LIA - Alliance Annual Report - October 16, 2007

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and
Laser Institute of America (LIA)
October 16, 2007

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    August 9, 2005

    Overview

    The OSHA and LIA Alliance focuses on providing the organization's members and others, including small businesses, with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in industrial and medical workplaces. In addition, the organizations share information on laser regulations and standards, bioeffects lasers have on the eyes and skin, laser control measures and laser safety program administration.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Sandra Khan
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Jack Longmire
    Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine (DSTM)

    LIA:

    Rich Green
    Education Director

    Evaluation Period

    August 9, 2006 - August 8, 2007

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    January 19, 2007
    Implementation Team Meeting
    April 24, 2007
    Implementation Team Meeting
    August 9, 2007
    Implementation Team Meeting

    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

    1. Events and Products

      Training and Education Goals

      • Deliver or arrange for the delivery of laser-related safety courses.

       

      Products

      Laser Safety Seminar

      The OSHA and LIA Alliance Implementation Team members finalized a four hour Laser Safety Seminar specifically for OSHA Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) in July 2006. The course provides CSHOs with information on what to look for and key questions to ask when entering a facility that is using laser technology. The Laser Safety Seminar was conducted by Rich Greene in Millbury, Massachusetts; Kansas City, Missouri; and Higgins Lake, Michigan and resulted in 155 CSHOs being trained.

      Outreach and Communication Goals

      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of laser hazards in the workplace, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and LIA's Web sites) to employers and employees in medical, industrial, military, research & development, and optical fiber communications industries.

       

      Products

      OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page

      OSHA is continuing to update the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page that is posted on the Agency's Web site that includes the OSHA and LIA Alliance agreement, news releases, activities and events, products and resources and milestones and successes. For more information on the number of site visitors please see the "Alliance Program Reach" table.

      LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page

      LIA continues to update the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site with information on the Alliance including links to the Alliance agreement and OSHA news release. The page included links to the 2007 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week Web page on the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Web site. ASSE, another Alliance Program participant, is the sponsor of NAOSH Week.

      OSHA Safety and Health Topics Pages Editorial Boards

      Through the Alliance, LIA members, Rich Greene, Education Director and David Sliney, Course Director, are serving on the editorial boards for the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages:

      • Laser Hazards
      • Laser/Electrosurgery Plume
      • Non-ionizing Radiation

       

      OSHA's Hospital eTool

      Rich Greene is participating on the agency's update of its Hospital eTool. He is helping to review and provide information for the tool's Laser Hazards Module.

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or LIA's conferences, local meetings, or other laser safety training events such as, LIA's International Laser Safety conference.

       

      2007 International Laser Safety Conference, March 19-22, 2007, San Francisco, California

      During the 2007 International Laser Safety Conference, March 19-22, 2007 inSan Francisco, California, LIA distributed OSHA's Alliance Program brochure, the OSHA and LIA Alliance Activities Summary, and the On-site Consultation Program and Compliance Assistance Fact Sheets to the attendees from its exhibit booth. In addition, LIA representatives also promoted the OSHA and LIA Alliance through discussions with visitors to the LIA exhibit booth.

      • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding Laser Institute of America's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by Laser Institute of America and through OSHA- or Laser Institute of America-developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

       

      Products

      Laser Hazards Podcast

      Through the Alliance, OSHA reviewed and provided comments on the LIA developed, "Laser Hazards" Podcast. The Podcast provides information and guidance to new laser users on the concerns and issues related to laser safety. The Podcast is posted on the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page and the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site links to the information.

      Laser Safety Fact Sheets

      LIA is developing laser safety fact sheets including, "Laser Effects on the Human Eye," "Hazards of Laser Welders, Cutters, Heat Treaters and Punch Presses," and "Preventive Injury from Laser Skin Treatment." OSHA reviewed and provided feedback on the documents. LIA expects to finalize the fact sheets in 2008. post them on the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site. After the fact sheets are posted on the LIA Web site, OSHA will add a link to the documents from the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the agency's Web site.

      • Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on laser safety that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

       

      Events

      2007 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH), May 6-12, 2007

      The LIA joined with OSHA and a number of other Alliance Program participants to support 2007 NAOSH Week, May 6-12, 2007. The Week is sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering. NAOSH Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The Weeks Kick-off Event was held on May 7, 2007 at the U.S. Department of Labor in Washington, DC. LIA posted information and a link to the NAOSH Week Web page on the ASSE Web site on its LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site.

    2. Executive Summary

      In the second year of the Alliance, OSHA and LIA continued its excellent working relationship to reduce injuries and preventing exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in industrial and medical workplaces.

      For example, OSHA continues to update the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the agency's Web site. The Web page includes links to the OSHA and LIA Alliance agreement, OSHA and LIA news releases, activities and events and products and resources. In addition the Web page links to the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site. LIA also updates its LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page regularly and included information about and a link to the 2007 NAOSH Week.

      Rich Greene conducted three Laser Safety Seminars for 155 OSHA CSHOs in Millbury, Massachusetts, Kansas City, Missouri and Higgins Lake, Michigan. LIA Alliance Implementation Team members also worked together to develop a four hour laser safety course specifically for OSHA CSHOs The course provides the CSHOs with information on what to look for and key questions to ask when entering a facility that is using laser technology.

      In addition, LIA implementation team members will continue to share their expertise with OSHA, through OSHA's Safety and Health Topics pages' editorial boards for, Laser Hazards, Laser/Electrosurgery Plume, and Non-ionizing Radiation.

      LIA also promoted the OSHA and LIA Alliance and the agency's cooperative programs and compliance assistance resources through distributing OSHA safety and health information from its exhibit booth to 325 attendees at the 2007 International Laser Safety Conference, March 19-22, 2007, San Francisco, California.

      Finally, OSHA reviewed and provided feedback on the LIA developed, Laser Hazards Podcast that educates new laser users on the concerns and issues related to laser safety. The Podcast is posted on the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page and linked to from the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

    Type of Activity

    Number of Individuals Reached
    March 19-22, 2007: 2007 International Laser Safety Conference, San Francisco, California

    325
    OSHA and LIA Alliance Web Page

    4250
    LIA and OSHA Alliance Web Page

    6700
    Laser Safety Seminars
    • Millbury, Massachusetts
    • Kansas City, Missouri
    • Higgins Lake, Michigan

    155
    TOTAL

    11,460

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    As a result of the successes realized in the first two years of the Alliance, OSHA and LIA will sign an Alliance renewal agreement on August 22, 2007. OSHA and LIA will continue to collaborate on projects and activities to achieve the goals of the Alliance. For example, OSHA and LIA will continue to update the Alliance's Web pages such as the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the agency's Web site and the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site with safety and health resources. LIA will also support and link to information about the 2008 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week from the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page.

    Rich Greene, Education Director, LIA will continue to present the Laser Safety Seminar to OSHA's Regional and Area Offices and State Plan States as requested by OSHA's Regional and Area Offices.

    In addition, LIA members Rich Green and David Sliney, will continue to serve as members of the editorial boards for the Laser Hazards, Laser/Electrosurgery Plume, and Non-ionizing Radiation Safety and Health Topics pages and will provide feedback as appropriate. LIA will also continue to work with OSHA as the agency updates the Laser Hazards Module of its Hospital eTool.

    Finally, LIA will complete the development of the Alliance-developed fact sheets, "Laser Effects on the Human Eye," "Hazards of Laser Welders, Cutters, Heat Treaters and Punch Presses," and "Preventive Injury from Laser Skin Treatment" and post them on the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page on the organization's Web site. After the fact sheets are posted on the LIA Web site, OSHA will add a link to the documents from the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the agency's Web site.

Report prepared by: Sandra Khan, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, October 16, 2007