ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and
American Dental Association (ADA)
August 8, 2008)

1. Alliance Background
   Date Signed
   
   April 12, 2004
   
   Date Renewed
   
   May 18, 2006
   
   Evaluation Period
   
   April 12, 2007 – April 11, 2008
   
   Overview
   
   The OSHA and ADA Alliance focuses on fostering a culture of prevention and promoting safe and healthful working conditions for dental employees while sharing technical knowledge in the area of ergonomics.
   
   Implementation Team Members
   
   OSHA:
    

   Brett Besser

   Directorate of Science Technology and Medicine (DSTM), Salt Lake Technical Center (SLTC)

   Cathy Cronin

   Directorate of Training and Education (DTE), OSHA Training Institute (OTI)

   Lee Anne Jillings

   Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP) Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)

   Sarah Samuel

   DCSP, Office of Small Business Assistance (OSBA)

   Bill Willson

   DCSP, OOSA

   ASA:
    

   Jerry Bowman

    

   Donalda Ellek

    

   Tom Spangler

    

   Helen Ristic

    

   Jim Willey

    

2. Implementation Team Meetings

   May 15, 2007

   Implementation Team Meeting, Teleconference

   August 21, 2007

   Implementation Team Meeting, Teleconference

   December 4, 2007

   Implementation Team Meeting, Teleconference

   March 18, 2008

   Implementation Team Meeting, Teleconference

3. Results
   1. Events and Products
      Outreach and Communication Goals
       
      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of musculoskeletal disorders, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and the ADA's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
      Products
      
      OSHA and ASA Alliance Web page
      
      OSHA continues to maintain and update the OSHA and ADA Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site. The page includes links to safety and health resources, including the "Ergo Tips - Hand Pain" information sheet developed by ADA through the OSHA and ADA Alliance. In addition, the page has links to news releases and information on the Alliance's activities and events and to their milestones and successes. For more information on the number of visits to the OSHA and ADA Alliance Web page, please see the Alliance Program Reach Table.
      
      ADA/OSHA Alliance Web Page
      
      The ADA/OSHA Alliance Web page on the ADA Web site features information about the OSHA and ADA Alliance, including a link to the OSHA and ADA Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site. The page also includes a number of links to additional safety and health resources, including the OSHA "A Guide to Compliance with OSHA Standards" for medical and dental offices and the U.S. Department of Labor: Working Partners for an Alcohol- and Drug-Free Workplace Web site.
      
      OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages
      
      Through the Alliance, ADA representatives continue to provide their expertise to review, maintain and update the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention and Dentistry Safety and Health Topics pages. Donalda Ellek, Manager, Office of Quality Assessment and Improvement, Council on Dental Benefits Programs, ADA, Chicago, Illinois, and Helen Ristic, Director of Scientific Information, ADA Council on Scientific Affairs, represent the ADA on the page's editorial boards.
      
      OSHA's Compliance Assistance Quick Start: Health Care Industry
      
      Through the Alliance, ADA representatives provided OSHA with their expertise during the development of the Agency Compliance Assistance Quick Start: Health Care Industry module. The module was posted on the Agency Web site in August 2007.Tom Spangler, Director, Legislative and Regulatory Policy, ADA, Washington, DC, continues to serve on the tool's editorial board. In December 2007, a link to the tool was added to the OSHA and ADA Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site.
      
      Ergo Tips - Hand Pain and Low Back Pain Information Sheets
      
      Through the OSHA and ADA Alliance, ADA developed the "Ergo Tips - Hand Pain" information sheet for dental schools and dentists. ADA completed the information sheet and posted it on the ADA/OSHA Alliance Web page on the association Web site in October 2007. OSHA links to the document from the OSHA and ADA Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site.
      
      In addition, through the Alliance ADA has begun development of its "Ergo Tips - Low Back Pain" Information Sheet. ADA shared the draft information sheet, which will be finalized in the fall of 2008, with OSHA for review and comment.
      
      Publications and Newsletters
      
      ADA has published the following articles about the OSHA and ADA Alliance, free OSHA courses and safety and health compliance assistance resources in the ADA News:
       
      • "Free OSHA Course Available on ADA CE Online Until September 1, 2007" ADA News, August 14, 2007
      • "OSHA Launches Online Compliance Assistance Tool" ADA News, August 22, 2008
      • "ADA-OSHA Alliance Posts New Ergonomic Resources" ADA News, October 16, 2007
      Please see the chart in this report under Alliance Program Reach Table for additional information.
      
      Events
      
      American Dental Association Conference on Dentist Health and Wellness, Chicago, Illinois August 16, 2007
      
      On August 16, 2007, Dana Root, Ergonomist, Region V, USDOL-OSHA, spoke at the American Dental Association Conference on Dentist Health and Wellness in Chicago, Illinois. Ms. Root gave a presentation, "Ergonomics for the Front Office Staff."
      
      ADA Success Practice Management Series
      
      The ADA added a slide on the OSHA and ADA Alliance to the ADA's Success Practice Management Series slide presentation and has presented or will present the seminar at 31 dental schools during the 2007-2008 school year.
       
      • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding ADA's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by ADA and through OSHA- or ADA-developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
        
        During this reporting period, OSHA and the ADA did not work on projects to address this goal.
      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on ergonomics that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
        
        During this reporting period, OSHA and the ADA did not work on projects to address this goal.
   2. Executive Summary
      During the 2007-2008 reporting period, OSHA and the ADA continued to share expertise and update and develop resources with information about the Alliance and ergonomics. For example, the OSHA and ADA Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web site provides links to a number of news articles that appeared in the ADA publication ADA News, a link to the OSHA Compliance Assistance Quick Start: Health Care Industry, related documents, activities and events, and milestones and successes. The ADA maintains the ADA/OSHA Alliance Web page on the ADA Web site with information about the Alliance and links to the OSHA Web site.
      
      ADA representatives continue to serve on the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen and Needlestick Prevention and Dentistry Safety and Health Topics pages' editorial boards. In addition, ADA representatives provided OSHA with their expertise during the development of the Agency Compliance Assistance Quick Start: Health Care Industry module which was launched in August 2007. ADA representatives continue to serve on its editorial board.
      
      Through the Alliance, OSHA and ADA also shared information through speaking opportunities. For example, on August 16, 2007, Dana Root, Ergonomist, Region V, USDOL-OSHA, spoke at the American Dental Association Conference on Dentist Health and Wellness in Chicago, Illinois.
       
   3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)	Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
      OSHA and ADA Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web site	3,433
      ADA/OSHA Alliance Web page on the ADA Web site	Data Not Available
      Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention Safety and Health Topics page Dentistry	198,666
      Dentistry Safety and Health Topics page	26,600
      Compliance Assistance Quick Start: Health Care Industry	28,000
      August 14, 2007, "Free OSHA Course Available on ADA CE Online Until September 1, 2007," ADA News	147,000
      August 22, 2007, "OSHA Launches Online Compliance Assistance Tool," ADA News	147,000
      August 16, 2007, "Ergonomics for the Front Office Staff" American Dental Association Conference on Dentist Health and Wellness, Chicago, Illinois Speaker: Dana Root, Ergonomist, Region V, USDOL-OSHA	6
      ADA's Success Practice Management Seminar Presented 31 times in dental schools	31
      October 16, 2007, "ADA-OSHA Alliance Posts New Ergonomic Resources," ADA News	147,000
      August 30, 2007, "OSHA, ASA Renew Alliance," The Daily Reporter	Data Not Available
      TOTAL	697,736

4. Upcoming Milestones
   OSHA and ADA will sign the OSHA and ADA Alliance renewal agreement in the summer of 2008.
   
   In the upcoming year, OSHA and ADA will continue to promote awareness of the Alliance Program and ergonomics in the dental industry. For example, OSHA and ADA will continue to maintain and update the OSHA and ADA Alliance Web page on the OSHA Web site and the ADA/OSHA Alliance Web page on the association Web site.
   
   In addition, ADA representatives will continue to review and provide information for OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages on Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlestick Prevention and Dentistry through their participation on the pages' editorial boards. ADA staff also will continue to serve on the editorial board for the OSHA Compliance Assistance Quick Start: Health Care Industry.
   
   Further, through the OSHA and ADA Alliance, ADA will complete the "Ergo Tips - Low Back Pain" information sheet in late 2008 and develop the "Ergo Tips - Upper Back Pain" information sheet before April 2009. In addition, ADA will develop an ergonomic fact sheet for dental office personnel and an online brochure or other type of publication, for dentists, on ergonomics applied to patients in the dental office.
   
   The ADA also will invite Agency representatives to make presentations on dental ergonomics and establishing a drug-free workplace at the 2009 Health and Wellness Conference September 10-11, 2009 in Chicago, Illinois.
   
   Other projects ADA will pursue through the Alliance include incorporating additional slides on ergonomics and OSHA compliance assistance resources into the Success Practice Management Series presentations for dental students, posting hyperlinks to ergonomic articles and tips monthly on the ADA Web site, and sending out ergonomics tips out to dentists via ADA electronic media on a quarterly basis.
   
   Report prepared by: Bill Willson, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, August 8, 2008.