Through the Alliance, OSHA and AFS will encourage AFS members and others, including small businesses, in the metalcasting industry to increase employee access to safety and health information and training resources on workplace issues. In particular, the Alliance will address personal protective equipment (PPE), heat stress and reducing and preventing exposure to silica. The Alliance's goals include:
Training and education
- Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop workplace safety and health curricula on the foundry workplace issues including, PPE, heat stress and silica.
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 AFS's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
- Share information among OSHA personnel, including Compliance Safety and Health Officers, and industry safety and health professionals regarding AFS's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by AFS and through OSHA- or AFS-developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
- Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects regarding PPE, ventilation and silica issues that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
- Encourage AFS chapters' or worksites' to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including PPE, heat stress and silica.
Products and Resources
Alliance Program Participant Developed Products
- Fact Sheet: Hearing Protection in Metalcasting Facilities. Through the OSHA and American Foundry Society (AFS) Alliance, AFS developed "Fact Sheet: Hearing Protection in Metalcasting Facilities." This Fact Sheet provides metalcasting employers and workers with an overview of how to manage noise exposure in metalcasting facilities.
- Establishing a Foundry Heat Stress Management Program. Through the OSHA and American Foundry Society (AFS) Alliance, AFS developed, "White Paper: Establishing a Foundry Heat Stress Management Program." The White Paper is designed to provide foundry industry employers and employees with information that can help control the potential hazards of heat stress.
- Control of Silica Exposure in Foundries. Through the OSHA and American Foundry Society (AFS) Alliance, AFS developed "Control of Silica Exposure in Foundries." The document is designed to provide foundry industry employers and employees with information that can help control the potential hazards of respirable crystalline silica.
- Guide for the Selection & Use of Personal Protective Equipment & Special Clothing for Foundry Operations. Through the OSHA and American Foundry Society (AFS) Alliance, AFS developed "Guide for the Selection & Use of Personal Protective Equipment & Special Clothing for Foundry Operations." The Guide describes special considerations for the selection and use of personal protective equipment and special clothing in the foundry industry.
OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages
OSHA eTools
Success Stories
Publications and Newsletters
- AFS eConnections. This edition of AFS's weekly e-newsletter includes an article, "Phone Scams Threaten OSHA Fines" that describes an alleged phone scam in which people claiming to be OSHA employees threaten companies with fines unless they purchase materials that will supposedly put them into compliance with OSHA requirements.
Additional Resources
- AFS/OSHA Alliance page.