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ANNUAL
ALLIANCE REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and
Laser Institute of America (LIA)
September 28, 2008 |
- Alliance Background
Date Signed
August 9, 2005
Date Renewed
August 22, 2007
Overview
The OSHA and LIA Alliance focuses on providing the organization’s members and
others, including small businesses, with information, guidance, and access to
training resources to help them protect employees’ health and safety,
particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to laser beam and non-beam
hazards in industrial and medical workplaces. In addition, the organizations
share information on laser regulations and standards, bioeffects lasers have on
the eyes and skin, laser control measures and laser safety program
administration.
Implementation Team Members
| OSHA: |
|
Sandra Khan
Jack Longmire |
Office of Outreach Services and
Alliances (OOSA)
Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine (DSTM) |
| |
|
| LIA: |
|
Gus Anibarro
Rich Greene* |
Education Director
Education Director |
Evaluation Period
August 9, 2007 – August 8, 2008
*Rich Green was the Alliance coordinator until December 2007.
- Implementation Team Meetings
August 15, 2008 Hospital eTool; Surgical Suite; Laser Section Meeting
July 25, 2008 Implementation Team Meeting
June 17, 2008 Hospital eTool; Surgical Suite; Laser Section Meeting
March 3, 2008 Hospital eTool; Surgical Suite; Laser Section Meeting
February 29, 2008 Hospital eTool; Surgical Suite; Laser Section Meeting
December 3, 2007 Implementation Team Meeting
August 22, 2007 Implementation Team Meeting
In addition to these formal meetings, the Alliance coordinators from both groups
maintained regular contact throughout the reporting period to monitor the
Alliance’s progress and results.
- Results
- Events and Products
Training and Education Goals
- Deliver or arrange for the delivery of laser-related safety courses.
Products
Laser Safety Seminar
The OSHA and LIA Alliance Implementation Team members developed a four hour
Laser Safety Course specifically for OSHA Compliance Safety and Health
Officers (CSHOs) in 2006, and revised the course in July 2008. The course
provides CSHOs with information on what to look for and key questions to ask
when entering a facility that is using laser technology. The Laser Safety
Seminar will be conducted by Gus Anibarro, Education Director, LIA, in Region
I on September 9, 2008 and on November 4, 2008. The course is also scheduled
to be conducted in Region V on October 16, 2008.
Outreach and Communication Goals
- Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the
recognition and prevention of laser hazards in the workplace, and to provide
expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and
electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA’s and LIA’s Web sites)
to employers and employees in medical, industrial, military, research &
development, and optical fiber communications industries.
Products
OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page
OSHA is continuing to update the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page that is posted
on the Agency Web site. The OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page includes the OSHA
and LIA Alliance agreements, news releases, activities and events, products
and resources and milestones and successes. For more information on the number
of site visitors please see the "Alliance Program Reach" table.
LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page
LIA continues to update the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA
Web site with information on the Alliance including links to the Alliance
agreements, news releases and to the Alliance developed products, including
the, "LIA and OSHA Laser Safety Bulletin and to the LIA and OSHA Laser Safety
pod cast. In addition, LIA included links to the 2008 North American
Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week Web page on the American Society
of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Web site. ASSE, another Alliance Program
participant, is the sponsor of NAOSH Week.
OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages Editorial Boards
Through the Alliance, LIA members, Gus Anibarro, Education Director and David
Sliney, Course Director, are serving on the editorial boards for the following
OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages:
- Laser Hazards
- Laser/Electrosurgery Plume
- Non-ionizing Radiation
OSHA Hospital eTool
Through the Alliance, LIA representative, Gus Anibarro, Education Director, is
working with other Alliance Program participants including the Association of
periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and The Joint Commission/Joint
Commission Resources (JCR) to provide input and expertise to OSHA to help the
Agency update its laser hazards section of the Hospital eTool.
Print and Electronic Media
Articles on the OSHA and LIA Alliance have appeared in a number of printed and
on-line publications, including the Industrial Laser News and The Daily
Reporter.
For more information on the articles, see the "Alliance Program Reach" table.
- Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or LIA’s conferences, local meetings,
or other laser safety training events such as, LIA’s International Laser
Safety conference.
Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) 55th Congress, March
30-April 3, 2008, Anaheim, California
During the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) 55th
Congress, March 30-April 3, 2008 in Anaheim, California, LIA distributed the
OSHA and LIA Alliance Activities Summary, the On-site Consultation Program and
Compliance Assistance Fact Sheets to over 1,500 attendees from the LIA exhibit
booth. In addition, LIA representatives also promoted the OSHA and LIA
Alliance through discussions with visitors to the LIA exhibit booth.
- Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health
professionals regarding Laser Institute of America’s best practices or
effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by Laser Institute
of America and through OSHA- or Laser Institute of America-developed
materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other
applicable forum).
Products
Laser Safety Fact Sheets
LIA is developing laser safety fact sheets including, "Laser Effects on the
Human Eye," "Hazards of Laser Welders, Cutters, Heat Treaters and Punch
Presses," and "Preventive Injury from Laser Skin Treatment." OSHA reviewed and
provided feedback on the documents. LIA expects to finalize the "Laser Effects
on the Human Eye," fact sheets in 2008. After the fact sheets are finalized,
they will be posed on the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA
Web site and linked to from the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web
site.
- Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on
laser safety that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
Events
2008 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 4-10,
2008 Washington, D.C.
LIA joined with more than 50 other Alliance Program participants to support
2008 NAOSH Week. NAOSH Week, sponsored by ASSE, an Alliance Program
participant, focuses on increasing the understanding of the positive benefits
of investing in occupational safety, health and environmental programs among
employers, employees and the public; raising awareness of the role and
contribution of safety, health and environmental professionals; and reducing
workplace injuries and illness by encouraging new safety and health activities
at all companies and organizations. In support of NAOSH Week, LIA posted
information about and a link to the NAOSH Week Web page on the ASSE Web site
on its LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA Web site.
- Executive Summary
During the reporting period, OSHA and LIA signed an Alliance renewal agreement
on August 22, 2007. The organizations are continuing to work together to reduce
injuries and preventing exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in
industrial and medical workplaces. This positive relationship has led to the
development of the many programs and projects that the team is currently working
on or has produced. For example:
- OSHA continues to update the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web
page on the Agency Web site. The Web page includes links to the OSHA and LIA
Alliance agreement, OSHA and LIA news releases, activities and events and
products and resources. In addition, the Web page links to the LIA and OSHA
Alliance-related Web page on the LIA Web site.
- LIA developed the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web
page in 2006 and revised the page in 2008. The page is updated regularly and
includes links to LIA -developed products, including the "Laser Safety
Bulletin," Laser Safety Podcast and the OSHA and LIA Web page on the Agency
Web site.
- LIA revised its Laser Safety Course, developed
specifically for the Agency CSHOs, that provides information on what to look
for and key questions to ask when entering a facility that is using laser
technology and is scheduled to be conducted in Regions I and V in 2008.
- LIA representative, Gus Anibarro, will continue to
serve on the editorial boards of the OSHA Hospital eTool and the Laser
Hazards, Laser/Electrosurgery Plume, and Non-ionizing Radiation Safety and
Health Topics pages.
- LIA also promoted the OSHA and LIA Alliance and the
Agency cooperative programs and compliance assistance resources through
distributing OSHA safety and health information from its exhibit booth to over
1,500 attendees at the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN)
55th Congress, March 30-April 3, 2008 in Anaheim, California.
- LIA supported and promoted the 2008 North American
Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 4-10, 2008 through posting
information about and a link to the NAOSH Week Web page on the ASSE Web site
on its LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA Web site.
- Alliance Program Reach
| Type of Activity |
Number of Individuals
Reached |
| OSHA and LIA Alliance Web Page |
2,278 |
| LIA and OSHA Alliance-related
Web Page |
6,700 |
| Laser Safety Podcast |
Data Not Available |
| Laser Safety Bulletin |
Data Not Available |
| OSHA Hospital eTool |
35,482 |
| OSHA Laser Hazards Safety and
Health Topics page |
25,157 |
| OSHA Laser/Electrosurgery
Plume Safety and Health Topics page |
9,810 |
| OSHA Non-Ionizing Safety and
Health Topics page |
24,108 |
August 22, 2007: OSHA renews
alliance with the Laser Institute of America
Business Net |
Data Not Available |
August 30, 2007: OSHA Renews
Alliance with LIA
The Daily Reporter |
Data Not Available |
August 2007: OSHA Alliance
Focuses on Laser Safety
Physician Practice News |
Data Not Available |
September 4, 2007: LIA and
OSHA Renew Laser Safety Alliance
Industrial Laser News |
Data Not Available |
September 5, 2007: OSHA Renews
Alliance with LIA
Photonics - News Briefs |
Data Not Available |
September 5, 2007: OSHA Renews
Alliance with Laser Institute of America
ThomasNet - Industrial NewsRoom |
Data Not Available |
September 1, 2007: Alliance
Program News
QuickTakes |
65,272 |
March 30-April 3, 2008: AORN
55th Congress
Anaheim, California |
1,500 |
| TOTAL |
340,308 |
- Upcoming Milestones
Because of the successes realized in the first two years of the Alliance, OSHA
and LIA signed an Alliance renewal agreement on August 22, 2007. OSHA and LIA
will continue to collaborate on projects and activities to achieve the goals of
the Alliance. For example, OSHA and LIA will continue to update the OSHA and LIA
Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site and the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related
Web page on the LIA Web site with safety and health resources. LIA will also
support and link to information about the 2008 Drug-Free Work Week, October
20-26, 2008 and the 2009 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH)
Week, May 4-10, 2009 from the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA
Web site.
LIA representative, Gus Anibarro, Education Director, will conduct the "Laser
Safety Course’" developed specifically for OSHA CSHOs in Region I on September
9, 2008 and on November 4, 2008 and in Region V on October 16, 2008. Mr.
Anibarro will also conduct the course to OSHA Regional and Area Offices and
State Plan States as requested by OSHA Offices.
In addition, LIA members Gus Anibarro and David Sliney, will continue to serve
as members of the editorial boards for the Hospital eTool and the Laser Hazards,
Laser/Electrosurgery Plume, and Non-ionizing Radiation Safety and Health Topics
pages and will provide feedback as appropriate.
LIA representative, Gus Anibarro, Education Director is working with AORN to
conduct a "Medical Laser Safety Course," at the 2008 AORN Multispecialty
Conference, October 2-7, 2008 in St. Louis, Missouri. In addition, Mr. Anibarro
will conduct the course at the 2009 AORN Congress, March 14-19, 2009 in Chicago,
Illinois.
Finally, LIA will complete the development of the Alliance-developed fact
sheets, "Laser Effects on the Human Eye," "Hazards of Laser Welders, Cutters,
Heat Treaters and Punch Presses," and "Preventive Injury from Laser Skin
Treatment" and post them on the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the
LIA Web site. After the fact sheets are posted on the LIA Web site, OSHA will
add a link to the documents from the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the
Agency Web site.
Report prepared by: Sandra Khan, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach
Services and Alliances, September 28, 2008
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