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ANNUAL Montana Utility
Coordinating Council (MUCC) ALLIANCE REPORT
October 18, 2005
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Alliance Background
This alliance was originally formulated between the two parties to heighten the awareness of the
OSHA rules and regulations as applied to excavation, trenching, and underground utility lines that
apply to contractors throughout the state of Montana and to recognize and promote the Montana laws
regarding contractor usage of the ‘Call Before You Dig” campaign. In the past several years
contractors have been ignoring the Montana laws and the OSHA regulations thus resulting in several
“hits” of underground utility lines causing, and on occasion, disrupting services to home owners,
businesses, and private property owners. In the past twelve months there have been at least two
incidences that caused severe damage to private homes.
It is the intention of both parties, the OSHA Billings Area Office and the Montana Utilities
Coordinating Council (MUCC), to renew this agreement for an additional two years.
Date Signed Original Alliance Agreement:
October 2, 2003
Date Signed 1st Extension of Alliance Agreement
October 8, 2004 – Expired October 2, 2005
Overview:
Both parties agreed to promote the other party during outreach, training sessions, presentations,
booths, seminars, electronic mailings, media, and personal communications.
Members of Implementation Team
Bud Criner, MUCC
David DiTommasso, OSHA Area Director
Michael Foreman, OSHA Compliance Assistance
Specialist
Ross Yeager, OSHA Area Director
Contributors
None noted in agreement nor added
Evaluation Period
October 3, 2004 through October 2005
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Implementation Team Meetings
10/02/03: Signing of the original Alliance in the Billings Area Office
10/18/04: Signed the first renewal/extension for one year
11/16/04: Meeting with MUCC
12/06/05: MUCC training to BAO CSHO staff
02/11/05: Phone Call with MUCC
02/28/05: Meeting with MUCC
04/21/05: Phone Call with MUCC
05/18/05: Phone Call with MUCC
06/03/05: Phone Call with MUCC
06/08/05: Phone Call with MUCC
07/12/05: Phone Call with MUCC
08/15/05: Phone Call with MUCC
09/26/05: Meeting with MUCC
09/27/05: Meeting with MUCC
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Events and Products
Training and Education
Bud Criner, MUCC, represented the Alliance at over 80 meetings with contractors and associations
throughout Montana
The Billings Area Office , CAS, represented the Alliance at over 20 presentations to companies,
associations, and contractors throughout Montana
Power point presentations by OSHA and MUCC
Outreach letters by MUCC
Laminated outreach materials by MUCC
Outreach and Communication
> Events: OSHA
10/12/04: Training/Colstrip
10/15/04: Presentation/BAO
10/26/04: Speech/Teton Nat Park
11/09/04: Training/Colstrip
11/16/04: Speech/Missoula
11/30/04: Presentation/Crow Agency
12/02/04: Presentation/Missoula
12/15/04: Presentation/Crow Agency
02/02/05: Presentation/Denver
02/11/05: Presentation/Billings
02/25/05: Speech/Belgrade
02/26/05: Speech/Missoula
03/04/05: Booth/Billings
03/05/05: Presentation/Billings
03/10/05: Presentation/Kalispell
03/10/05: Presentation/Kalispell
03/17/05: Presentation/Billings
03/22/05: Speech/Missoula
03/24/05: Speech/Missoula
04/07/05: Speech/Butte
04/26/05: Presentation/Big Timber
05/09/05: Training/ BAO
06/15/05: Training/Glacier Park
06/21/05: Training/Yellowstone Park
07/21/05: Presentation/Darby
07/27/05: Presentation/Teton Park
08/11/05: Presentation/Crow Agency
09/14/05: Training/Yellowstone Park
> Events: MUCC
MUCC conducted over 40 presentations throughout Montana to over 500 contractors, sub-contractors,
owners, and operators.
Products: OSHA
Quarterly electronic newsletter to 205 subscribers
Distributed by the MUCC and the Billings Area Office copies of the Trench Safety Awareness Training
CD made by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and NIOSH to promote trenching safety.
Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
At virtually every outreach session conducted by Mike Foreman, Compliance Assistance Specialist, and
by Bud Criner, MUCC, the Alliance was presented and discussed. Contractors, sub-contractors, owners,
and operators in the state were represented at each outreach session. An estimated 750 people were
in attendance during the past 12 months.
Training/education: Bud Criner conducted over 40 outreach and training sessions throughout the year
to contractors and sub contractors in Montana
Print/Electronic Media: The OSHA Area Office on a quarterly basis emailed to 206 subscribers a
newsletter with references made to our alliance and the “Call Before You Dig:” campaign
Speak/Exihibit: OSHA made over 20 speeches and presentations to contractors, groups, associations,
and students defining the hazards associated with trenches and excavations. MUCC conducted over 40
presentations to contractors. MUCC attended 4 conventions and displayed materials and written
information to contractors. The OSHA Area Office attended two conventions displaying written
materials and information.
Promote OSHA Programs: MUCC promoted partnerships, alliances, and VPP at all presentations.
Share Information: In October of 2005 the Billings Area Office consulted with the MUCC on a recent
gas line explosion that injured a member of the public. Both the MUCC and OSHA are sharing
information on this incident.
In May of 2005 Bud Criner presented to the Billings Area Office Compliance and Administration staff
an in depth review of the One Call operation and explained the intricacies of the day to day
operations. He focused on the contractor responsibilities and their process for requesting line
locates at a job site. In 2005 the MUCC began issuing locate requests from contractors via the
internet.
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Results
During this one year alliance agreement the MUCC and OSHA have impacted more than 50 companies
involved in trenching and excavation throughout the state of Montana. The number of violations by
OSHA and the number of violations by contractors has decreased.
On two occasions this year the BAO CSHO’s contacted MUCC for information regarding inspections
involving contractors hitting underground gas lines. The information shared was essential to the
case file.
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Upcoming Milestones
This current alliance agreement expired in October of 2005. There are no plans at this time to renew
the agreement. If sometime in the future the parties agree to continue in this direction a new
alliance will be drafted and signed.
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