LIA - Alliance Annual Report - September 1, 2011


ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
an
Laser Institute of America (LIA)
September 1, 2011

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    August 9, 2005

    Date Renewed

    August 22, 2007

    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:

    Gary Johnson, Jr.
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA)
    Jeff Lodwick
    Salt Lake Technical Center
    Jack Longmire
    Directorate of Science, Technology and Medicine (DSTM)

    LIA:

    Gus Anibarro
    Education Director
    Barbara Sams
    Director of Standards Development

    Evaluation Period

    August 9, 2010 - August 8, 2011

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    October 19, 2010 - Implementation Team Meeting
    February 18, 2011 - Implementation Team Meeting
    June 21, 2011 - Implementation Team Meeting

  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

      Through the OSHA and LIA Alliance, LIA conducted the Laser Safety Seminar three times. The Seminar provides Compliance Assistance Safety and Health Officers with information on what to look for and key questions to ask when entering a facility that is using laser technology. A total of 62 OSHA personnel, including On-site Consultation and State Plan personnel, attended the following Laser Safety Seminars:

      • Region VIII - Denver, Colorado - March 9, 2011
      • Region VIII - Salt Lake City, Utah - March 10, 2011
      • Region IV - Orlando, Florida - May 4, 2011
      •  

      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 regularly updates the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page that is posted on the Agency Web site. The OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page includes the OSHA and LIA Alliance agreements, 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-related Web page

      LIA continues to update the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA Web site with information on the Alliance including links to the Alliance agreements, news releases and to the Alliance developed products, including the, "LIA and OSHA Laser Safety Bulletin" and to the "LIA and OSHA Laser Safety pod cast". In addition, LIA included links to the 2011 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 member, Gus Anibarro, Education Director, is serving on the editorial boards for the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages:

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

      OSHA Hospital eTool

      Through the Alliance, LIA representative Gus Anibarro, Education Director, is serving on the editorial board of the Agency Hospital eTool to provide expertise on the tools laser hazards section.

      • 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.

      Event

      2011 International Laser Safety Conference, March 14-17, 2011, San Jose, California

      A representative from OSHA Region IX staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth and distributed OSHA compliance assistance materials. A reported 150 conference attendees visited the Alliance 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).

      No products were completed during the reporting period.

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

      Event

      North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 1-7, 2011, Washington, D.C.

      Products

      The Laser Institute of America and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported the 2011 NAOSH Week. Sponsored annually by the American Society of Safety Engineers, an Alliance Program participant, and the Canadian Society of Safety Engineering, the Week focuses on the importance of preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The theme for 2011 was "Celebrating a Century of Safety"

    2. Executive Summary

      During the reporting period, OSHA and LIA continued to work together to reduce injuries and preventing exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in industrial and medical workplaces. This positive relationship has led to the development of the many programs and projects that the team is currently working on or has produced. For example:

      • LIA conducted three sessions of the Laser Safety Course for a total of 62 OSHA personnel.
      • LIA representatives Gus Anibarro and Barbara Sams will continue to serve on the editorial boards of the OSHA Hospital eTool and the Laser Hazards, Laser/Electrosurgery Plume, and Non-ionizing Radiation Safety and Health Topics pages.
      • OSHA continues to update the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the Agency 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-related Web page on the LIA Web site.
      • LIA regularly updates the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page, which includes links to LIA -developed products, including the "Laser Safety Bulletin," Laser Safety Podcast and the OSHA and LIA Web page on the Agency Web site.
      •  
    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity

      Number of Individuals Reached

      OSHA and LIA Alliance Web Page

      Data Not Available

      LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web Page

      Data Not Available

      Laser Safety Podcast

      Data Not Available

      Laser Safety Bulletin

      Data Not Available

      OSHA Hospital eTool

      36,696

      OSHA Laser Hazards Safety and Health Topics page

      20,467

      OSHA Laser/Electrosurgery Plume Safety and Health Topics page

      6,066

      OSHA Non-Ionizing Safety and Health Topics page

      21,402

      Total

      84,631

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    Because of the successes realized in the previous four years of the Alliance, OSHA and LIA have agreed to pursue an Alliance renewal. OSHA and LIA will continue to collaborate on projects and activities to achieve the goals of the Alliance. For example, LIA will continue to develop the "13 Questions" fact sheets Alliance developed products. After the each fact sheet is 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 Web site.

    LIA representative, Gus Anibarro, Education Director, will conduct the "Laser Safety Seminar" developed specifically for OSHA CSHOs in OSHA Regions and Area Offices and State Plan States as requested by OSHA Offices.

    In addition, LIA members Gus Anibarro and Barbara Sams, will continue to serve as members of the editorial boards for the Hospital eTool and the Laser Hazards, Laser/Electrosurgery Plume, and Non-ionizing Radiation Safety and Health Topics pages and will provide feedback as appropriate.

    OSHA and LIA will continue to update the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site and the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA Web site with safety and health resources. LIA will also support and link to information about NAOSH Week, from the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA Web site.

    Report prepared by: Gary Johnson, Jr., Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, September 1, 2011