NTSP - Alliance Annual Report - April 14, 2005

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the
National Telecommunications Safety Panel (NTSP)
April 14, 2005

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    February 26, 2004

    Evaluation Period

    February 26, 2004 – February 25, 2005

    Overview

    The OSHA-NTSP Alliance focuses on providing telecommunications employees with information, guidance and access to training resources and sharing best practices and technical knowledge to address ergonomic issues in the telecommunications industry.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Brett Besser
    Salt Lake Technical Center (SLTC)
    Bob Curtis
    SLTC
    Brently Donaldson
    Office of Training and Education
    Earl Hicks
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Jess McCluer
    OOSA
    Beth Sherfy
    OOSA
    Joanna Sznjader
    Office of Physical Hazards and Others

    NTSP:

    Eric Allgaier
    Lynn Alpaugh
    Frank Bannister
    Mary Beam
    Kent Kunce
    John Quinlan
    Marie Robinson
    Charles Slagle

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    February 26, 2004
    Kick-off Meeting, OSHA, Washington, DC
    May 18, 2004
    Meeting, OSHA, Washington, DC

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Training and Education

      • Develop training on ergonomics in the telecommunications industry to be jointly delivered, by NTSP and OSHA, at the annual International Telecommunications Safety Conference.

        The OSHA and NTSP Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      Outreach and Communication

      • Develop and share ergonomics information through print and electronic media, including links from the OSHA and NTSP Web sites.

      Products

      OSHA and NTSP Alliance Website

      OSHA developed an OSHA and NTSP Alliance Web site that is posted on the Agency's Web page that includes the OSHA and NTSP Alliance agreement, link to the NTSP Voluntary Ergonomic Guidelines for the Telecommunications Industry, news releases, and milestones and successes. This Web site is updated on a regular basis.

      NTSP Web site (www.telsafe.org)

      The NTSP Web site has included information on the OSHA and NTSP Alliance on its Web site.

      OSHA Safety and Health Topics page

      A link to the NTSP Voluntary Guidelines for the Telecommunication Industry was added to OSHA's Ergonomic Safety and Health Topics page.

      Publications and Newsletters

      Information and news releases on the OSHA and NTSP Alliance signing and the activities of the Alliance have appeared in a number of printed and online publications, including: BNA Occupational Health and Safety Reporter, Facility Safety Management and InsideHealthPolicy.com. For more information on the articles, please the "Alliance Program Reach" table.

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at conferences such as the International Telecommunications Safety Conference, local meetings, or other events.

      Events

      NTSP 2004 International Telecommunications Safety Conference, September 21-23, 2004, Golden, CO

      Pamela Baptiste, Senior Industrial Hygienist, Region VIII, USDOL-OSHA, staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and made a presentation on ergonomics to over 60 attendees.

      • Cross-train OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals in NTSP ergonomic best practices and/or effective approaches, as jointly determined by OSHA and NTSP.

        The OSHA and NTSP Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      • Share information on ergonomic best practices, as jointly determined by OSHA and the NTSP, with others in the industry through outreach by NTSP.

      Products

      NTSP Voluntary Ergonomic Guidelines for Telecommunications Industry

      OSHA reviewed the April 2004 version of the NTSP Voluntary Ergonomic Guidelines for the Telecommunications Industry and provided comments. OSHA's comments were incorporated into the September 2004 version of the manual. In addition, a letter from then Assistant Secretary John Henshaw was included in the guidelines. In the letter, Mr. Henshaw congratulates NTSP for taking the time to develop ergonomic guidelines for the telecommunications industry.

      • Work with other Alliance participants who are addressing ergonomics, especially in the telecommunications industry.

        The OSHA and NTSP 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

      • Raise others' awareness of and demonstrate their own commitment to workplace ergonomics whenever NTSP leaders address groups.

        The OSHA and NTSP Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      • Share information on ergonomic case studies performed within the telecommunications industry and publicize the results.

        The OSHA and NTSP Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

      • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on ergonomics issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace.

        The OSHA and NTSP Alliance Implementation Team has not started work on programs or projects to address this goal.

    2. Executive Summary

      Prior to signing the OSHA-NTSP Alliance, NTSP had already developed a working relationship with the Agency. Kim Lazor then Special Assistant to Assistant Secretary John Hensaw and then Deputy Assistant Secretary Gary Visscher made respective presentations at the 2002 and 2003 NTSP International Telecommunications Safety Conference on OSHA's four-pronged approach to ergonomics.

      While the implementation team met only two times during the Alliance's first year, OSHA and NTSP developed a productive working relationship. OSHA learned more about ergonomic best practices in the telecommunications industry and NTSP learned more about the ergonomic compliance assistance resources that the Agency has developed. This information was disseminated to NTSP members and others through the OSHA and NTSP Web pages and publications such as BNA Occupational Health and Safety Reporter, Facility Safety Management and InsideHealthPolicy.com. In addition, through the Alliance, the NTSP members had the opportunity to hear from OSHA's regional staff about ergonomics. Examples of these activities include:

      • On September 21, 2004, Pamela Baptiste, Senior Industrial Hygienist, Region VIII, USDOL-OSHA, staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and made a presentation on ergonomics at the 2004 International Telecommunications Safety Conference.

      • OSHA reviewed the April 2004 version of the NTSP Voluntary Ergonomic Guidelines for the Telecommunications Industry and provided comments that were incorporated into the September 2004 version of the manual.

      During the past year, the OSHA and NTSP's Alliance implementation team has also discussed working with other ergonomic-related Alliances to develop material on upper body muscoskeletal disorders; develop success stories on the impact of the NTSP Voluntary Ergonomic Guidelines for the Telecommunications Industry in the telecommunications industry; and develop twelve new job functions and a new module that would focus on the activities within retail stores for the NTSP's guidelines.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and NTSP Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site 3,600
      NTSP Web site – Link to Alliance Agreement Data Not Available
      Ergonomics Safety and Health Topics page 395,202
      September 21-23, 2004 – NTSP 2004 International Telecommunications Safety Conference 60
      September 21, 2004 – NTSP 2004 International Telecommunications Safety Conference

      Speaker: Pamela Baptiste, Senior Industrial Hygienist, Region VIII USDOL-OSHA      		 60
      September 2, 2004 – "Citing Lack of Ergo Enforcement, Union Refused to Join Alliance," InsideHealthPolicy.com Data Not Available
      March 8, 2004 – "OSHA Signs Ergonomics Alliance with Telecommunications Industry," InsideHealthPolicy.com Data Not Available
      March 5, 2004 – "OSHA Alliance with Telecommunications Safety Panel Focuses on Ergonomics," Facility Safety Management Data Not Available
      March 4, 2004 – "OSHA Aligns With Telecommunications Industry," BNA Occupational Health and Safety Reporter Data Not Available
      March 1, 2004 – OSHA includes information on the OSHA/NTSP Alliance signing in its bi-weekly e-newsletter; QuickTakes 38,000
      February 27, 2004 – "OSHA and Telecommunications Industry Align for Ergonomics," Facility Safety Management Data Not Available
      February 26, 2004 – OSHA press release announcing Alliance 25 News Services
      TOTAL 436,922

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    The OSHA and NTSP Alliance Implementation Team has discussed a number of activities that will be further pursued in the upcoming year. NTSP would like to continue to work with OSHA to develop success stories on the impact of the NTSP Voluntary Ergonomic Guidelines for Telecommunications Industry in the telecommunications industry.

    In addition, NTSP would like to work with other ergonomic-related Alliances to develop material on upper body muscoskeletal disorders and develop twelve new job functions and a new module that would focus on the activities within retail stores for the NTSP Voluntary Ergonomic Guidelines for Telecommunications Industry.

    NTSP has expressed interest in participating in an OSHA Alliance Program Ergonomic Roundtable for ergonomic-related National Alliances. In addition, NTSP has volunteered to host their own ergonomic industry workgroup for ergonomic-related National Alliances.

    NTSP member John Quinlan has volunteered to participate in the September 22, 2005 ergonomic-related workshop titled, "Successes of OSHA's Ergonomic Alliances" at the September 21-23, 2005 National Safety Congress in Orlando, Florida. The workshop will include representatives from OSHA and the Alliance Program and provide a brief overview of the Alliance Program and discuss the products and activities that have been developed to address ergonomic-related issues.

    Finally, NTSP would like to invite an OSHA representative to make a presentation on ergonomics at the 2005 International Telecommunications Safety Conference, September 13-15, 2005 in St. Louis, MO.

Report prepared by: Jess McCluer, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, April 14, 2005