OSHA and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA)
[Formerly International Mass Retail Association (IMRA)]
Close-out Report

On March 12, 2003, OSHA and the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), formerly the International Mass Retail Association, signed an Alliance focusing on encouraging OSHA and RILA to use their collective expertise to help foster a culture of prevention while sharing best practices and technical knowledge, including the area of ergonomics. OSHA and RILA agreed to provide RILA members with information and guidance to help them protect employees' health and safety and reach out to RILA members who will benefit from mentoring or guidance in developing, implementing, or improving safety and health programs, including ergonomic programs.

After OSHA and RILA began working together to implement the goals of the Alliance, the association changed its strategic direction and agreed to conclude the Alliance as of February 28, 2005. However, the groups’ initial work together to meet the Alliance goals resulted in some successes:

• During RILA’s Loss Prevention, Auditing and Safety Conference, April 13-16, 2004: at the Wyndham Anatole, Dallas, Texas, John Miles, OSHA’s Region VI Regional Administrator made a presentation on OSHA’s regulatory and compliance assistance activities.

• On January 13, 2004 at the RILA 2004 Logistics Conference, Disney Yacht and Beach Club Resort, Orlando, Florida, Jason Todd, Manager, Government Affairs, RILA, made a presentation; "RILA - OSHA Alliance." Mr. Todd's presentation focused on the recent history of the ergonomics debate and outlined the outreach and assistance OSHA has demonstrated with the business industry. In addition, the presentation discussed the basics of the Alliance RILA signed with OSHA on March 12, 2003 and the two organizations' efforts to share best practices in retail distribution centers.

• On March 12, 2003: OSHA’s then Assistant Secretary, John Henshaw, addressed the RILA's Loss Prevention, Auditing and Safety Conference in Washington, DC immediately prior to signing the OSHA-IMRA Alliance. During his presentation, he discussed OSHA's strategies including strong, fair and effective enforcement; outreach, education and compliance assistance; and partnerships and cooperative programs.

As of March 31, 2005