ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the
National Shipbuilding Research Program (NSRP)
August 4, 2004

1. Alliance Background

   Date Signed

   July 15, 2003

   Overview

   The Alliance focuses on using OSHA's and NSRP's collective expertise to help advance a culture of injury and illness prevention while sharing best practices and technical knowledge and promoting safe and healthful working conditions for shipbuilding and ship repair employees. The goals of the Alliance include:

   Training and education:

   • Provide recommendations on how to improve shipbuilding-related training and education courses

   Outreach and communication:

   • Develop and disseminate information, including injury and hazard information, at conferences, events, or through print and electronic media, including links from OSHA's and NSRP's Web sites.

   • Cross-train OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals in NSRP's best practices or effective approaches, as jointly determined by OSHA and NSRP. Promote and encourage NSRP team members' participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance and the Voluntary Protection Programs, Consultation, and SHARP as appropriate.

   • Create and update electronic assistance tools for OSHA's Web page that address shipbuilding and ship repair safety and health hazards.

   • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects for the maritime industry that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

   Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health:

   • Share information on NSRP team members' worksites best practices, as jointly determined by OSHA and NSRP, with others in the maritime industry through outreach by NSRP and through OSHA or NSRP developed training programs and materials.

   • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings to help develop innovative solutions to shipbuilding and ship repair hazards in the workplace and to provide input on safety and health issues.

   Implementation Team Members

   NSRP:

   Dan Nadeau

   Vice-Chair, Safety and Health Advisory Committee (SHAC)

   Thresa Nelson

   Chair, SHAC

   OSHA:

   Steve Butler

   Office of Maritime Enforcement

   Bob Curtis

   Program Support Division, Salt Lake Technical Center (SLTC)

   Kristi Dearing

   Program Support Division, SLTC

   Debra Gabry

   Office of Science and Technology Assessment

   Earl Hicks

   Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)

   Jim Maddux

   Office of Maritime Standards

   Jess McCluer

   OOSA

   Clyde Payne

   Region IV, Jackson Area Director

   Tom Pope

   Region III, Norfolk Area Director

   Lisa Ramber

   OOSA

   Amy Wangdahl

   Office of Maritime Standards

   Evaluation Period:

   July 15, 2003 – July 14, 2004

2. Implementation Team Meetings

   July 15-17, 2003   August 21, 2003   November 6, 2003   November 18-20, 2003   March 10, 2003

   Shipyard Employment eTool Editorial Board Meeting, Pascagoula, MS   Joint Kick-off meeting with American Shipbuilding Association (ASA) Alliance, OSHA, Washington, DC   Joint Meeting with ASA, OSHA, Washington, DC   Shipyard Employment eTool Editorial Board Meeting, New Orleans, LA   Joint Meeting with ASA and Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA) Alliance, Pascagoula, MS

3. Events and Products

   Outreach and Communication

   Products:

   • Shipyard Employment eTool

     OSHA and NSRP, together with the ASA and the SCA Alliances, are providing input in the development of OSHA's Shipyard Employment eTool that will provide information and guidance to help protect shipyard employees' health and safety by minimizing or eliminating exposure to shipyard safety and health hazards.

     The Shipyard Employment eTool describes common hazards and possible solutions for tasks performed during the maritime industries' ship repair, ship building, ship breaking, and barge cleaning processes. The Shipyard Employment eTool's Ship Repair module was completed and posted to OSHA's Web site in 2003. Further, the Ship Building, Ship Breaking, and Barge Cleaning modules are under development. Thresa Nelson is a member of the Shipyard Employment eTool Editorial Board.

     The Ship Building, Ship Breaking, and Barge Cleaning modules are expected to be completed by the end of FY04.

     Articles about the Alliance's participation in the development of the eTool were included in both the March 2004 and June 2004 issues of the Alliance Quarterly Review.

   • Maritime Industry Safety and Health Topics Page Editorial Board

     Thresa Nelson is a member of the OSHA Maritime Industry Safety and Health Topics page Editorial Board.

   • OSHA and NSRP Alliance Web Page

     The OSHA and NSRP Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site contains information on the Alliance, Products and Resources, Activities and Events, and Milestones and Successes. The page is updated regularly.

   • Media Coverage

     - July 15, 2003 - OSHA distributed a news release announcing the Alliance

     - July 15, 2003 - OSHA includes information on the OSHA/ASA Alliance signing in its bi-weekly e-newsletter; QuickTakes.

     - July 16, 2003 - Northrop Grumman Ship Systems distributed a news release announcing the Alliance.

     - July 21, 2003 - "OSHA Seeks to Shore Up Shipyard Safety Through New Alliances" Insidehealthpolicy.com.

     - March 8, 2004 - "MACOSH Workgroups Propose New Rules, Outreach Efforts at Meeting" Insidehealthpolicy.com.

     - March 11, 2004 - "MACOSH Approves Recommendations Including Ergonomics, Outreach, Regulations" BNA Occupational Health and Safety Reporter

     - May 15, 2004 - "MACOSH to Discuss Proposed Rule On Hexavalent Chromium at Next Meeting" BNA Occupational Safety and Health Reporter.

     Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health

     Specific activities have not yet been planned to meet the Alliance goals of promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health. These goals will continue to be discussed by the Implementation Team during the Alliance's second year.

4. Results

   Once the Shipyard Employment eTool's Ship Building, Ship Breaking, and Barge Cleaning modules are posted on the OSHA public Web page, one of the Outreach and Communications goals of the Alliance will be achieved. This includes making employers and employees in the shipbuilding industry aware of industry hazards along with relevant reference materials including training materials in order to help reduce exposure to safety and health hazards in the shipbuilding industry.

   In addition to the Shipyard Employment eTool, the Implementation Team is currently in the process of working on several different projects, including providing input into the development of OSHA's Safety and Health Injury Prevention Sheet(s) (SHIPS) and Fatality Videos, a panel presentation at the National Safety Congress (NSC) and a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) Seminar.

   Through the Alliance Program, NSRP, along with the other maritime Alliances, ASA and SCA, will offer their expertise in the development of OSHA's Safety and Health Injury Prevention Sheet(s) that will cover topics such as rigging and ship fitting. ASA, NSRP and SCA will help with the development of Fatality Videos, which will be computer animated hazard awareness videos based on actual shipyard fatalities.

   A representative from the NSRP Alliance plans to participate in a Shipyard Alliances workshop, along with representatives from the ASA and SCA Alliances and OSHA, which will take place at the NSC in September 2004. The workshop will focus on the products developed through the Alliance Program.

   Representatives from the Directorates of Cooperative and State Programs, Enforcement Programs and Standards and Guidance along with representatives from Region III and Region IV have worked with NSRP to develop products through the Alliance. These products include the Shipyard Employment eTool modules along with the presentation at the September 2004 NSC workshop. Both OSHA and NSRP representatives have indicated that, through the development of these products, they have gained valuable information that will be used as day-to-day business is conducted.

   ASA representative, Jim Thornton is Chairman of the Maritime Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (MACOSH). NSRP representative, Dan Nadeau and SCA representative, Teresa Preston are also members of the committee. As a result, Lee Anne Jillings, Director, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances made presentations at the March 2004 and June 2004 MACOSH meetings to provide an update on the activities of the Alliances.

   Finally, the Alliance is the process of developing the agenda for a VPP Seminar, similar to the one held by the Airline Industry Alliance in July 2003, to be held in conjunction with an SCA Alliance Safety Seminar in New Orleans, LA in September 2004. This project will address the Outreach and Communication goal of the Alliance by promoting participation in OSHA's cooperative programs. NSRP member Northrop Grumman Ship Systems – Newport News will participate in the seminar as it is one of two shipyards participating in VPP.

   Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)	Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
   OSHA and NSRP Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site	2476 (Note: The count includes data from Oct. 2003 to June 2004)
   May 15, 2004 - "MACOSH to Discuss Proposed Rule On Hexavalent Chromium at Next Meeting" BNA Occupational Safety and Health Reporter	Data Not Available
   March 11, 2004 - "MACOSH Approves Recommendations Including Ergonomics, Outreach, Regulations" BNA Occupational Health and Safety Reporter	Data Not Available
   March 8, 2004 - "MACOSH Workgroups Propose New Rules, Outreach Efforts at Meeting", Insidehealthpolicy.com	Data Not Available
   July 16, 2003 - Northrop Grumman Ship Systems distributed a news release announcing the Alliance	Data Not Available
   July 15, 2003 - OSHA includes information on the OSHA/ASA Alliance signing in its bi-weekly e-newsletter; QuickTakes	38,000
   July 15, 2003 - OSHA distributed a news release announcing the Alliance	25 News Services
   Maritime Industries Safety and Health Topics page	6116 (Note: The count includes data from Oct. 2003 to June 2004)
   Shipyard Employment eTool	2713 (Note: The count includes data from Oct. 2003 to June 2004)
   TOTAL	49,305

5. Upcoming Milestones

   Through the Alliance Program, NSRP, along with the other maritime Alliances, ASA and SCA, will offer their expertise in the development of OSHA's Safety and Health Injury Prevention Sheet(s) that will cover topics such as rigging and ship fitting. ASA, NSRP and SCA will help with the development of Fatality Videos, which will be computer animated hazard awareness videos based on actual shipyard fatalities.

   NSRP representatives will continue to serve on the Maritime Industry Safety and Health Topics pages and work with the Shipyard Employment eTool Editorial Board to complete development of the Ship Building, Ship Breaking, and Barge Cleaning modules. Should funding be available in FY '05, additional modules of the Shipyard Employment eTool such as Fire Protection and Test Yourself will be developed with input from ASA and the other maritime Alliances.

   NSRP will continue to hold joint Implementation Team meetings with ASA and SCA along with representatives from the Directorates of Cooperative and State Programs, Enforcement Programs and Standards and Guidance and Region III and Region IV.

   A representative from the NSRP Alliance will participate in a Shipyard Alliances workshop, along with representatives from the ASA and SCA Alliances and OSHA, which will take place at the National Safety Congress in September 2004. The workshop will focus on the products developed through the Alliance Program.

   Finally, the Alliance is the process of developing the agenda for a VPP Seminar, similar to the one held by the Airline Industry Alliance in July 2003, to be held in conjunction with an SCA Alliance Safety Seminar in New Orleans, LA in September 2004. NSRP member Northrop Grumman Ship Systems – Newport News will participate in the seminar, as it is one of two shipyards participating in VPP.

Report prepared by: Jess McCluer, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, August 4, 2004