Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and
International Carwash Association (ICA)

I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

November 1, 2005

Overview

Through the Alliance, OSHA and ICA are working together to provide the members of the professional carwash/car care industry, including small businesses and non-English or limited English speaking employees and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health. In addition, the Alliance is focusing on addressing slips, trips and falls, hazard communication and vehicle operation safety.

Implementation Team Members
 

Evaluation Period

November 1, 2005 - October 31, 2006

II. Implementation Team Meetings
 

In addition to these formal meetings, the OOSA and ICA staff maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the Alliance's progress and results.

III. 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 ICA's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
      
   Products
   
   OSHA and ICA Alliance Web Page
   
   OSHA created an OSHA and ICA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. The Web page includes links to the OSHA and ICA Alliance agreement, news releases, a photograph of the signing ceremony, activities and events, and products and resources. For more information on the number of visits to the OSHA and ICA Alliance Web page, please see the Alliance Program Reach table in Section C of this report.
   
   ICA/OSHA Alliance Web Page
   
   ICA created an ICA/OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site. The Web page is updated regularly and includes links to the OSHA and ICA Alliance Web page, news releases, related documents, activities and events and other OSHA safety and health resources including:
    
   • Compliance Assistance Web page
   • OSHA Publications, Posters, and Online Order Form
   • Compliance Assistance Specialists (CASs)
   • Consultation Program Web page
   • Compliance Assistance: Hispanic Employers and Workers Web page
      
   OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages
   
   Through the Alliance, Neil Hitchcock, ICA member and Chair, ICA Safety and Health Committee, has been added to the editorial boards for the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages:
    
   • Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
   • Motor Vehicle Safety
   • Noise and Hearing Conservation
      
   Print and Electronic Media
   
   Articles on the OSHA and ICA Alliance signing appeared in online and print ICA industry publications such as: OSHA's QuickTakes, CCH NetNews, Modern Car Care, and Auto Services Operator. For more information on the print and electronic media, please see the Alliance Program Reach table in Section C of this report.
    
   • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or ICA's conferences such as ICA's Car Care World Expo.
      
   Events
   
   ICA Presidents Day Meeting, February 15, 2006, Chicago, Illinois
   
   During the ICA Presidents Day Meeting, February 15, 2006, Chicago, Illinois, Robert Katseff, President of ICA, provided information about the OSHA and ICA Alliance during his presentation to the meeting's attendees.
   
   ICA Car Care World Expo, March 13-15, 2006, Las Vegas, Nevada
   
   During the ICA Car Care World Expo, March 13-15, 2006, Las Vegas, Nevada, ICA distributed OSHA's Alliance Program brochure, the OSHA and ICA Alliance Activities Summary, and the OSHA Alliance Program and Consultation Program fact sheets to the attendees from its exhibit booth. In addition, ICA representatives promoted the OSHA and ICA Alliance during discussions with visitors to the ICA exhibit booth. Robert Katseff, President of ICA also spoke at the Expo's opening breakfast and provided information about the OSHA and ICA Alliance.
   
   ICA Car Care World e-Xpo, September 13-15, 2006
   
   On September 13, 2006, during the ICA Car Care World e-Xpo Patrick Showalter, Team Leader, Office of Small Business Assistance, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation, "Introduction to OSHA for Small Business," that included information on a number of OSHA's safety and health resources such as:
    
   • • Office of Small Business Assistance
     • On-site Consultation Program
     • Cooperative Programs
     • Compliance Assistance
     • Training
        
   • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding ICA's best practices or effective approaches and publicize the results through outreach by ICA and through OSHA- or ICA'developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
      
   Product
   
   Safety Tips Sheet: Slips, Trips and Fall Injuries
   
   Through the OSHA and ICA Alliance, Implementation Team members also worked with OSHA to develop a Safety Tip Sheet: "Slips, Trips and Fall Injuries." The Tip Sheet is posted on the ICA/OSHA Alliance Web page and focuses on the conditions that lead to and causes of slips, trips and fall injuries as well as ways to prevent them.
    
   • Promote and encourage ICA's members' and others in the car wash/car care industry, participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Programs, and the Consultation Program and its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.
     
     The OSHA and ICA Alliance implementation team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.
      
   • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects such as slips, trips and falls, hazard communication and vehicle operation safety that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
     
     The OSHA and ICA Alliance implementation team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.
      
   Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goals
    
   • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on car care industry issues such as, slips, trips and falls, hazard communication and vehicle operation safety to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace.
     
     The OSHA and ICA Alliance implementation team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.
      
2. Executive Summary
   
   In the first year of the Alliance, OSHA and ICA established a good working relationship. Through the Alliance, OSHA and ICA are working together to share safety and health information focusing on addressing slips, trips and falls, hazard communication and vehicle operation safety.
   
   For example, OSHA created an OSHA and ICA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. The Web page includes links to the OSHA and ICA Alliance agreement, OSHA and ICA news releases, a photograph of the signing ceremony, activities and events and products and resources. Further, ICA developed an ICA/OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site that includes links to OSHA safety and health resources such as OSHA's Compliance Assistance Web page, publications, posters, Compliance Assistance Specialists (CASs), On-site Consultation Program Web page and the Compliance Assistance: Hispanic Employers and Workers Web page.
   
   Through the OSHA and ICA Alliance, implementation team members also arranged for Patrick Showalter, Team Leader, Office of Small Business Assistance, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, USDOL-OSHA, to give a presentation, "Introduction to OSHA for Small Businesses," during the ICA Car Care World e-Xpo on September 13, 2006. In addition, during the ICA's Car Care World Expo, March 13-15, 2006 in Las Vegas, Nevada, ICA staff distributed information about OSHA's Alliance and On-site Consultation Programs along with other safety and health-related materials.
   
   Further, OSHA reviewed and provided feedback on ICA's Safety Tips Sheet: Slips, Trips and Fall Injuries that was developed through the Alliance. The Safety Tips Sheet addresses the conditions, causes and methods for preventing slips, trips and fall injuries.
   
   In addition, an ICA implementation team member is sharing his expertise with OSHA, by serving on OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages' editorial boards for Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout), Motor Vehicle Safety and Noise and Hearing Conservation.
    
3. Alliance Program Reach

IV. Upcoming Milestones

During the upcoming year, the OSHA and ICA implementation team will continue to advance its working relationship by collaborating on projects and activities to achieve the goals of the Alliance. For example, OSHA and ICA will update and promote the OSHA and ICA Alliance Web page and ICA/OSHA Alliance Web page with links to safety and health resources. In addition, OSHA will continue to work with ICA to develop additional Safety Tips Sheets. OSHA is working with ICA to further develop its "Incidents" presentation that also highlights safety and health issues in the carwash industry and provides tools and information on how to address them.

In addition, during the ICA's 2006 Presidents Day Meeting on November 6, 2006 in Chicago, Illinois the President of ICA will speak about the OSHA and ICA Alliance and provide information about OSHA's compliance assistance resources. Further, the ICA has invited OSHA to provide publications during its Car Care World Expo, March 26-28, 2007, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Finally, ICA member, Neil Hitchcock, will continue to serve as a member of the Safety and Health Topics pages for editorial boards Control of Hazardous Energy, Motor Vehicle Safety and Noise and Hearing Conservation.


Report prepared by: Bill Willson, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services Alliances, January 29, 2007