and Expo, in Orlando, Florida.

    GCCA will support 2013 NAOSH Week, May 5-11. The theme for the Week is "Safe Workplaces for all." A GCCA representative will attend the 2013 NAOSH Week Kick-off event at DOL in Washington, DC.

    GCCA will write an article focusing on the Alliance-developed ammonia safety posters for the Alliance Quarterly Review.

    GCCA will continue to promote the activities and outreach products of the Alliance through the GCCA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site, which is linked to from the OSHA and GCCA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site.

    Finally, OSHA and GCCA will work to renew the Alliance cooperative agreement in the spring of 2013.

    Report prepared by: Todd Briggs, Program Analyst, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, January 11, 2013.