ISSA - Alliance Annual Report - August 16, 2007

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and
ISSA
August 16, 2007

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    August 5, 2005

    Overview

    The OSHA and ISSA Alliance focuses on providing ISSA's members and others, including small businesses, with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help them protect employees' health and safety. The Alliance particularly focuses on hazards in the cleaning, maintenance and warehousing industries, such as slips, trips and falls; hazard communication; hazard classification; precautionary labeling; material safety data sheets and personal protective equipment.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Rick Harris
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Lee Anne Jillings
    OOSA
    Lisa Ramber
    OOSA

    ISSA:

    Bill Balek
    Director of Legislative Affairs
    Dan Wagner
    Manager Regulatory Compliance

    Evaluation Period

    August 5, 2006 - August 4, 2007

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    November 1, 2006
    Implementation Team Meeting
    November 27, 2006
    Cleaning Industry Safety and Health Topics Page Development Workgroup Conference Call
     
    Cleaning Industry Safety and Health Topics Page Development Workgroup Conference Call
    January 17, 2007
    Implementation Team Meeting
    May 21, 2007
    Implementation Team Meeting

    1. Results

      Training and Education Goal

      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop training and education programs for cleaning and maintenance industry employers and employees regarding slips, trips and falls, hazardous communication (HAZCOM) and address issues such as hazard classification, precautionary labeling, and material safety data sheets.

      Product

      ISSA Hazard Communication Training Module

      ISSA developed, with input from OSHA, a draft hazard communication training module for ISSA's members and others in the cleaning and maintenance industries. OSHA shared the draft module with Alliance Program participant, the Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) for review and feedback. OSHA provided ISSA with SCHC's comments, which ISSA considered for incorporation into the final document. When completed, the training module will be posted on ISSA Web site.

      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 ISSA's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.

      Products

      ISSA Safety and Health Portal

      ISSA maintains and updates its Safety and Health Portal on the ISSA Web SITE, which was developed for ISSA's members, employers and employees in the cleaning industry. The Portal has the following modules: Bloodborne Pathogens; Cleaning Chemicals in the Workplace (Hazard Communication); Injury and Illness Recordkeeping; Personal Protective Equipment; and Slips, Trips and Falls in the Workplace. The Portal includes links to OSHA safety, health, and compliance assistance resources on the agency's Web site and the OSHA and ISSA Alliance Web page.

      Product

      Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls for Custodians

      Through the OSHA and ISSA Alliance, ISSA developed an article, "Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls for Custodians," that includes a checklist of common causes for slips, trips and falls such as wet or oily surfaces, ice or snow and uneven surfaces. The checklist has a number of recommendations to help employers and employees avoid slips, trips and falls in the workplace. The article was posted on ISSA's Safety and Health Portal and linked to from the OSHA and ISSA Alliance Web page and the Alliance Program Participant Developed Products Web page on the Agency's Web site.

      Minimizing Slips, Trips and Falls

      Through the OSHA and ISSA Alliance, ISSA developed a checklist, "Minimizing Slips, Trips and Falls." The checklist addresses a number of topics including, housekeeping; employee training; flooring and stairs; matting and footwear. The document was posted on ISSA's Safety and Health Portal and linked to from the OSHA and ISSA Alliance Web page and the Alliance Program Participant Developed Products Web page on the Agency's Web site.

      OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages Editorial Boards

      Members from the OSHA and ISSA Alliance implementation team continue to serve on the following Safety and Health Topics Pages' editorial boards:

      • Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts):

        Dan Wagner, Manager Regulatory Compliance

      • Walking/Working Surfaces

        Bill Balek, Director of Legislative Affairs

      OSHA and ISSA Alliance Web Page

      OSHA continues to update the OSHA and ISSA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site with links to Department of Labor developed articles that were published in ISSA newsletters. The Web page includes links to the OSHA and ISSA Alliance agreement, news releases, photographs of the signing ceremony, activities and events, products and resources, and milestones and successes. The page also links to the Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls for Custodians and Minimizing Slips, Trips and Falls products of the OSHA and ISSA Alliance which are posted on the association's Web site. The page had about 6,486 visitors during the reporting period.

      Print and Electronic Media

      Information on the OSHA and ISSA Alliance appeared in a number of print and online publications including an OSHA news release, Alliance Quarterly Review; OSHA QuickTakes; and Legislative and Regulatory Update.

      For more information on the media coverage, please see the Alliance Program Reach table in Section C of this report.

      ISSA's Legislative and Regulatory Update Newsletter

      ISSA published several Department of Labor-developed articles on safety and health in its monthly newsletter, Legislative and Regulatory Update. For example, in the November/December 2006 edition ISSA included an article, "OSHA Makes the Business Case for Safety and Health." ISSA also continues to include a Safety and Health Corner section in the newsletter.

      For more information on articles published in ISSA's newsletter, please see the Alliance Program Reach table in Section C of this report.

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's and ISSA's conferences and workshops, including various ISSA training seminars and forums such as ISSA's annual convention, ISSA/INTERCLEAN®.

      Events

      ISSA/INTERCLEAN® 2006, October 4-7, 2006, Chicago, Illinois

      On October 4, 2006, OSHA representatives from the Agency's National Office and Region V, Calumet City, Illinois Area Office; On-site Consultation, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; and ISSA staffed the OSHA and ISSA Alliance exhibit booth at ISSA/INTERCLEAN® 2006 in Chicago, IL. During the event, OSHA, On-site Consultation and ISSA representatives distributed safety and health compliance assistance information and answered questions from cleaning and maintenance industry employers and employees. There were over 16,600 attendees at the event.

      On October 4, 2006, Ann Williams, Team Leader, Region V, USDOL-OSHA, participated in a seminar, "Update: Globally Harmonized System of Labeling - U.S. Implementation by OSHA, EPA, and DOT Representatives" during the ISSA/INTERCLEAN® 2006. There were approximately 40 attendees at the seminar.

      ISSA Legislative and Regulatory Forum, April 5, 2007, Arlington, Virginia

      On April 5, 2007, Earl Hicks, Program Analyst, OOSA, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, USDOL-OSHA and Ryan Tremain, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, OOSA, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, USDOL-OSHA staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and distributed OSHA safety and health information and answered questions from the forum's attendees.

      • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professional regarding ISSA best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by ISSA and through OSHA or ISSA developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

      Events

      2007 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH), May 6-12, 2007

      ISSA, along with a number of Alliance Program participants supported 2007 NAOSH Week, May 6-12, 2007. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. ISSA promoted 2007 NAOSH Week by posting information and promoting the event on the association's Web site.

      ISSA Cleaning and Maintenance Industry Presentations

      Dan Wagner, Manager Regulatory Compliance, ISSA, gave a number of presentations during which he shared cleaning and maintenance industry safety and health information and promoted the OSHA and ISSA Alliance. See Appendix A for a list of the presentations.

      Promoting the National Dialogue Goals:

      • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussion or stakeholder meetings on cleaning and maintenance industry hazards such as slips, trips and falls, and HAZCOM to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

      Promoting the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) Workgroup, October 25, 2006, Washington, DC

      ISSA representatives participated in the October 25, 2006 Alliance Program Hazard Communication Roundtable's Promoting the GHS Workgroup meeting, in Washington, DC. During the Workgroup meeting, representatives from 15 Alliance Program participants identified compliance assistance tools and products to educate the public, particularly small businesses, about the GHS. They also provided recommendations on the target audiences, subjects and formats of and methods for distributing the information. The meeting was held as a follow-up to the February 15, 2005 Alliance Program Hazard Communication Roundtable and the August 1, 2005 promoting the Globally Harmonized System for the Classification and Labeling of Chemicals Workgroup meeting.

    2. Executive Summary

      In the second year of the Alliance, OSHA and ISSA have continued to work together to reduce injuries and exposure to cleaning industry safety and health hazards and to achieve the goals of the Alliance. The Alliance implementation team collaborated to develop an Alliance renewal agreement which will be signed on August 16, 2007 in Washington, DC.

      Through the Alliance, OSHA and ISSA are developing and sharing outreach materials. For example, OSHA maintains an OSHA and ISSA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. The Web page includes links to the OSHA and ISSA Alliance agreement, OSHA news releases, activities and events, products and resources, and milestones and successes. The Web page had over 6,400 visitors during the reporting period.

      Further, ISSA included a number of occupational safety and health articles in its electronic newsletter, Legislative and Regulatory Update, that it posts on its Web site. The articles highlighted a number of safety and health topics including OSHA makes the business case for safety and health, OSHA's guidance on pandemic flu and OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).

      In addition, ISSA continues to update its Safety and Health Portal on the association's Web site. The Portal's modules are: Bloodborne Pathogens; Cleaning Chemicals in the Workplace (Hazard Communication); Injury and Illness Recordkeeping; Personal Protective Equipment; and Slips, Trips and Falls in the Workplace. In addition, the Portal links to two new products developed through the OSHA and ISSA Alliance, an article, "Slips, Trips and Falls for Custodians" and a checklist, "Minimizing Slip, Trips and Falls." The documents discuss a number of conditions that can contribute to slips, trips and falls and offer recommendations and practical tips for avoiding these types of workplace incidents.

      ISSA is also sharing its expertise with OSHA, through representatives from the association serving on the editorial boards on OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages Powered Industrial Trucks and Walking/Working Surfaces.

      Further, OSHA gave a presentation and exhibited at ISSA's INTERCLEAN® 2006 in Chicago, IL. OSHA representatives from the Agency's National Office and Region V, Calumet City, Illinois Area Office; On-site Consultation, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; and ISSA staffed the OSHA and ISSA Alliance exhibit booth at ISSA/INTERCLEAN® 2006 in Chicago, IL. During the event, OSHA, On-site Consultation and ISSA representatives distributed safety and health compliance assistance information and answered questions from cleaning and maintenance industry employers and employees. There were over 16,600 attendees at the event.

      In addition, OSHA maintained an exhibit booth at ISSA's Legislative and Regulatory Forum, distributing safety and health information to the conference's 75 attendees.

      ISSA also made a number of presentations between March and June 2007 promoting industry safety and health and the OSHA and ISSA Alliance. In addition, ISSA supported 2007 NAOSH Week by posting information on the event on the association's Web site.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity Number of Individuals Reached
      August 15, 2006, "OSHA/ISSA Alliance Generates New Occupational Safety and Health Web Site"
      QuickTakes      		 54,254
      August 16, 2006, "OSHA/ISSA Alliance Generates New Occupational Safety and Health Web Site"
      News for OSC      		 Data not available
      ISSA/INTERCLEAN® 2006
      October 4-7, 2006
      Chicago, Illinois

      Alliance Program Exhibit      		 16,637
      ISSA/INTERCLEAN® 2006
      October 4, 2006
      Chicago, Illinois
      "Update: Globally Harmonized System of Labeling - U.S. Implementation by OSHA, EPA, and DOT Representatives"

      Speaker: Ann Williams, Team Leader, Chicago, Illinois Regional Office, Region V, USDOL-OSHA      		 40
      November/December 2006, Safety and Health Corner, "OSHA Makes The Business Case For Safety and Health"
      Legislative and Regulatory Update      		 Data not available
      November/December 2006, "OSHA Offers Avian Flu Guidance"
      Legislative and Regulatory Update      		 Data not available
      January 2007, Safety and Health Corner, "OSHA Workshop Identifies Compliance Assistance Tools For GHS"
      Legislative and Regulatory Update      		 Data not available
      February/March 2007, Safety and Health Corner, "OSHA Unveils New Guidance on Preparing For Influenza Pandemic"
      Legislative and Regulatory Update      		 Data not available
      Legislative and Regulatory Forum
      April 5, 2007
      Arlington, Virginia

      Alliance Program Exhibit      		 75
      March 2007, "Exhibits Information Reaches Thousands of Conferences Participants"
      Alliance Quarterly Review      		 80
      April 20, 2007, "ISSA Supports NAOSH Week" ISSA News Release Data not available
      April 2007, Safety and Health Corner, "ISSA Supports North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, May 6-12"
      Legislative and Regulatory Update      		 Data not available
      May 4, 2007, "ASSE, CSSE and Industry Groups Team Up To Increase Job Safety For North American Occupational Safety and Health Week"
      OSHA News Release      		 69 News Services
      May 2007, Safety and Health Corner, "OSHA Training Must Be Presented in a Manner That is Understood by Workers"
      Legislative and Regulatory Update      		 Data not available
      June 2007, Safety and Health Corner, "OSHA VPP: A Proven Way To Reduce Workplace Injuries, Illnesses and Costs"
      Legislative and Regulatory Update      		 Data not available
      OSHA and ISSA Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site 6,486
      ISSA Web Site Data not available
      TOTAL 77,611

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    The OSHA and ISSA implementation team will continue to advance its excellent working relationship by collaborating on projects and activities to achieve the goals of the Alliance.

    For example, the Alliance Program will work with ISSA to share safety and health information at ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2007, October 23-26, 2007 in Orlando, Florida. On October 26, 2007, Carol Jones, Acting Director, Office of Biological Hazards, Directorate of Standards and Guidance, USDOL-OSHA, will give as presentation on pandemic preparedness at ISSA/INTERCLEAN® North America 2007.

    The OSHA and ISSA Alliance implementation team will also work together to finalize a Hazard Communication Training Program for the cleaning industry. The program will provide information on developing an effective employee safety training program, hazard communication issues (e.g. material safety data sheets, physical and health hazards posed by spills and leaks) and will describe OSHA's labeling requirements.

    ISSA also is planning to develop an additional module on warehouse safety which ISSA plans to post on its Safety and Health Portal late 2007. In addition, the Alliance implementation team members are discussing working with Alliance Program participants, International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA and the Warehouse Education and Research Council (WERC) to develop products on warehouse safety.

    Also, ISSA will continue to provide OSHA with information to update the Agency's Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts) and Walking/Working Surfaces Safety and Health Topics pages. Finally, ISSA representatives will continue to provide OSHA with information during the Agency's development of a Cleaning Industry Safety and Health Topics page and identify representatives from its membership to serve on the Topics page's editorial board.

    Report prepared by: Richard L. Harris, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services Alliances, August 16, 2007