Through the Alliance, OSHA and SCA will provide SCA members and others in the shipbuilding industry, including non-English or limited English speaking employees, with information and guidance that will help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to shipyard safety and health hazards such as electrical, welding/hotwork, and ergonomics, and in promoting hearing conservation. The goals of the Alliance include:
Outreach and communication
- Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and SCA's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
- Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding SCA best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by SCA and through OSHA- or SCA-developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
- Promote and encourage SCA members' participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Programs, and the On-site Consultation Program and its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.
Promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health
- Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on shipyard safety and health hazards, including ergonomics, to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace.

Jim Thornton, Director of Environmental, Health and Safety at Northrop Grumman Corporation and representing the American Shipbuilding Association, an Alliance Program participant, describing the maritime industry's unique regulatory requirements during his presentation at OSHA's Small Business Forum: "Safety and Health Issues in the Maritime Industry" held September 14, 2007 in Washington, DC. Terry Preston, Director of Safety, Environmental & Quality at Atlantic Marine, LLC in Mobile, AL, representing the SCA, presented "Small to Medium Sized Shipyard Challenges and Opportunities" during the Forum.
Products and Resources
Alliance Program Participant Developed Products
- Safety Alert: Control of Hazardous Energy - Lockout/Tagout (LO/TO) Procedures in Shipyard Employment (PDF), Spanish (Spanish - PDF). Through the OSHA and Shipbuilders Council of America, National Shipbuilding Research Program, and American Shipbuilding Association Alliances (now the Shipbuilding Group Alliance) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association and American Society of Safety Engineers Alliances, the participants developed a safety alert providing tips and reminders to control the release of hazardous energy through LO/TO procedures in shipyard building and repair. (Spanish translation 2010, December 01).
- Safety Alert: Electrocution and Shock Hazards in Shipyard Employment (PDF), Spanish (Spanish - PDF). Through the OSHA and Shipbuilders Council of America, National Shipbuilding Research Program, and American Shipbuilding Association Alliances (now the Shipbuilding Group Alliance) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association and American Society of Safety Engineers Alliances, the participants developed a safety alert providing tips and reminders about electrical shock hazards that may be present in shipbuilding and repair and includes information on preventing and eliminating the hazards. (Spanish translation 2010, December 01).
- Safety Alert: Prevention of Ventilation Hazards in Shipyard Employment (PDF), Spanish (Spanish - PDF). Through the OSHA and Shipbuilding Group Alliance and the American Industrial Hygiene Association and American Society of Safety Engineers Alliances, the participants developed a safety alert addressing the prevention of ventilation-related hazards in shipyard employment, including possible solutions to prevent injuries during the job. (Spanish translation 2012, June 01).
- Safety Alert: Shipyard Sewage and Hydrogen Sulfide (PDF). Through the OSHA and Shipbuilders Council of America, National Shipbuilding Research Program, and American Shipbuilding Association Alliances (now the Shipbuilding Group Alliance) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association and American Society of Safety Engineers Alliances, the participants developed a safety alert designed to make both shipyard employers and employees aware of the hazards of sewage systems on both ships and shipyard shore facilities and how to prevent accidents involving hydrogen sulfide gas.
- Safety Alert: Welding and Other Hot Work Procedures in Shipyard Employment (PDF), Spanish (Spanish - PDF). Through the OSHA and Shipbuilders Council of America, National Shipbuilding Research Program, and American Shipbuilding Association Alliances (now the Shipbuilding Group Alliance) and the American Industrial Hygiene Association and American Society of Safety Engineers Alliances, the participants developed a safety alert focusing on welding and hot work in shipyard employment, including tips and reminders to help maintain a safe work environment by identifying situations and hazards associated with hot work. (Spanish translation 2010, December).
- Toolbox Talks: Hearing Conservation in the Shipbuilding Industry (PDF). Through the OSHA and Shipbuilders Council of America, National Shipbuilding Research Program, American Shipbuilding Association, (now the Shipbuilding Group Alliance) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and National Hearing Conservation Association Alliances, the participants developed a series of toolbox talks focusing on hearing conservation issues, including shipbuilding noise levels and selecting hearing protection.
OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages
OSHA eTools
Success Stories
- OSHA Region IV Mobile, Alabama Area Office Alliance Develops Courses in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Maritime Industry. OSHA's Region IV Mobile, Alabama Area Office, along with its OSHA and Gulf Coast Maritime Safety Alliance and the University of South Florida and representatives from national maritime-related Alliances, developed the OSHA Maritime Industry Outreach Training Program. Through the program, trainers are authorized to teach 10-hour or 30-hour safety and health hazard recognition and prevention classes in Shipyard Employment (including ship repairing, shipbuilding, and shipbreaking), Marine Terminals, and Longshoring. OSHA..
Publications and Newsletters
- Shipyard Chronicle, Winter 2007. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "SCA Partners with ASSE to promote NAOSH Week" that describes the American Society of Safety Engineer's 2007 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week from May 6-12, 2007.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Winter 2007. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "SCA Participates on OSHA Small Business Roundtable" that describes the February 1, 2007 Alliance Program Small Business Roundtable meeting.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Winter 2007. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "OSHA Issues Shipyard Abrasive Blasting Guidance Document " that describes the Shipyard Abrasive Blasting Guidance document that was released in January 2007.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Winter 2007. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "OSHA Updates Guidance on Avian Flu" describing the OSHA Guidance Update on Protecting Employees from Avian Flu Viruses document that was released in October 2006.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Winter 2007. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "OSHA Makes the Business Case for Safety and Health " that describes the development of the Safety and Health topics Web page titled, Making the Business Case for Safety and Health.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Winter 2007. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "OSHA Issues Shipyard Abrasive Blasting Guidance Document " that describes the Shipyard Abrasive Blasting Guidance document that was released in January 2007.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Fall 2006. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "OSHA Posts Fire Protection Module" that describes the addition of the Fire Protection Module to OSHA's interactive Web-based training tool, the Shipyard Employment eTool.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Fall 2006. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "OSHA Seeks Comments On Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS)" that describes the October 25, 2006 Alliance Program Hazard Communication Roundtable's Promoting the GHS Workgroup meeting.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Fall 2006. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "SCA Member Bay Shipbuilding Co. Hosts Fall Safety Seminar" that describes a presentation made by Mel Lischefski, Director, Region V, Appleton, Wisconsin Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, on the revised hexavalent chromium standard to 25 shipyard safety and health professionals during the seminar.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Summer 2006. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "SCA Joins Industry and Regulatory Groups to Produce Hydrogen Sulfide Alert" that describes the Safety Alert: Shipyard Sewage and Hydrogen Sulfide, which is a product of the Alliances that OSHA signed with the American Industrial Hygiene Association, the American Shipbuilding Association, the National Shipbuilding Research Program, and the Shipbuilders Council of America.
- Shipyard Chronicle, Spring 2006. This edition of SCA's quarterly publication includes an article, "SCA Members Join OSHA to Write eTool Module" that describes the development of the Fire Protection Module for OSHA's Shipyard Employment eTool.
Related Alliances
- Region X Alliance with the Shipbuilders Council of America. originally signed October 22, 2002; renewed October 22, 2003.