Voluntary protection programs
Arizona
The Consultation Section of Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health
(ADOSH) is responsible for promoting and operating Arizona’s Voluntary Protection Program
(VPP). In 2003, the Consultation Section did an outstanding job at promoting the virtues of VPP.
Because of its outstanding outreach and promotion of the program, ADOSH is now seeing a significant
increase in employer interest and application assistance requests. ADOSH continues to interact with
and promote the Voluntary Protection Participants Program Association (VPPPA). ADOSH participated
in regional and national meetings to promote safer workplaces throughout the nation.
California
California OSHA (Cal/OSHA) offers four programs that recognize employers with exemplary safety and
health programs and employers that are working toward achieving such goals. California had 126 new
employers that received some form of recognition for safety and health achievements during federal
fiscal-year 2005.
Cal/OSHA accepted 72 new applications for the entry-level recognition program – the Golden Gate.
Cal/OSHA also awarded 50 SHARP (five fixed worksites and 45 construction) and four Golden States –
Cal/OSHA’s leadership-level partnership. Eight new VPP site applications were submitted. Cal/OSHA
enrolled five new VPP applicants and are evaluating nine existing VPP sites for extension.
Many construction contractors want to receive recognition for their safety and health achievements,
but are not quite ready for the leadership level of Golden State. However, Consultation has been
individually evaluating construction worksites using the criteria in SHARP, plus some additional
multi-employer requirements. This process then prepares the worksites for recognition under the
requirements of Golden State. The Consultation area offices have seen a marked improvement in
housekeeping, scaffolding, electrical and the use of fall protection.
Connecticut
Connecticut OSHA (CONN-OSHA) continues to support and encourage small business in the state to
participate in and achieve Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) status. The
state currently has seven SHARP sites, with two more moving toward achieving SHARP status.
CONN-OSHA also attended the Region 1 SHARP luncheon this year in Rhode Island.
Indiana
In Indiana, five employers achieved VPP status in 2005.
Kentucky
In 2005, Kentucky raised three new VPP Star flags. The mentoring of 12 sites
occurred and many matches for mentoring were made Promising Star in Kentucky. Kentucky also awarded two
more SHARP certifications.
Maryland
Maryland approved the recertification process of the Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems site
in fiscal-year 2004 for an additional five years and initially certified Northrop Grumman Advanced
Technologies Laboratory in fiscal-year 2005 for three years. Performance Pipe was certified in
fiscal-year 2006 for four years; FritoLay of Aberdeen is scheduled to be recertified next year.
Michigan
Michigan awarded its first Star flag in 1999. In fiscal-year 2005, three Star, one Rising Star and
two SHARP awards were celebrated. As of Sept. 30, 2005, Michigan OSHA had awarded MVPP status to 21
sites and SHARP recognition to four sites.
Minnesota
By federal fiscal-year 2005, Minnesota had awarded 19 MNSHARP and 14 MNSTAR sites.
Nevada
Nevada OSHA currently has three VPP Star sites in its program and continues to work with interested
employers throughout the state.
North Carolina
North Carolina initiated the Carolina Star program in 1993. There are currently 82 Carolina Star
sites. Included under the Carolina Star umbrella is Building Star, which recognizes construction
worksites that have quality safety and health programs, and Public Sector Star, which recognizes
state agencies and local governments. The state also has 41 active SHARP sites.
Oregon
Oregon OSHA (OR-OSHA) continues to use its SHARP program to help employers more effectively manage
workplace health and safety. As of September 2005, Oregon had 23 SHARP graduates, 77 current SHARP
employers and 73 additional companies working toward SHARP. In addition, OR-OSHA has SHARP
Partnership Agreements with four employers that have multiple sites, enabling these larger employers
to use SHARP tools to become more successful at managing workplace health and safety. This unique
approach makes use of the resources available to larger companies as they work with OR-OSHA
Consultation toward self-sufficiency. Employer self-sufficiency is one of the 2006 through 2010
strategic goals.
As of September 2005, Oregon had eight VPP sites, six Star and two Merit, with an additional
deferred approval site working to complete some 90-day items before becoming the ninth Oregon VPP
site.
Puerto Rico
In Puerto Rico during fiscal-year 2005, three VPP sites were evaluated and their participation in
the Guanín or Cemí Program was approved. Caribe GE International Electrical Meters from San Germán
was evaluated in December 2004, and its participation in the Guanín level was approved in June 2005.
Chevron Phillips Chemical PR Core from Guayama was re-evaluated in October 2004, and its
participation from the Cemí to the Guanín Program was approved in February 2005. Positronic Caribe,
Inc. from Ponce was evaluated in February 2005, and its participation in the Cemí Program was
approved in June 2005.
Three new VPP applications were received: Pfizer Pharmaceuticals, LLC, Barceloneta; Caribe GE
Manufacturing, LLC, Vieques; and Bristol Myers Squibb, Mayagüez Operations.
The participation of a nursing home known as Jardín de Oro was approved in the SHARP in September
2005.
Tennessee
Tennessee OSHA began its VPP efforts in 1991, with the Volunteer Star Program. Interest in the
program continues to grow as current members network with their peers and communicate the value of
the Volunteer Star Program. The Volunteer Star Program currently has 22 members, including four
sites added and five sites recertified during 2005. The Tennessee OSHA Safety and Health Achievement
Recognition Program (SHARP) has 10 participants. Three new employers were added to this program and
seven were recertified during 2005.
Utah
Voluntary programs continue to grow in Utah. During 2005, two VPP Star companies
were recertified and one company was upgraded from Merit to Star. Utah actively participates in the VPPPA,
VPP initiatives led by OSHA National Office and Region VIII VPP activities.
Vermont
Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) has two VPP sites and is working with three other companies on VPP
applications. VOSHA has a Construction VPP with one applicant. VOSHA is also participating in the
VPP Challenge.
Virginia
The Virginia VPP continued to see increased participation from Virginia employers, certifying eight
new VPP sites and five new SHARP sites in 2004 through 2005.
Washington
Washington recognized its first VPP site in 1996, and currently has 28 VPP sites, including 14
large-scale residential construction projects. About 20 more companies are in various stages of the
application process. Washington has a VPP Web site at www.lni.wa.gov/safety/topics/atoz/vpp.
Quadrant Homes, a subdivision of the Weyerhaeuser Corporation, is the first residential construction
company in Washington state and the nation to be awarded the prestigious VPP Star award. Quadrant
and all 14 of its residential development sites located in the Puget Sound area received state and
national recognition for excellence in workplace safety and health programs. Since beginning the
VPP, Quadrant Homes has had an 89 percent decrease in severity of employee-related injuries and
accidents. Another VPP company, Welco Lumber, one of the largest western red cedar manufacturers in
the United States, reduced its workers’ compensation direct costs by 92 percent in the first two
years after VPP approval.
Wyoming
Wyoming offers three workplace recognition and assistance programs for state employers.
- Cowboy Voluntary Protection Program (CVPP) – Wyoming started fiscal-year 2005 with five
participants in the Cowboy Voluntary Protection Program (CVPP), all in the private sector. They were
Chevron’s Painter Reservoir gas plant and its Carter Creek gas plant, both in Evanston, Wyo.; the
Georgia Pacific Gypsum Plant in Lovell, Wyo. (first manufacturing site); the G.M. Stewart
Construction Company in Evanston, Wyo. (first construction company); and Xanterra Parks and Resorts
in Yellowstone National Park, approved as a Merit site. At the time, Xanterra was the first and only
national park resort operator to be approved in CVPP. In September 2005, Wyoming added its sixth
CVPP site: Grand Teton Lodge Company in Grand Teton National Park. Grand Teton Lodge Company is the
second national park resort operator to be approved in CVPP.
- Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) – In fiscal-year 2005, 15 new
participants were added to Consultation’s pre-eminent recognition program, SHARP. Wyoming ended the
year with 60 companies in SHARP, a 33 percent growth.
- Employers Voluntary Technical Assistance Program (EVTAP) – EVTAP has been a Wyoming program for
more than 20 years, established to provide assistance to those state companies that wish to put
together and implement a health and safety program in the workplace. EVTAP began the year with 92
members and experienced excellent growth by year-end, with 18 new participants. Showing the
successful intent of EVTAP for developing self-sufficiency in their safety program, 16 companies
progressed through EVTAP and became SHARP participants. Due to the loss of three other companies
from the program, Wyoming had 91 companies working with it at the end of fiscal-year 2005.
Partnerships and alliances
Alaska
Alaska Occupational Safety and Health (AKOSH) devotes substantial resources to its Voluntary
Protection Program (VPP) and Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), and
currently has 11 SHARP sites and eight VPP sites. This represents a 30 percent increase in VPP sites
in 2005.
Alaska has four partnerships in place:
- the wood products industry in Alaska;
- the construction industry;
- the municipality of Alaska; and
- the Alaska Department of Transportation.
Each partnership site receives a comprehensive consultation designed to reduce
the number of injuries, illnesses and fatalities. AKOSH then monitors each site and tracks the rate of
injuries, illnesses and fatalities to evaluate the effectiveness of the partnership program.
Arizona
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) alliances provide
parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with ADOSH for purposes such
as training and education, outreach and communication, and promoting a national dialogue about workplace
safety and health. These alliances have proved to be valuable tools for both ADOSH and its alliance
participants.
California
Employment education and outreach (EMPLEO)
California’s Employment Education and Outreach (EMPLEO) program was established as an alliance to
provide Hispanic employees and employers with information about federal and state workplace laws.
This partnership is two-fold – helping workers know what rights and protections they have and
helping employers know what resources they have available to them. Partners in the EMPLEO program
include the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division; OSHA; the U.S. Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission; California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement; Cal/OSHA; the consulates
of Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica; the regional Hispanic Chamber
of Commerce; and the Coalition of Human Immigration Rights in Los Angeles.
San Francisco Bay Bridge – DOSH/Kiewit/FCI/Manson (KFM) joint
venture
While functioning in a compliance assistance mode, Cal/OSHA identified approximately
240 bridge construction hazards. Cal/OSHA subsequently notified KFM of the hazards via letter and received
written verification from KFM that most of the hazards identified, excluding those rare instances in
which specialized design and/or engineering was required, had been corrected immediately.
The new span of the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Bridge has been constructed thus far without an
incidence of serious injury or a fatal event, which is commendable for a high-hazard construction
project of this magnitude.
Connecticut
Connecticut OSHA (CONN-OSHA) currently has training alliances with:
- University of Connecticut (T2);
- Connecticut Highway and Street Supervisors Association;
- Connecticut Tree Protection Association;
- Tri State Prevent Blindness; and
- State of Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection.
CONN-OSHA is currently engaged in dialogue to go forward with two new alliances:
- Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Association (CIRMA); and
- Connecticut Department of Public Utilities (Call Before you Dig).
Indiana
The Indiana Department of Labor (IDOL) entered into seven partnership
agreements: Duke-Simon; MICCs; Indianan Stadium and Convention Center; Indianapolis Airport Mid-field
Terminal; Indiana Chamber; Elkhart Chamber; Indiana Manufactures Association.
Kentucky
During fiscal-year 2005, Kentucky’s Partnership Program continued to make new strides by completing
partnerships through the Churchill Downs Master Plan Phase II Project in May 2005. The Construction
Partnership Program continued its association-based partnerships with the Associated General
Contractors (AGC) of Kentucky and the Western Kentucky Construction Association, as well as the
Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) with the Ohio Valley Chapter and the Kentuckiana Chapter.
The AGC is involved in the Construction Health and Safety Excellence (CHASE) partnership and the ABC
is involved in the Safety Training and Evaluation Process (STEP) partnership.
Next fiscal-year, Kentucky’s Construction Partnership Program is planning to enter into a site-based
partnership with Messer Construction at the Memorial Coliseum Addition and Renovation on the
University of Kentucky campus.
Also, Kentucky is planning on submitting a state-plan change to implement a demonstration project
for the Voluntary Protection Program for Construction (VPPC) during fiscal-year 2006.
Maryland
During fiscal-year 2005, Maryland continued its alliance with the Independent
Electrical Contractors Association and will be working on three additional alliances in fiscal-year 2006.
Maryland continues to expand its Cooperative Compliance Partnership (CCP) program. Originally
limited to construction companies, in fiscal-year 2004, one manufacturing company (Paul Reed Smith
Guitars) was added and remains an ongoing site. MOSH continues to limit the CCP effort to
construction companies due to limited resources. Bovis-Lend Lease continues as a CCP site at Holy
Cross Hospital Renovation/Addition. Four new construction cooperative compliance partnerships were
entered into during fiscal-year 2005: G.A. & F.C. Wagman, Inc. at the Woodrow Bridge project;
Whiting-Turner Contracting Company at the Carroll Lutheran Village; Whiting-Turner Contracting
Company at the Rockville Town Square; and Poole & Kent An Emcor Company at the Ashburton Filtration
Plant project.
Michigan
On Jan. 12, 2005, Walbridge Aldinger, the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth (DLEG),
the Greater Detroit Building and Trades Council and MIOSHA signed a historic
partnership to ensure the safety and health of workers on a large and complex construction project.
Walbridge Aldinger, the Detroit-based, worldwide, full-service construction company, has been contracted
by the City of Dearborn to construct a $34 million combined sewer overflow (CSO) project to build the
largest sinking caisson in the world. As general contractor, Walbridge Aldinger will coordinate the work
of 21 subcontractors and 20 building trades unions, involving more than 500 trades workers. The
ultimate partnership goal is zero injuries.
In fiscal-year 2004, Michigan renewed its partnership agreement with UAW, the Ford Motor Company and
Visteon Corporation. The partnership’s primary goals continue to not only reduce injuries and
illnesses at each location, but also to create a proactive safety and health culture, and a
non-adversarial relationship that emphasizes cooperation. By the end of fiscal-year 2005, MIOSHA
staff members had completed a MIOSHA Day visit at each facility covered by the partnership.
The MIOSHA Alliance program was officially launched in fiscal-year 2004. MIOSHA’s current alliances
include: Michigan Road Builders Association; Great Lakes Fabricators & Erectors Association,
Ironworkers Local Union #25 and Operating Engineers Local Union #324; Associated General Contractors
of America, Michigan Chapter; Associated General Contractors of America, Detroit Chapter; State of
Michigan, Office of State Employer;
Michigan Society of Infection Control; Macomb Community College; Construction Association of
Michigan; and Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry.
Minnesota
During federal fiscal-year 2005, Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) Compliance entered
into a formal partnership agreement with the UAW and Ford Motor Company. Goals of the partnership
agreement are for Ford management and employees to work cooperatively to provide a common vision for
providing Ford employees a safe and healthful workplace. This partnership enables MNOSHA to meet and
discuss safety and health challenges openly with the UAW and Ford Motor Company staff members to benefit
the Minnesota employees. MNOSHA also continued its work in the three previously established
partnerships, including: the Machine Guarding Agreement Partnership; the Construction Health and
Safety Excellence (CHASE) Minnesota Partnership (Associated General Contractors of Minnesota); and
the National Association of Tower Erectors Partnership. Alliances are administered through the
MNOSHA Workplace Safety Consultation (WSC) unit, using one state-funded position. WSC currently has
seven alliances. In federal fiscal-year 2005, it established two new alliances.
WSC joined the OSHA Region V Alliance for the Polyurethanes Industry (API), a business unit of the
American Plastics Council that focuses on reducing and preventing exposure to hazardous substances
for workers employed in the application of spray-on truck-bed liners. The second alliance for
federal fiscal-year 2005 was with the Minnesota Mechanical Contractors Association (MMCA), a
member-driven organization designed to lead and direct the mechanical contractors industry. The MMCA
offers many services to its members, including safety and health training opportunities.
Nevada
Nevada’s Safety Consultation and Training Section (SCATS) developed joint activities with leading
edge employers, association groups and others to leverage outreach activities. Some of the
activities included the following.
- Workplace violence awareness training was conducted jointly with the largest hospital in Nevada.
Joint presentations were provided to management, employees and other hospitals in the Las Vegas area
to enhance the awareness of potential violence-type problems in hospital settings. As a result, the
hospital developed new procedures for identifying potential threats and added physical and
administrative controls to help reduce threats to employees. Further, information was provided to
other hospitals to help them to identify similar potentially hazardous conditions and how they might
be abated.
- Nevada has an ongoing alliance effort with the Nevada Small Business Development Center (NSBDC).
Nevada’s Safety Consultation and Training Section conducted the programs and NSBDC advertised these
programs.
- Nevada continued the informal alliance effort with the National Association of Minority
Contractors (NAMC). SCATS conducted several 10-hour construction courses as part of the overall
training NAMC provides.
- Nevada is working with the state’s Risk Management to enhance safety awareness for state
employees, who are able to attend any programs on Nevada’s quarterly schedule. To better leverage
limited resources, SCATS conducts an eight-hour State Safety Supervisor course that all state
supervisors attend and an eight-hour advanced program for state supervisors, Workplace Evaluation
and Management Tools.
- SCATS has participated in the Department of Labor’s nontraditional partnership, Employment
Education Outreach (EMPLEO), to reach out to the immigrant communities, particularly Hispanics. The
group consists of many government agencies and companies that provide services to employers and
employees. As part of the activities, seminars for employers were conducted about various
regulations; cross training was conducted between agencies for proper redirection; brochures with
contact information were disseminated; and participation was conducted at many shows, conferences
and fairs through joint booth activities.
North Carolina
North Carolina signed a partnerships with Skanska/Barnhill Contracting Company on April 29,
2005, in an effort to eliminate accidents at the new Raleigh Convention Center site. This is the
state’s first partnership with a major construction company. This is in addition to partnerships and
alliances with the Carolinas Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association, Inc., North Carolina
Forestry Association, the Safety and Health Council of North Carolina, Boat People S.O.S., Inc., and
Patterson & Wilder Construction Co., Inc.
Oregon
In fiscal-year 2005, Oregon OSHA (OR-OSHA) maintained 21 partnerships. Some
new relationships that were developed include the Ergonomics Advisory Committee, with a focus initially
on the health care and construction sectors, and the Landscape Contractors Association. OR-OSHA is one
of multiple parties (state agencies and nongovernmental organizations) that are signatories to the Oregon
Sustainable Agriculture Resource Center, working together to promote sustainable agriculture (which
includes a safety and health component) in Oregon.
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico OSHA (PR OSHA) signed two important alliances for the program. One of them was entered
with Abbott Puerto Rico Operations, aimed at developing information and accessibility of training
resources to the construction industry. The other alliance was signed with the Medical Sciences
Campus of the University of Puerto Rico and the American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA),
Puerto Rico Chapter. This alliance intends to provide students and AIHA members with information and
training resources that will help them to protect employees from occupational hazards.
In May 2005, a training session was delivered as part of the partnership with J&J in an effort to
raise awareness about ergonomics issues.
Utah
Utah established it first strategic partnership with a local general contractor for the construction
of a medical facility at the University of Utah medical complex. The general contractor reports a
marked improvement in subcontractor attitude toward safety and health as a result of the
partnership. This partnership continued through 2005 and the contractor wants to enter another
partnership with UOSH for the construction of a hospital facility in northern Utah.
Vermont
Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) has signed alliances with the Vermont Agency of Transportation, the Safety and
Health Council of Northern New England, AGC, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce and the North Country
Career Center (VOTEC school).
Washington
Washington signed its first two cooperative program agreements, or alliances, with business
associations in March 2006. The first agreement provides that members of the Washington State Farm
Bureau can apply for the WSFB’s Safety Star Program. These members must have a strong safety and
health management program that goes beyond DOSH requirements. The WFSB will conduct a worksite and
records evaluation. If certified, in the first year DOSH will only inspect a member if a worker is
killed, there are serious injuries or a formal employee complaint is filed. In subsequent years, a
DOSH targeted inspection would focus on tractor and forklift safety, machine guarding, fall hazards,
personal protective equipment (PPE) and any chemical hazards. If serious violations are found but
corrected within 30 days, the penalty would be reduced to $100.
Under the second alliance, with the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB), small
businesses can complete a safety program developed by the Evergreen Safety Council (ESC), a private
nonprofit organization that promotes workplace safety and health. After completing the program and
following an on-site consultation from DOSH or ESC, the benefits would be similar to those for WSFB
certified members.
Training and education initiatives
Alaska
The annual Alaska Governor’s Safety Conference brings together hundreds of
employers, employees, safety professionals and vendors from all over the state to discuss new and
existing safety topics. The structure of the conference is flexible enough to allow targeting training
to current safety and health issues.
Arizona
The Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health (ADOSH) continued to
offer top quality hazard recognition training to more than 3,000 employers and conducted training to
more than 4,500 employees. Its three trainers continued to provide training services throughout the
state of Arizona. Participation from employers in rural areas increased significantly during 2003. Many
of the responses provided to ADOSH concerning training sessions have been overwhelmingly appreciative
of the agency’s efforts to bring the services out to the rural areas of Arizona.
Connecticut
Connecticut continues to provide consultation and training to public-sector and private-sector
employers, employees and professional groups. CONN-OSHA has committed to providing 25 percent of its
resources to industries identified as high hazard in the public-sector strategic plan and supports
the federal Department of Labor area office local-emphasis programs and initiatives through
training, outreach and consultation.
Connecticut has undertaken a challenge to provide four teachers from each of its 19
vocational/technical schools with a 40-hour outreach course to enable the teachers to provide
10-hour courses to each student before the student enters the workforce.
Indiana
Indiana Department of Labor (IDOL) adopted the OTI Legal Aspects Training
program and presented the training internally to all safety officers.
Plans and schedules are in place for two OTI training programs in Indianapolis for mid to late 2006,
tower training and fall arrest systems.
The execution of the Ford/Visteon Partnership was scheduled for April 2006.
All Indiana OSHA (IOSHA) compliance officers attended an ergonomics course in Indianapolis,
conducted by the OTI.
Michigan
In Michigan, the Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division focuses
its outreach efforts on those companies with the greatest need. Michigan is required to report its
CET activities annually to the Michigan Legislature. During the fiscal year, 21 (d) and 23 (g)
consultants provided the following outreach services: 3,065 safety and health consultations; 691
on-site surveys (23g and 21d); and 2,539 training sessions. The total number of attendees for the CET
programs was 11,097 employers and 14,161 employees. CET also distributed 569,773 pieces of safety and
health literature.
CET initiatives are part of the MIOSHA strategic plan. CET initiatives are customized activities
developed and delivered to employers and employees in response to significant changes in MIOSHA
standards or emerging safety and health issues. In fiscal-year 2005, the CET Division: provided
outreach activities to promote asbestos awareness through 63 half-day workshops to 4,436 employers
and employees; conducted follow-up site visits to bedliner applicators; and provided 35 excavation
training sessions for 1,233 employers and employees.
Minnesota
In federal fiscal-year 2005, Minnesota OSHA (MNOSHA) conducted 42
presentations with a total of 3,267 participants. Each year, MNOSHA provides outreach services for
five leading organizations: Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety; Minnesota Safety
Council; Minnesota Health and Housing Alliance; Associated General Contractors of Minnesota; and
American Society of Safety Engineers. In addition, MNOSHA has continued to provide its popular
Construction Breakfast program five times a year.
The Construction Breakfast program provides a forum for members of the
construction trades to discuss and share issues and experiences with the speaker and other field
investigators in attendance. Participants are encouraged to ask questions, express opinions and voice
safety concerns to nurture an open relationship between MNOSHA and the construction industry. These
presentations were targeted at clarifying OSHA statutes, standards and rules that will ultimately
reduce workplace hazards in the construction industry. The topics included: lead hazards; skid steer
and backhoe worksite safety; the A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction (AWAIR) and the Employee
Right-To-Know programs; most-cited standards and fatality statistics; multi-employer
responsibilities and inspection procedures; and residential fall protection. Overall participation
in the Construction Breakfast program increased 34 percent in federal
fiscal-year 2005.
In addition to the Construction Breakfast program, MNOSHA continues to
participate in major safety conferences throughout the state. MNOSHA staffed a booth of safety and
health investigators and provided speakers at the Minnesota Safety Council Conference, the Associated
General Contractors Safety Days and the American Society of Safety Engineers Professional Development
Conference. Topics of presentations at these events included: a MNOSHA update, fall protection and
lockout/tagout.
Nevada
Nevada, in an effort to increase awareness of safety and health hazards and educate employers
about what is required to control hazards, conducted 323 formal training sessions, reaching 5,952
participants, using 55 different programs. Of these, 25 formal training sessions – reaching 369
participants and using seven different programs – were conducted in Spanish. Some of the program
topics include: bloodborne pathogens awareness, confined space awareness, control of hazardous
energy – lockout/tagout, fall protection, hazard communication, injury and illness recordkeeping,
powered industrial trucks, workplace violence and written workplace safety programs. Continuing
education units are available through a joint effort with the state’s community colleges. The
training conducted concentrated on high-hazard industries or targeted areas. Nevada’s Safety
Consultation and Training Section has a safety and health video lending library for Nevada
employers. A total of 35,784 individuals have viewed the videos.
New Jersey
The New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services (NJDHSS) Public Employees
Occupational Safety and Health (PEOSH) Program has developed numerous information bulletins to
familiarize public employers and employees with the requirements of health standards. New bulletin
topics include PEOSH Hazard Communication Standard Frequently Asked Questions.
NJDHSS PEOSH offers a variety of occupational health training sessions in response to concerns about
workplace hazards. The NJDHSS PEOSH Education and Training Project presented
training about the following topics: asbestos awareness, bioterrorism, personal protective equipment,
hazards of bird and pigeon droppings, bloodborne pathogens, custodial hazards, public work health
hazards, ergonomics, hazard communication, hazardous materials awareness, health and safety committees,
hearing conservation, indoor air quality, mold in the workplace, outdoor work health hazards,
personal protective equipment, renovation and construction in schools, and respiratory protection.
New Jersey continues to distribute occupational health literature and provide consultation by
participating in numerous conventions and conferences. To provide public employers and employees
with up-to-date information, NJDHSS PEOSH maintains a Web site (www.nj.gov/health/eoh/peoshweb) that
contains PEOSH publications, regulations and training notification.
The PEOSH Program in the NJDHSS has assisted the NJ Department of Personnel, Human Resource
Development Institute, to establish a PEOSH HCS train-the-trainer course that is designed to help
public employees meet the definition of a technically qualified person as set forth in the PEOSH HCS
at N.J.A.C. 12:1007-3. This six-day course focuses on explaining the provisions of the PEOSH HCS and
includes additional topics, such as: how chemicals can enter and affect the body, hazard classes,
principles of industrial hygiene, developing a written program and presentation skills.
New York
In New York, the Public Employee Safety and Health Bureau and the On-Site
Consultation Bureau continue to work together to reduce injuries to New York State workers. They
continue to conduct Employee Injury Prevention in Health Care conferences
for both public and private employers and employees. Best Practices in regard to resident/patient
handling is presented along with the financial benefit seen after implementing a safe patient handling
program. Other topics include sessions about workplace violence and emergency response needs. Both
bureaus also continue to deliver the OSHA 10-hour construction course to employers and employees
across New York.
North Carolina
North Carolina has developed and conducts state-specific 10-hour and 30-hour awareness workshops.
The OSH Division conducts two 30-hour construction workshops and two 30-hour general industry
workshops a year. This training effort is augmented by an average of eight to nine 10-hour workshops
for both construction and general industry, and spearheaded by the Education, Training, and
Technical Assistance Bureau (ETTA).
Specific training initiatives have been targeted for the fast-growing Spanish-speaking workforce.
This includes Construction Forums about prevention of workplace fatalities
by addressing electrical, struck-by, caught in between and fall hazards. The emphasis directed toward
the Hispanic population is managed by the two Hispanic outreach positions that were established by the
North Carolina General Assembly in 2004.
Oregon
In Oregon, the Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Conference was in
March 2005, with the theme: Safety and Health Expedition: Advancing Industry
Knowledge and Practices. Jack McGowan, executive director of SOLV, a nonprofit organization
working to enhance the livability of Oregon since 1969, was the keynote speaker. Presentations included:
Critical Issues and Best Practices in Construction, Keeping Safe When Working with
Behavior Challenges, Property Liability Exposures for the Business Owner, and The
Needs of an Aging Workforce. This biennial conference has occurred since 1944; in 2005, it attracted
1,876 attendees.
OR-OSHA’s Safety for Small Business initiative provides various workshops
and online materials with a focus on small business needs, which include keeping a written hazard
communication plan and developing an innovative safety committee. (Oregon law requires employers with
10 or more employees, as well as small high-hazard employers, to have a safety committee. Small
low-hazard employers are given additional flexibility in developing an innovative approach to safety
committees.) An online presentation is available at www.orosha.org/educate/smallbsr/basics.html.
OR-OSHA contributed to a new publication released jointly by the USDA Forest Service and the Bureau
of Land Management, Field Guide for Danger Tree Identification and Response,
which is available online at www.orosha.org/pdf/pubs/reserve_trees.pdf.
OR-OSHA combined a number of agency-produced hearing conservation materials into a new DVD/CD-ROM
boxed set, Hearing Conservation for At-risk Workers. The product is targeted
to general industry, construction, forest activities and agriculture. State-plan members may request a
sample copy, at no charge, by contacting the OR-OSHA Resource Center.
The OR-OSHA Resource Center was accepted as a member of the National Network of Libraries of
Medicine and will soon be able to share its journal collection with other occupational health and
medical libraries across the United States through its participation in the National Library of
Medicine’s DOCLINE program.
Puerto Rico
The training and education services offered by Puerto Rico OSHA (PR OSHA)
target a wide array of industries and sectors. Most often, the training sessions and activities are
free of cost and informational material is delivered as part of the training efforts. These initiatives
are aimed at providing training to employers and workers about the skills necessary for an effective
involvement in safety and health matters.
It must be noted, for instance, that three open training sessions for safety and health in the
woodworking industries were delivered during fiscal-year 2005, and two training sessions were
delivered about different topics as part of the alliance signed with Abbot Puerto Rico Operations
for employees and employers from the construction industry. Also, the programs’ Voluntary Programs
Division delivered three training sessions about how to develop or improve an effective safety and
health program for which a booklet about the development of safety and health guidelines was
developed. In addition, two training sessions of employee involvement in safety and health matters
were delivered as part of the 34 conferences delivered for the general public about several safety
and health matters, aimed at reducing workplace hazards and encouraging employees to work toward
such reduction.
It also bears mention that to address safety and health condition in the grocery store industry, the
Voluntary Programs Division developed and disseminated occupational safety and health training and
reference materials.
Also, on a regular basis, the office engages in outreach activities and strives to reach the general
public and disseminate information about its services. To such effects, PR OSHA launched promotional
campaigns and publications. For instance, in September 2005, the advertising campaign for the 10th
Occupational Safety and Health Conference was started and five billboards were located along some of
the most traveled highways of the San Juan Metropolitan Area and nearby municipalities. All of this
promotional activity will serve as the background for further awareness campaigns aimed at employers
and employees about the importance of protecting life by following safety measures and the use of
personal protection equipment.
At the same time, an aggressive campaign complements the outreach efforts. For example, an
educational supplement was published in the El Nuevo Día newspaper (the island’s most widely
read) with emphasis on the mission of PR OSHA, the rights of employers and employees, contact
information for the filing of complaints and consultations, and information about cooperative
programs and alliances.
Tennessee
Tennessee OSHA continued to use senior compliance officers and senior consultants to deliver
seminars and presentations to more than 12,212 people about safety and health topics during 2005.
The diverse training programs presented included training loggers in the Master
Logger Program and training dental students at Meharry Dental School about bloodborne pathogen
protection for dentists.
Tennessee OSHA mailed the quarterly newsletter Together with TOSHA to more
than 14,000 employees and employers.
Utah
Utah has a contract with Costal Training Technologies Corporation to provide interactive Internet
training for 26 courses ranging from aerial lifts to machine guarding. These courses are used to
familiarize newly hired compliance officers with safe work practices and as refresher training for
experienced compliance officers.
Through compliance assistance, Utah continues to work with the Utah Local Governments Trust, a
public agency insurance mutual designed specifically for government agencies, including cities,
towns, counties, special service districts and school districts to provide assistance and training
to the public sector about Utah OSH regulations.
Vermont
During the past year, Vermont OSHA (VOSHA) has accomplished the following
training and education initiatives:
- conducted an accident investigation seminar with the Maine Department of Transportation; and
- formed an agreement with a local technical school to provide 10-hour training for students.
Virginia
Virginia hosted the 10th Annual Occupational Safety and Health Conference in Portsmouth, Va.,
in June. A record 430 participants and 43 vendors took part in the conference.
In September, Virginia’s Consultation/Training had 67 classes about occupational safety and health
standards and hazard recognition with 702 individuals from private- and public-sector businesses
attending the training.
Washington
In March 2006, Washington had its second annual Agriculture
Safety Day, which drew a crowd of more than 350 agriculture employers, workers, supervisors, and
safety and health professionals to Yakima, Wash., for a day of safety and health training. This represents
a 40 percent increase in attendance from the first event in 2005. Jointly sponsored by the Governor’s
Industrial Safety and Health Advisory Board, the Washington State Farm Bureau, United Farm Workers and the
Department of Labor and Industries, the conference focused on topics such as heat stress and sun damage,
injuries in orchards and cholinesterase monitoring. Experts from Washington’s Department of Labor and
Industries, Department of Agriculture, University of Washington, Washington State University and
industry experts presented information. Panel discussions included health care providers, workers
and agricultural employers. Sessions were offered in English and Spanish; about one-third of the
participants attended the Spanish-language presentations. Planning is already underway for the third
annual Agriculture Safety Day, slated for February 2007, in Yakima.
Washington continues to expand its use of the Internet and other electronic media in delivering
safety information and training. It has online interactive courses in many areas, including forklift
safety, flagging safety, ergonomics awareness, noise exposure, engineering controls to reduce
needlestick injuries, fall protection, respiratory protection, noise exposure, confined spaces,
concrete pumpers, ladder safety and lawn mower safety. In an effort to better communicate and share
workplace safety and health information with Spanish-language communities, Washington launched a
Spanish version of the DOSH Web site in 2002.
In partnership with the construction industry, DOSH developed online videos for residential
construction about siding, roofing and framing safety. All of these are available on the Web in
English and Spanish. Washington has now added online videos for back injury prevention, ergonomics
awareness, nursing home hazards and solutions, and preventing road rage (aggressive driving).
The newest online resources are "training kits" to provide employers with materials and information
needed to meet DOSH safety and health training requirements. Each kit includes PowerPoint
presentations and other materials with detailed instructions about how to present the training.
Topics include silica and lead in construction, respirator safety, chemical hazard communication,
hearing protection and ergonomics awareness education.
Washington’s 55th annual Industrial Safety and Health Conference is Sept.
27 and 28, 2006, at the Spokane Convention Center. Thousands of workers are injured and about 80
workers die from job-related injuries each year. Many of these injuries and deaths are preventable.
The conference provides resources to assist in design and maintenance of a sound safety and health
culture at the workplace. Every year, the conference offers two days of training and education,
providing the latest tools, technologies and strategies for workplace safety and health. Alternating
between the eastern and western side of the state, each year it attracts approximately 3,000 safety
and health attendees. More than 300 volunteers, representing the diversity of industrial Washington,
contribute to its success year after year.
In addition to the numerous presentations and workshops, the conference offers a keynote opening
session, blockbuster panel presentations featuring noted speakers, the ninth annual Forklift
Rodeo, the 33rd annual Pole Top Rescue Competition, and a safety
and health product tradeshow where more than 100 exhibitors feature state-of-the-art products and services.
Also included in the conference is the Governor’s Lifesaving Award presentation.
The award is available to employees in the state of Washington who are covered by industrial insurance (state
fund or self-insurance). The award is given for personally performing urgently required "hands-on"
action(s) in a lifesaving effort. At the 2005 conference, Washington Governor Christine Gregoire
presented 47 people with either a lifesaving or humanitarian award. These 47 people provided heroic
aid to individuals who suffered heart attacks, near-drownings, auto accidents and other perils.
Wyoming
Wyoming has a strong safety and health training program, reaching more than 2,400 people through
almost 100 training presentations or seminars. Several training programs were developed for specific
workforce segments:
- Three-Day Collateral Duty Health and Safety Program – for personnel having
safety duties in addition to their primary duties;
- Management Excellence Seminar – directed toward corporate officers and business
owners to demonstrate the value of safety efforts, which can reduce workers’ compensation premiums and
increase profits, as well as providing other benefits; and
- construction safety programs – for general construction, excavations, scaffolding, fall
protection, residential and roofing operations.
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