NTSP - Alliance Annual Report - April 19, 2006

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and
National Telecommunications Safety Panel
April 19, 2006

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    February 26, 2004

    Evaluation Period

    February 26, 2005 – February 25, 2006

    Overview

    OSHA's Alliance with NTSP 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
    Brently Donaldson
    Office of Training and Education
    Lee Anne Jillings
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Beth Sherfy
    OOSA
    Joanna Snzajder
    Directorate of Standards and Guidance

    NTSP:

    Eric Allager
    Sprint Nextel
    Lynn Alpaugh
    AT&T
    Frank Bannister
    Sprint Nextel
    Art Farmer
    Cincinnati Bell
    Kent Kunce
    AT&T
    Denise Lewis
    Cingular
    John Quinlan
    Verizon
    Marie Robinson
    AT&T
    Marshall Berry
    BellSouth
    Kathy Turner
    BellSouth

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    January 26, 2006
    Implementation Team Meeting, Teleconference
    December 6, 2005
    Implementation Team Meeting, Teleconference
    August 16, 2005
    Implementation Team Meeting, Teleconference
    May 18, 2005
    Implementation Team Meeting, Teleconference

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Training and Education Goals

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

        During this reporting period, OSHA and NTSP did not work on projects to address this goal.

      Outreach and Communication Goals

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

      Products

      OSHA and NTSP Alliance Web Page

      OSHA continues to update the OSHA and NTSP Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site. The Web page features links to the Alliance agreement and related documents, information on activities and events, and milestones and successes. During the evaluation period, the Web page was updated to include information about Brett Besser's presentation on ergonomics at the 2005 International Telecommunications Safety Conference in St. Louis, Missouri on September 13, 2005. For information on the number of visits to the OSHA-SCHC Alliance Web page, please see the Alliance Program Reach table.

      NTSP Web Site

      NTSP features information about the OSHA and NTSP Alliance including a link to the OSHA and NTSP Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site.

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

      Events

      2005 Applied Ergonomics Conference Pre-Conference workshop in New Orleans, LA, March 21- 23, 2005.

      On March 21, 2005, Marie Robinson, Ergonomist SBC Communications, spoke during a 4 hour workshop about Ergonomics and the OSHA Alliance with the NTSP.

      2005 International Telecommunications Safety Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, September 13-15, 2005

      On September 13, 2005, Brett Besser, Ergonomist, Salt Lake Technical Center, USDOL-OSHA, spoke at the 2005 International Telecommunications Safety Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Besser gave an Ergonomics Alliance Update and an Ergonomics Technical Update to 50 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.

      Events

      2005 International Telecommunications Safety Conference, St. Louis, Missouri, September 13-15, 2005

      Two OSHA staff from the Agency's Region VII St. Louis, Missouri Area Office attended the 2005 International Telecommunications Safety Conference in St. Louis, Missouri to learn about ergonomics in the telecommunications industry.

      Ergonomics Design, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri, October 3, 2005

      On October 3, 2005, Frank Bannister, EHS Programs & Ergonomics Manager Sprint Nextel, made a presentation on Nextel's approach to ergonomics that included information on the OSHA and NTSP Alliance to 12 students in Central Missouri State University's Ergonomics Design course.

      • 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's Ergonomics Guidelines for Common Job Functions in the Telecommunications Industry

      During the February 2005 and February 2006 timeframe, the NTSP made many additions to the Ergonomics Guidelines for Common Job Functions in the Telecommunications Industry. The items added to the guideline are the Glossary of Terms and Exercises for the Office Environment and 9 additional job functions; Handling Equipment in Aerial Operations, Handling Compressed Gas Cylinders, Sawing a Utility Pole, Writing in a Computer Environment, Wireless Retail Operations, Shoveling, Climbing Ladders in the Central Office, and Laptop use. OSHA ergonomist provided reviewed and provided comments on the guidelines' new sections. The guidelines are available on NTSP's Web site and the OSHA website links to the OSHA and NTSP Alliance Web page

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

        During this reporting period, OSHA and SCHC did not work on 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.

        During this reporting period, OSHA and SCHC did not work on projects to address this goal.

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

        During this reporting period, OSHA and SCHC did not work on 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.

        During this reporting period, OSHA and SCHC did not work on projects to address this goal.

    2. Executive Summary

      During the 2005-2006 reporting period, OSHA and NTSP worked on drafting the Alliance renewal agreement to continue 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.

      Through the Alliance Program, OSHA and NTSP developed several resources with information about the Alliance and ergonomics. The OSHA and NTSP Web site on OSHA's Web page provides links to the Alliance agreement, related documents, activities and events, and milestones and successes. NTSP maintains a Web page with information about the Alliance and links to OSHA's Web site. In addition, the OSHA and NTSP Alliance updated NTSP's Ergonomics Guidelines for Common Job Functions in the Telecommunications Industry, adding 9 additional job functions and a Glossary of terms and Exercises for the Office Environment.

      Through the Alliance, OSHA and NTSP shared information through identified speaking opportunities. On September 13, 2005, Brett Besser, Ergonomist, Salt Lake Technical Center, spoke at the 2005 International Telecommunications Safety Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. Besser gave an Ergonomics Alliance Update and an Ergonomics Technical Update to 50 attendees. In addition, NTSP invited two OSHA representatives from the Agency's St. Louis, Missouri Area Office to attend the conference as part of the Alliance's efforts to cross-train OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals in NTSP ergonomic best practices.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.) Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and NTSP Web page on OSHA's Web site 4,649
      NTSP's Web site 650,000
      NTSP's Ergonomics Guidelines for Common Job Functions in the Telecommunications Industry Data Not Available
      September 13, 2005, “Ergonomics Alliance Update and Ergonomics Technical Update,” St. Louis, Missouri
      Speaker: Brett Besser, OSHA      		 50
      October 3, 2006, Ergonomics Design Course, Central Missouri State University, Warrensburg, Missouri
      Speaker: Frank Bannister, Sprint Nextel      		 12
      March 21, 2005, Ergonomics Workshop during the Applied Ergonomics Conference held in New Orleans, LA.
      Speaker: Marie Robinson, SBC Communications      		 25
      TOTAL 654,736

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the coming year, OSHA and NTSP will renew the Alliance agreement and continue to promote awareness of the Program and ergonomics in the telecommunication industry. The renewal agreement will revise the goals to more accurately reflect the organization's areas of interest. The Alliance implementation team members will also continue to maintain and update the OSHA and NTSP Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site and NTSP's Alliance-related Web page. Representatives from OSHA will promote the Alliance and hazard communication through speeches at meetings such as NTSP's 2006 International Telecommunications Safety Conference. In addition, Frank Bannister will discuss the OSHA and NTSP Alliance during a presentation to students in the Ergonomic Design course at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri on March 3, 2006.

    OSHA and NTSP will also work together to update NTSP's Ergonomics Guidelines for Common Job Functions in the Telecommunications Industry with additional job functions. In addition, the group will develop telecommunications-related safety and health products such as eTools, fact sheets and case studies. In addition, NTSP will review articles prepared by the Alliance Program on issues such as OSHA's Hispanic outreach resources, workplace violence and a drug-free workplace to identify if the association will post the articles on its Web site or if its members will publish the articles in their company magazines and newsletters.

Report prepared by: Elizabeth Sherfy, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, April 19, 2006.