NHCA - Alliance Annual Report - July 14, 2005

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the
National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA)
July 14, 2005

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    June 2, 2003

    Evaluation Period

    June 2, 2004 – June 1, 2005

    Overview

    OSHA's Alliance with NHCA focuses on preventing noise induced hearing loss in the workplace. In addition, the organizations are using their collective expertise to help advance a culture of good hearing health by developing and implementing Hearing Conservation Programs (HCPs) and Hearing Loss Prevention Programs (HLPPs) while sharing best practices and technical knowledge.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA

    Cathy Cronin
    Office of Training and Education (OTE)
    Deborah Gabry
    Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine (DSTM)
    Sandi Khan
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Jack Standard
    OTE

    NHCA

     
    Rick Neitzel
    Director of Communication
    Theresa Schulz
    Director of Education
    Carol M. Stephenson
    Alliance Coordinator
    Laurie Wells
    President

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    August 17, 2004
    Meeting, Teleconference
    September 14, 2004
    Meeting, Teleconference
    January 18, 2005
    Meeting, Teleconference
    May 20, 2005
    Meeting, Teleconference

    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

    1. Events and Products

      Training and Education Goal

      • Develop training courses on noise and hearing loss prevention, including a "Train the Trainer Course" for toolbox talks and a program for vocational school populations.

        - No products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

      Outreach and Communication Goals

      • Create and update electronic assistance tools for OSHA’s Web page that address noise and hearing conservation for general industry, construction and maritime.

        Products

        OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages

        Representatives from the OSHA-NHCA Alliance serve on the editorial boards for the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages: Noise and Hearing Conservation and Construction – Noise and Hearing Conservation. These pages are maintained as a product of the OSHA-NHCA Alliance. Please see the addendum for a list of the NHCA members that are serving on the editorial boards.

        OSHA eTool

        Representatives from the OSHA-NHCA Alliance assisted in the development of OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool that was posted on the OSHA Web site January 2005. NHCA representatives are serving on the eTool’s editorial board and are maintaining the eTool as a product of the OSHA-NHCA Alliance. Please see the addendum for the NHCA members that are serving on the editorial board for the Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool.

      • Collect, promote and share information on NHCA members’ best practices, as jointly determined by OSHA and NHCA, with others in the occupational health and safety and hearing health care professions through outreach by NHCA and OSHA.

        No products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

      • Develop a guide for hearing protection (including a matrix for hearing protection devices’ usage in various noise settings) that addresses best practices as jointly determined by OSHA and NHCA.

        No products or resources have been developed for this Alliance goal.

      • Design model HCP/HLPPs for the construction and maritime industries.

        No products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects for preventing Noise Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

        The OSHA-NHCA Alliance is working with the National Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR), another Alliance Program participant, to develop a hearing conservation brochure on NIHL, specific to indoor shooting ranges.

      Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goals

      • Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions on HCP/HLPPs to help forge innovative ways to prevent hearing loss in the workplace.

        No opportunities were available to reach this Alliance goal.

      • Develop and disseminate information at conferences and events, or through print and electronic media, including links from OSHA’s and NHCA’s Web sites.

      Events

      NHCA 30th Annual Conference, February 24 – 26, 2005, Tucson, Arizona

      Deborah Gabry, Health Scientist, DSTM, gave a presentation entitled "OSHA’s Alliance Program," focusing on the OSHA-NHCA Alliance during NHCA’s Annual Conference. Additionally, Ms. Gabry staffed an OSHA-NHCA Alliance exhibit booth and distributed information products on the OSHA-NHCA Alliance, the Alliance Program, and OSHA’s other cooperative programs and hearing conservation and personal protective equipment.

      NHCA-OSHA Alliance Web Page

      The NHCA Web site features a NHCA-OSHA Alliance Web page that is updated regularly. The page includes information on OSHA’s Alliance Program and links to the OSHA–NHCA Alliance Web page. The NHCA Web page also highlights OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool, Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB) titled "Innovative Workplace Safety Accommodations for Hearing-Impaired Workers, and Paula White Director, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, USDOL-OSHA, opening address at the NHCA 29th Annual Conference in Seattle, Washington and an article by the past NHCA President, Tim Bailey.

      OSHA-NHCA Alliance Web Page

      The OSHA-NHCA Alliance Web page on OSHA’s Web site continues to be updated with information on the products, resources, activities, events, and the Alliances milestones and successes. The Web page is updated on a regular basis. For information on the number of visits to the OSHA-NHCA Alliance Web page, please see the Alliance Program Reach table.

      Print and Electronic Media

      Articles on the OSHA-NHCA Alliance and the OSHA Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool have appeared in a number of printed and online publications, including OSHA’s News Releases, QuickTakes, Occupational Safety and Health Reporter, insidehealthpolicy.com, and occupationalhazards.com. For more information on the articles, please see the Alliance Program Reach.

    2. Executive Summary

      Through the Alliance Program, OSHA and NHCA have reached out to NHCA’s members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly by addressing issues associated with NIHL and implementing HCPs and HLPPs.

      The OSHA-NHCA Alliance Web page on OSHA’s Web site features links to related documents, activities and events, products and resources, and milestones and successes. The NHCA-OSHA Alliance Web page on NHCA’s Web site features OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool and OSHA’s new SHIB, "Innovative Workplace Safety Accommodations for Hearing-Impaired Workers."

      NHCA representatives on the implementation team helped to review and revise OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation and Construction-Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics pages. OSHA-NHCA Alliance team members provided expert advice and review during the development of OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool that was launched in January 2005. The OSHA-NHCA Alliance maintains OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics pages and OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool as products of the Alliance. Please see the addendum for the NHCA members that are serving on the editorial boards for OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics pages and the Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool. In addition, NHCA members reviewed and provided comments on OSHA’s SHIB "Innovative Workplace Safety Accommodations for Hearing-Impaired Workers."

      Further, representatives from the OSHA-NHCA Alliance made presentations and exhibited at the 2005 NHCA Annual 30th Hearing Conservation Conference.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity
      (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)      		 Number of Individuals
      Reached or Trained
      Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics page 67,000
      Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool  
      September 2004 – NHCA launches expanded NHCA-OSHA Web page on the NHCA Web site Data not available
      January 31, 2005 - "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation Developed in Cooperation with the National Hearing Conservation Association," OSHA News Release 42 News Services
      January 31, 2005 - "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation" oshainstitute.com Data not available
      February 1, 2005 – "New Web Page Highlights Noise and Hearing Conservation," OSHA’s bi-weekly e-newsletter, QuickTakes 5,000
      February 1, 2005 – "OSHA Aims to Prevent Occupational Hearing Loss"
      Business and Legal Reports      		 Data not available
      February 1, 2005 – "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation" Occupational Hazards Data not available
      February 1, 2005 – "OSHA Aims to Prevent Occupational Hearing Loss"
      OSHA Defense League Compliance Newsletter      		 Data not available
      February 1, 2005 – "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation" usernomics.com Data not available
      February 9, 2005 – "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation" Association of Equipment Manufacturers Newsletter Data not available
      February 11, 2005 - "OSHA Highlights"
      WM Environmental Insights      		 Data not available
      February 14, 2005 - "Noise and Hearing Conservation eTool Unveiled"
      CCH NetNews      		 Data not available
      February 14, 2005 - "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation Developed in Cooperation with the National Hearing Conservation Association"
      Saf-T-Gardian Newsletter      		 Data not available
      February 24-26: 2005 - NHCA 30th Annual Conference, Tucson, Arizona
      Speaker: Deborah Gabry, Health Scientist, Director of Science, Technology and Medicine, USDOL-OSHA "OSHA’s Alliance Program." OSHA-NHCA Alliance shared an exhibit booth during the conference.
      		 250
      March 1, 2005 - "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation"
      The Chief Engineer      		 Data not available
      March 2005 - "OSHA Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation"
      Zephyr Newsletter      		 Data not available
      March 2005 - "OSHA Unveils Website on Hearing Conservation"
      Loss Control Insights News Releases      		 Data not available
      March 2005 - "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation"
      Facilities Management News      		 Data not available
      March 2005 - "Web Resource Addresses Occupational Noise"
      National Safety Council Safety Focus, Division Newsletter      		 Data not available
      January 31, 2005 - "OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation Developed in Cooperation with the National Hearing Conservation Association"
      OSHA News Release      		 42 News Services
      April 2005 - OSHA Unveils Web Site on Noise and Hearing Conservation
      International Occupational Health and Safety Information Centres CIS Newsletter      		 Data not available
      April 2005 - OSHA Unveils Website on Hearing Conservation
      EMC Insurance Companies – News Release      		 Data not available
      April 2005 - OSHA’s eTool to Help Prevent Hearing Loss (Manufacturers’ Association of Northwest Pennsylvania - Business Magazine Data not available
      April 2005 - OSHA Unveils Hearing Conservation Web Site (Masonry Magazine Data not available
      April 2005 - Noise and Hearing Conservation Website (American Society of Safety Engineers - Nutmeg News) Data not available
      TOTAL 72,250

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    OSHA and NHCA will discuss the potential renewal of the Alliance agreement and identify opportunities to continue to provide information, guidance, and access to training resources to protect employees’ health and safety, particularly the prevention of noise-induced hearing loss and the implementation of HCPs and HLPPs.

    NHCA will continue to work with the NASR to develop a hearing conservation NIHL brochure for indoor shooting ranges. Dr. Teresa Schultz, NHCA Education Director, volunteered to take the lead in developing the brochure because of her expertise and background as a competitive shooter.

    NHCA representatives will continue to serve on the editorial boards for OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation and Construction-Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics pages and eTool. In addition, NHCA will also review and provide comments on OSHA documents as requested.

    Report prepared by: Sandi Khan, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, July 14, 2005.

    Addendum

    NHCA representatives serving on the editorial pages for OSHA’s Noise and Hearing Conservation and Construction- Noise and Hearing Conservation Safety and Health Topics page and the OSHA Noise eTool:

    Carol M. Stephenson, National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA)
    National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH), Cincinnati OH

    Ted Madison, President, NHCA, 3M Company, St Paul, MN

    Rick Neitzel, Director of Communication, NHCA, University of Washington Dept. of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences, Seattle, WA

    Theresa Schulz, Director of Education, NHCA, Sonomax Hearing Healthcare, Fall Branch, TN

    Laurie Wells, President-Elect, NHCA, Associates In Acoustics, Loveland, CO

    Randy Tubbs, NIOSH, Cincinnati OH

    John Elmore, NHCA, Precision Hearing Conservation, Helotes, TX

    Lee Hager, NHCA, Sonomax Hearing Healthcare, Portland, MI

    Mary McDaniel, NHCA, Pacific Hearing Conservation, Inc., Seattle, WA

    Dennis Driscoll, NHCA, Associates in Acoustics, Evergreen, CO

    Deanna Meinke, NHCA, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO

    James Lankford, NHCA, Professor Emeritus, University of Northern Illinois, Dekalb, IL

    Tim Bailey, NHCA, Quest Technologies, Inc., Oconomowoc, WI