LIA - Alliance Annual Report - August 9, 2013

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the
Laser Institute of America (LIA)
August 9, 2012

  1. Alliance Background

    1. Date Signed

      August 9, 2005

    2. Dates Renewed

      August 22, 2007
      May 8, 2012

    3. Evaluation Period

      August 9, 2012 - August 8, 2013

    4. Overview

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

    5. Implementation Team Members

      OSHA

      Morgan Seuberling
      Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs (DCSP)
      Bruce Love
      Program Analyst, Office of Small Business Assistance, DCSP
      Jeffrey Lodwick
      Health Physicist, Salt Lake Technical Center, Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management
      Stephen Schayer
      Health Scientist, Office of Physical Hazards, Directorate of Standards and Guidance

      LIA

      Gus Anibarro
      Education Director, LIA
      Barbara Sams
      Director of Standards Development, LIA
      Hydee Cash
      Education Coordinator, LIA

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    • November 15, 2012
    • March 8, 2013
    • June 27, 2013

    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.

    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 LIA's Web sites) to OSHA staff, employers and workers in the industry.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Product 10 Steps to Starting a Medical Laser Safety Program

    Through the OSHA and LIA Alliance, LIA is developing a guidance document for "10 Steps to Starting a Medical Laser Safety Program." [In progress]    		  

    Data Not Available
    Product 13 Questions Fact Sheet

    Through the OSHA and LIA Alliance, LIA is developing a fact sheet for "13 Questions" that OSHA and workplaces for Lasers should ask on inspection. [In progress]    		  

    Data Not Available
    Product Introduction to Lasers Fact Sheet

    Through the OSHA and LIA Alliance, LIA is developing a fact sheet on the introduction to lasers for workplaces. [In progress]    		  

    Data Not Available
    Product LIA and OSHA Alliance Web Page

    LIA maintains and updates the LIA and OSHA Alliance Web page on its Web site. The LIA Web page provides information on the Alliance agreement and related documents posted on the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page on the Agency Web site. The Web page also contains resources and activities that resulted through the Alliance during this reporting period.    		  

    7,764
    Product OSHA and LIA Alliance Web Page

    OSHA maintains and updates the OSHA and LIA Alliance Web page that is posted on the Agency Web site. The Web page includes the Alliance agreements, news releases, activities and events, Alliance-developed products, and resources.    		  

    1,440
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 2: To 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.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Event 2013 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week (NAOSH), May 5-11, 2013

    The LIA Alliance and a number of other Alliance Program participants supported 2013 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. 2013 Theme: "Worker Safety Works for Everyone."

    To help support the event, LIA published a press release with the 2013 NAOSH logo and links to ASSE's NAOSH Week Web page, put information on the LIA blog, and put the NAOSH Week banner and link on the LIA Alliance Web page.    		  

    14,647
    Exhibit 2012 Laser Institute of America/Lasers for Manufacturer's Event Conference and Exposition, October 23-24, 2012, Schaumburg, Illinois

    LIA Alliance team members staffed an Alliance exhibit and distributed OSHA publications to the industry safety and health professionals that attended the exhibit booth during the conference.    		  

    1,300
    Exhibit 2013 International Laser Safety Conference, March 18-21, 2013, Orlando, FL

    Region IV OSHA personnel had been scheduled to staff an Alliance exhibit and distribute OSHA publications to safety and health professionals that attended the exhibit booth during the conference. Due to the sequestration, the OSHA staff could not attend the event and the publications were not sent to the location. However, the LIA Alliance staffed the exhibit and distributed Alliance-developed products during the event.    		  

    250
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 3: To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding LIA's good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
    Training Laser Safety Best Practices Seminar

    Through the OSHA and LIA Alliance, LIA safety professionals conducted a Laser Safety Best Practices Seminar for OSHA participants from Region IV, Asheboro, North Carolina Area Office on October 30, 2012. The LIA trainer provided class room training on what to look for and key questions to ask when entering facilities that use lasers.    		  

    27
    Training Laser Safety Best Practices Seminar

    Through the OSHA and LIA Alliance, LIA safety professionals conducted a Laser Safety Best Practices Seminar for OSHA participants from Region IV, Jacksonville, Florida Area Office on February 6, 2013. The LIA trainer provided class room training on what to look for and key questions to ask when entering facilities that use lasers.    		  

    11
    Training Laser Safety Best Practices Seminar

    Through the OSHA and LIA Alliance, LIA safety professionals conducted a Laser Safety Best Practices Seminar for OSHA participants from Region IX, Phoenix, Arizona Area Office on March 14, 2013. The LIA trainer provided class room training on what to look for and key questions to ask when entering facilities that use lasers.    		  

    33
     
    Outreach and Communication Goal 4: To work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on laser safety that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
    Activity Type Activity Name/Summary OSHA Initiative Supported Number Reached
      During the reporting period, the OSHA and LIA Alliance Implementation Team have not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.    
     
    TOTAL    

    25,472

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the upcoming year, the OSHA and LIA Alliance Implementation Team is planning a number of activities to provide information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in industrial, medical, and research workplaces.

    For example, LIA will continue to conduct the Laser Safety Seminars developed specifically for OSHA staff in the Regional, Area Offices, and State Plan States as requested by the OSHA Offices. In addition, LIA will complete the guidance document on "10 Steps to Starting a Medical Laser Safety Program", the 13 Questions Fact Sheet, and the Introduction to Lasers Fact Sheet. The resources will be added to the LIA and OSHA Alliance-related Web page on the LIA Web site. OSHA will link the resources to the OSHA and LIA Web page, the Alliance Program Participants Developed Products Web page, and other appropriate locations on the Agency Web site. LIA will also participate in the evaluation of the impact of LIA's Alliance-developed products and the effects of the Alliance Program on the laser industry by developing methods to survey the benefits of their Alliance products through the Alliance Program and provide their results to OSHA.

    LIA will continue to invite OSHA to exhibit and speak at the annual Laser Manufacturing Equipment Conference and Exposition. Finally, LIA representatives will be joining with other Alliance Program participants to support the 2014 NAOSH Week, May 4-10, 2014.

    Report prepared by: Morgan Seuberling, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, August 9, 2013.