IWCA - Alliance Annual Report - June 18, 2014

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
and the International Window Cleaning Association (IWCA)
June 18, 2014

  1. Alliance Background

    1. Date Signed

      June 10, 2010

    2. Dates Renewed

      • October 31, 201 

    3. Evaluation Period

      June 10, 2013 – June 9, 2014

    4. Overview

      The OSHA and IWCA Alliance provides IWCA members and others, with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers. Through the Alliance, the organizations will continue to address slips, trips, falls from heights, and issues related to the safe use of high-reach access equipment, including ladders and scaffolding, in the window cleaning industry. The Alliance will also address the safety and health challenges of small business owners and low literacy and limited English speaking workers in the window cleaning industry

      Implementation Team Members

      OSHA

      Morgan Seuberling

      Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)

      Christian Wojnar

      Program Manager, Office of Small Business Assistance (OSBA), DCSP

      Sherman Williamson

      Occupational Safety and Health Specialist, Office of General Industry Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs

      Laura Kenny

      Labor Liaison, Region II, New York Regional Office

      IWCA

      Mark Bennett

      Executive Director, IWCA

      Stefan Bright

      Safety Director, IWCA

      Noa Pedersen

      General Window Cleaning; Board, IWCA

      Matt Pierce

      Window Cleaning; Board, IWCA

      Coby Powell

      Red Rock Window Cleaning; Board, IWCA

      Alan Burton

      Everclear Enterprises, Inc.; Past-President, IWCA

      Eli Schmoeger

      American Cleaning Service; Education and Industry Relations, IWCA

      Jack Evans

      20/20 Window Cleaning of NC, Inc.; President, IWCA

      Mark Reinhart

      Award Window Cleaning; President-elect, IWCA

      Service Employees International Union (SEIU)

      Orlando Gonzalez

      Service One; SEIU Representative

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    • July 10, 2013
    • October 21, 2013
    • February 5, 2014

    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.

  3. Results

    The following table summarizes the Alliance's activities in support of the goals in the Alliance agreement.

    Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives Goal 1: To share information on OSHA's National Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Other

    OSHA's 2013 National Outreach Campaign Focusing on the Prevention of Falls in Construction

    • IWCA submitted an email blast on 9/6/13 to 475 organizations which included a link to OSHA's Prevention of Falls in Construction Web page, OSHA's Falls in Construction Fact Sheet, and the OSHA Fall Prevention Poster.
    • IWCA submitted an email blast on 9/25/13 to 475 organizations focusing on “Fall Protection Tips” for the window cleaning industry.
    		 Falls in Construction

    950
    Other

    OSHA's 2013 National Outreach Campaign Focusing on Hazard Communication

    • IWCA submitted an email blast on 9/6/13 which included a link to OSHA's Hazard Communication Web page.
    		 Hazard Communication

    475
    Other

    OSHA's 2013 National Outreach Campaign Focusing on the Heat Illness Prevention

    • IWCA submitted an email blast on 6/20/13, which included OSHA's Heat Stress App to 475 organizations. The email also included a link to OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Web page.
    • IWCA added the Heat Illness Prevention logos and resources to their Alliance Web page and also posted the information in IWCA's LinkedIn and Facebook groups.
    • IWCA submitted an email blast to 475 organizations on 6/27/13 with OSHA's new resources for the “signs and symptoms” as well as information on how to “prevent heat stress illness.” The email included links to OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention Web page and links to the Bilingual Information Sheet/Portuguese Wallet Card.
    		 Heat Illness Prevention

    950
     

    Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives Goal 2: To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on fall, caught-in-between, and other scaffolding related hazards to forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Event

    OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable Meeting, Department of Labor, September 12, 2013, Washington, DC

    Representatives from the IWCA Alliance participated in the OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable meeting in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, Alliance Program participants discussed products developed through the Roundtable, including the Construction Workplace Design Solutions, and identified potential projects and compliance assistance resources to help address safety and health hazards in the construction industry.

    		 Falls in Construction

    Data Not Applicable
    Event

    OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable Meeting, Department of Labor, March 20, 2014, Washington, DC

    Representatives from the IWCA Alliance participated in the OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable meeting in Washington, D.C. During the meeting, Alliance Program participants discussed products developed through the Roundtable, including resources for OSHA's National Stand-down on Falls in Construction. The breakout teams identified potential projects and resources to address safety and health hazards in the construction industry in order to support the campaigns.

    		 Falls In Construction

    Data Not Applicable
    Event

    2014 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH), May 4-10, 2014

    The IWCA Alliance and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported 2014 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. 2014 Theme: "Workplace Safety Works for Everyone."

    • To help support the event, IWCA issued a press release in April 2014 entitled “IWCA Safety Director Receives Triangle Award” which contained information on the 2014 NAOSH Week and highlighted that Stefan Bright, IWCA, was the recipient of the award presented by the American Society of Safety Engineers. The article was also published on IWCA's News Web page.
    		  

    237
     

    Training and Education Goal: To develop effective training and education programs for window cleaning contractors with low literacy and limited English speaking workers, regarding the recognition and prevention of workplace accidents due to slips, trips and falls, working from heights, and the use of specialized window cleaning and high-rise access equipment, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
     

    During the reporting period, the OSHA and IWCA Alliance Implementation Team have not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.

    		  

     
     

    Outreach and Communication Goal 1: To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA's and the IWCA's Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Product

    Spanish Version of the Water-Fed Pole Safety Training Program

    Through the OSHA and IWCA Alliance, IWCA translated the Water-Fed Pole Safety Training Program to provide Spanish workers in the window cleaning industry with information on safe use of water-fed poles. The training program also contains practical precautions and instruction to help window cleaners reduce risks at job sites while taking into account the requirements for the job. The product was linked to OSHA's Web pages in August, 2013.

    		  

    Data Not Available
    Product

    IWCA and OSHA Alliance Web Page

    IWCA maintains the IWCA and OSHA Alliance Web page on its Website. Information includes links to the Alliance agreement and OSHA's electronic assistance tools. In addition, the page features links to products developed by IWCA through the Alliance Program, including the Water-fed Pole Training Program and Quick Cards. IWCA also includes OSHA initiatives on the Web page such as the “Prevention of Falls in Construction” initiative and “Heat Illness Prevention” initiative, with resources, information, and links to the OSHA Web pages.

    		 Falls in Construction and Heat Illness Prevention

    623
    843
    Product

    OSHA and IWCA Alliance Web Page

    OSHA maintains the OSHA and IWCA Alliance Web page that is posted on the OSHA Website. The page includes the Alliance agreement, the renewal agreement, annual reports, news releases, information on activities and events, and links to resources developed by IWCA through the Alliance Program.

    		  

    2,961
    Other

    August 14, 2013: IWCA Email Blast

    IWCA submitted an email blast to announce the completion and posting of the WFP Safety Program in Spanish.

    		  

    465
    Other

    September 12, 2013: IWCA Email Blast

    IWCA submitted an email blast to announce the completion and posting of the Scaffold & Access Industry Association Alliance-developed products on five Aerial Work Platform (AWP) Tip Sheets where each focuses on key methods of using AWP equipment: AWP Jobsite Checklist, AWP Prestart Safety Checklist, Preparing AWP's for Transport, Rescue Plans for AWPs, and Selecting and Implementing a Fall Protection System for an AWP. The tip sheets are designed to help the industry understand their responsibilities when operating, transporting and using AWP equipment.

    		  

    465
    Other

    November 19, 2013: IWCA Email Blast

    IWCA submitted an email blast to announce the Webinar on the SAIA Alliance developed products focusing on the use of Aerial Work Platforms.

    		  

    465
    Other

    IWCA e-Newsletter

    IWCA published an update on the activities of the OSHA and IWCA Alliance in the January 2014 edition.

    		  

    2,500
     

    Outreach and Communication Goal 2: To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or IWCA's Annual Conferences, local meetings, or other regional events.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Speaker

    2014 IWCA Annual Conference and Tradeshow, February 12-15, 2014, Memphis, Tennessee

    On February 14, 2014, Billie Kizer, Acting Assistant Regional Administrator, Enforcement Programs, Region IV, Atlanta, Georgia, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation entitled "How Your Business Can Benefit from OSHA."

    		  

    25
    Exhibit

    2014 IWCA Annual Conference and Tradeshow, February 12-15, 2014, Memphis, Tennessee

    OSHA staffed an Alliance exhibit and distributed OSHA publications and products developed through the OSHA and IWCA Alliance to industry safety and health professionals that attended the exhibit booth during the conference.

    		  

    150
     

    TOTAL

    		    

    10,486

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the upcoming year, OSHA and IWCA will continue work together to provide IWCA's members and others with guidance and access to information and training resources that will focus on reducing and preventing exposure to slips, trips and falls, and issues related to the use of high-reach access equipment including ladders and scaffolding equipment in the window cleaning industry.

    For example, IWCA will continue to develop the first two sections in IWCA's “Safe Practices Manual for Window Cleaners.” The resources will be posted on the IWCA Alliance-related Web page by section and OSHA will link the resources to the OSHA and IWCA Web page, the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products Web page, and other appropriate locations on the Agency Web site.

    In addition, IWCA will develop and schedule two to three best practice seminars per year for OSHA staff focusing on the “Health and Safety Procedures for Window Cleaning with Water-fed Poles.” IWCA will also explore the possibility of producing YouTube video training on “Health and Safety Best Practices for Window Cleaning with Waterfed Poles.” To ensure that the IWCA resources are distributed to members and their workers, IWCA will investigate appropriate venues for the dissemination of their Alliance-developed products.

    Finally, IWCA will continue to participate in the Alliance Program Construction Roundtable, when scheduled, and contribute to the development of Construction Workplace Design Solutions and resources. For completing their outreach goals, IWCA will provide OSHA with an Alliance exhibit and opportunities for speakers during their Annual Conference and Tradeshow.

Report prepared by: Morgan Seuberling, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, June 18, 2014.