OSHA and American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA)
Pulp and Paper Safety Association (PPSA) Alliance
Close-out Report
December 30, 2009

On November 3, 2005, OSHA and AF&PA/PPSA formed an Alliance to provide AF&PA/PPSA members and others in the forest, pulp, paper, and paper-converting industries (the "Covered Industries"), with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety. In particular, the Alliance addressed workplace ergonomics and machinery safety issues. OSHA and AF&PA/PPSA renewed the Alliance on November 1, 2007.

Because the OSHA and AF&PA/PPSA achieved the goals of the Alliance, the organizations agreed to conclude the Alliance as of November 3, 2009. A number of successes resulted from the agreement including:

• Through the OSHA and AF&PA/PPSA Alliance, AF&PA/PPSA developed the fourteen Ergonomics Success Stories:
   
  • Cart to Transport Heavier Items Long Distances
  • Clearing Product Jams
  • Emptying Cutter Scrap Receptacles
  • Glue Table for Paper Roll Headers
  • Inserting Spindle into Paper Roll
  • Installing LP Tank on Forklift with Hoist
  • Moving Paper Rolls
  • Operation for Cap Sheets and Corner Post
  • Plastic Strap Spool Assembly
  • Replacing Wire Spool on Baler
  • Rotary Die Cut Stacker Operations
  • Stacking Corrugated Boxes with Corner Stacker
  • Transport and Instillation of Bailing Wire Coil
  • Transporting Cutting Dies with Hand Truck
• On October 3, 2008, Assistant Regional Administrator, Enforcement Programs, Region IV, Atlanta, Georgia, Regional Office, USDOL-OSHA gave a presentation, "Combustible Dust National Emphasis Program," during the American Forest & Paper Association's Workshop on Understanding and Practical Prevention of Combustible Dust Hazards in the Wood Products and Paper Industries in Atlanta, Georgia to 75 workshop attendees.
   
• On June 9, 2008, Jim Touey, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Region III, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation about machine guarding at the 2008 Pulp and Paper Association's 65th Annual Safety Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
   
• AF&PA/PPSA and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported the 2008 and the 2009 North American Occupational Safety and Health Weeks and the 2008 Drug-Free Work Week.
   
• AF&PA/PPSA representatives served on the editorial boards of the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages:
   
  • Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
  • Machine Guarding
  • Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills
  • Sawmills
  • Wood Dust
  • Wood Products Industry
  • Powered Industrial Trucks

Report prepared by: Sandra Khan, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, December 30, 2009.