SCHC - Alliance Annual Report - February 26, 2010

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and
Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) Alliance
February 26, 2010

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed

    October 22, 2003

    Date Renewed

    December 5, 2005
    March 24, 2008

    Evaluation Period

    October 22, 2008 ‐ October 21, 2009

    Overview

    The OSHA and SCHC Alliance focuses on providing SCHC's members and others, including small businesses, with information, guidance, and access to training resources to protect employees' health and safety. In particular, the Alliance will focus on reducing and preventing exposure to health and physical hazards of chemicals and addressing hazard communication, including training, labeling and material safety data sheets in the workplace. In addition, the Alliance will work to distribute information and increase awareness of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals.

    Implementation Team Members

    OSHA:

    Jackie Annis
    Office of General Industry Enforcement, Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP)
    Cathy Cronin
    Office of Training and Educational Development (OTED), Directorate of Training and Education (DTE)
    Karen Heckman
    OTED, DTE
    Deana Holmes
    Office of Chemical Hazards‐Metals (OCH‐M), Directorate of Standards and Guidance (DSG)
    Eric Lahaie**
    Office of Outreach Services and Alliances (OOSA), Directorate of Cooperative and State Plans (DCSP)
    Kathy Landkrohn
    OCH‐M, DSG
    Tony Mapes*
    OOSA, DCSP
    Bill Matarazzo
    Office of Health Enforcement, DEP
    Maureen O'Donnell
    OOSA, DCSP

    SCHC:

    Ann Brockhaus
    Committee Member, SCHC
    Mark Cohen
    President, SCHC
    Denise Deeds
    Past President, SCHC
    Dad Levine
    Committee Member, SCHC
    Suzanne Matuszewski
    Vice‐President/Chair, SCHC
    Robert Skoglund
    Board Member, SCHC
    Michelle Sullivan
    Board Member, SCHC

    * Tony Mapes served as the Alliance Coordinator until July 13, 2009.
    ** Eric Lahaie has served as the Alliance Coordinator since July 13, 2009.

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    January 15, 2009
    Implementation Team Meeting
    May 14, 2009
    Implementation Team Meeting
    September 29, 2009
    Implementation Team Meeting

  3. Results

    1. Events and Products

      Training and Education Goal

      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop training and education programs for small business and other employers regarding hazard communication and to provide expertise in communicating such information to employers and employees in the industry.

        Products

        Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) Authors' Course, October 20, 2009, Northern Illinois University, Naperville, Illinois

        Through the OSHA and SCHC Alliance, SCHC worked with the OSHA Training Institute to develop a Material Safety Data Sheet Authors' Course that was held at Northern Illinois University, in Naperville, Illinois, on October 20, 2009. The course, designed to provide a basic understanding of the OSHA requirements for when an MSDS is required, as well as developing the content of an MSDS, was presented to 28 attendees. The course maybe offered again in 2010.

      Outreach and Communication Goals

      • Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and the SCHC's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.

        OSHA and SCHC Alliance Web page

        OSHA is continuing to update the OSHA and SCHC Alliance Web page that is posted on the OSHA Web site. The page includes the OSHA and SCHC Alliance agreement, renewal agreements, annual reports, news releases, information on activities and events, milestones and successes of the Alliance, and links to resources developed by SCHC through the Alliance Program.

        SCHC and OSHA Alliance Web page

        SCHC is continuing to update the SCHC and OSHA Alliance Web page that is posted on the SCHC Web site. The page includes the goals of the Alliance and a link to the OSHA and SCHC Alliance Web page on the Agency's Web site. In addition, there are links to a number of OSHA's compliance assistance and cooperative program resources.

        OSHA Electronic Assistance Tools

        Representatives from SCHC serve on the editorial boards of the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages, providing OSHA with their expertise and technical review:

      • Hazard Communication
        • Michele Sullivan, Board Member SCHC; Annandale, VA

        • Daniel Levine, Product Safety Solutions; Basking Ridge, NJ

      • Making the Business Case for Safety and Health

        • Ann Brockhaus, Consultant, ORC Worldwide, Washington, DC

      • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or SCHC's conferences, local meetings, or other events.

        Society for Chemical Hazard Communication (SCHC) Spring Meeting, April 4‐8, 2009, Houston, Texas

        Through the Alliance Program, Michele Sullivan made a brief presentation on the activities and successes of the OSHA and SCHC Alliance. A total of 92 members attended the session during the SCHC Spring Meeting.

        SCHC Fall Meeting, October 3‐7, 2009, Marriott Hotel Crystal Gateway, Arlington, Virginia

        OSHA supported SCHC's Fall Meeting through the following activities:

        • On October 6, 2009, Maureen Ruskin, Director, OCH‐M, DSG, USDOL‐OSHA, and Jennifer Silk, Consultant to OSHA, presented a keynote session entitled "Notice of Proposed Rule Making on GHS" to 193 conference attendees.
        • On October 6, 2009, OSHA personnel staffed an Alliance Program exhibit booth.
        • On October 7, 2009, Richard Fairfax, Director, DEP, USDOL‐OSHA, gave a presentation entitled "Communicating Hazards for Non‐Industrial Products on MSDS for Consumer Products, FDA‐Regulated Products (Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical), Cosmetics and Articles" to 193 conference attendees.
        • On October 7, 2009, Dr. Rosemary Sokas, Director, OOM, DTSEM, USDOL‐OSHA, gave a presentation entitled "Communicating Hazards of Exposure to Latex and Other Sensitizers" to 193 conference attendees.

        • On October 7, 2009, Suzanne Matuszewski gave an update on the activities and successes of the OSHA and SCHC Alliance to 92 session attendees.

      • Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding effective approaches to hazard communication issues in the workplace and publicize these results through outreach by SCHC and through OSHA‐ or SCHC‐developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures.

        The OSHA and SCHC Alliance Implementation Team has not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.

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

        The OSHA and SCHC Alliance Implementation Team has not completed work on programs or projects to address this goal.

        National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goal

      • Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on hazard communication issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

        2009 North American Occupational Safety and Health (NAOSH) Week, May 3‐9, 2009, Washington, DC

        The Society for Chemical Hazard Communication and more than 55 other Alliance Program participants supported 2009 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 2009 NAOSH Week was "Safety Means Always Coming Home." In support of the event, SCHC linked the SCHC and OSHA Alliance Web page to the 2009 NAOSH Week Web page on ASSE's Web site.

    2. Executive Summary

      Through the Alliance Program, OSHA and SCHC are working together to develop resources that will focus on reducing and preventing exposure to health and physical hazards of chemicals and addressing hazard communication, including training, labeling and material safety data sheets in the workplace. In addition, the Alliance is working to distribute information and increase awareness of the GHS. The positive relationship that SCHC has developed over the past six years has led to the development of the many programs and projects that the team is currently working on or has produced.

      For example, through the Alliance, SCHC worked with the OSHA Training Institute to develop a Material Safety Data Sheet Authors' Course that was held at Northern Illinois University, in Naperville, Illinois, on October 20, 2009, for 28 attendees.

      In addition, SCHC invited OSHA staff to speak, attend the professional development courses, and staff an OSHA and SCHC Alliance exhibit booth at their Fall Meeting, October 3‐7, 2009, in Arlington, Virginia.

      SCHC representatives are also sharing their expertise with OSHA through participation on the editorial boards for the following OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages.

      • Hazard Communication

      • Making the Business Case for Safety and Health

      Finally, as part of their outreach efforts, SCHC supported 2009 NAOSH Week, May 3‐9.

    3. Alliance Program Reach

      Type of Activity
      (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)      		 Number of Individuals
      Reached or Trained
      OSHA and SCHC Alliance Web page on OSHA Web site 13,531
      SCHC and OSHA Alliance Web page on the SCHC Web site 17,821
      OSHA Hazard Communication Safety and Health Topics Page 212,693
      OSHA Making the Business Case for Safety and Health, Safety and Health Topics Page 13,909
      October 7, 2009 – SCHC Fall Meeting, October 3‐7, 2009, Arlington, Virginia
      Speaker: Richard Fairfax, Director, DEP, USDOL‐OSHA, “Communicating Hazards for Non‐Industrial Products on MSDS for Consumer Products, FDA‐Regulated Products (Medical, Dental, and Pharmaceutical), Cosmetics and Articles.”      		 193
      October 7, 2009 – SCHC Fall Meeting, October 3‐7, 2009, Arlington, Virginia
      Speaker: Dr. Rosemary Sokas, Director, OOM, DTSEM, USDOL‐OSHA, “Communicating Hazards of Exposure to Latex and Other Sensitizers.”      		 193
      October 6, 200 – SCHC Fall Meeting, October 3-7, 2009, Arlington, Virginia
      Speaker: Maureen Ruskin, Industrial Hygienist, OCH, DSG, USDOL-OSHA, and Jennifer Silk, Consultant to OSHA, presented a keynote session on “Notice of Proposed Rule Making on GHS.”      		 193
      TOTAL 258,533

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    In the upcoming year, OSHA and SCHC plan to undertake several activities and projects through the Alliance to help employers reduce and prevent exposure to health and physical hazards of chemicals. For example, through the Alliance, SCHC will draft and finalize several Info Sheets that the Implementation Team has begun working on including: "What is the GHS", "Comparison of Labeling Requirements: What is required on GHS labeling vs. the Current Hazard Communication Standard", "Germ Cell Mutagenic Hazards" and "Eye Damage/Eye Irritation." In addition, SCHC will host several Webinars addressing GHS issues, which OSHA staff will be able to attend.

    SCHC representatives will also continue to provide OSHA their expertise in serving on the editorial boards of the following OSHA Safety and Health Topic pages: Hazard Communication and Making the Business Case for Safety and Health. In addition, SCHC representatives will provide OSHA their expertise in serving on the editorial boards of two new Safety and Health Topics: Respiratory Protection and PPE.

    Finally, As part of the Alliance's outreach efforts, SCHC representatives will be joining with other Alliance Program participants to support 2010 North American Occupational Safety and Health Week, May 2-8, 2010, "Mission NAOSH 2010: Safe Workplaces."

    Report prepared by: Morgan Seuberling, Safety and Occupational Health Specialist, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, February 26, 2010.