SWRI - Alliance Annual Report - March 22, 2007

ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and
Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Institute (SWRI)
March 22, 2007

I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

February 20, 2003

Date Renewed

July 21, 2005

Evaluation Period

February 20, 2006 - February 19, 2007

Overview

The OSHA and SWRI Alliance addresses improving working conditions for workers who work with sealant, waterproofing, and restoration products by providing information and guidance to help employers protect employees' health-particularly in the areas of reducing and preventing exposure to lead and silica-and safety hazards-particularly in the areas of confined spaces, fall protection, and staging requirements.

Implementation Team Members

OSHA:

Jess McCluer
Office of Outreach Services and Alliances
Danezza Quintero
Office of Construction Services
Dom Salvatore
Region III, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Area Office. Compliance Assistance Specialist

SWRI:

Dan Cain
The George D. Alan Company, Inc.
Eric Johnson
Spray-O-Bond Company
Deb Nemec
Associate Director
Ron Pilla
Valcourt Building Services & Chairperson, Safety Committee

II. Implementation Team Meetings

January 18, 2006
Meeting, Teleconference
April 17, 2006
Design for Safety Workgroup, Washington, DC
May 17, 2006
Fall Protection Workgroup, Washington, DC
August 29, 2006
Fall Protection Workgroup, Washington, DC
September 28, 2006
Meeting, Teleconference
January 17, 2007
Meeting, Teleconference

III. Results

  1. Events and Products

    Outreach and Communication

    • Develop and disseminate information and guidance on relevant safety and health topics at SWRI conferences and through print and electronic media.

    Products

    OSHA and SWRI Alliance Web site

    OSHA is continuing to update the OSHA and SWRI Alliance Web page that is posted on the Agency's Web site. It includes the OSHA and SWRI Alliance agreements, news releases, activities and events and milestones and successes.

    SWRI Web site (www.swrionline.org)

    SWRI continues to update its Web site to include information on the OSHA and SWRI Alliance and the products developed through the Alliance.

    Publications and Newsletters

    Information on the OSHA and SWRI Alliance's activities and OSHA's compliance assistance resources appeared in OSHA's Alliance Quarterly Review and Blueprint. For more information on the articles, see the "Alliance Program Reach" table.

    OSHA's Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Safety and Health Topics Page

    The following SWRI members are continuing to participate on the OSHA Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Industry Safety and Health Topics page's editorial board:

    • David Carter, Chapman Waterproofing Company, Inc.; Boston, MA
    • Eric Johnson, Spray-O-Bond Company; Milwaukee, WI
    • Jim Marasco, Corporate Safety Director, Culbertson Restoration, Ltd.; West Chester, PA

    OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable, Fall Protection and Design for Safety Workgroups

    On July 8, 2004, representatives from SWRI participated in the Alliance Program's Construction Roundtable for construction-related national Alliances. The Fall Protection and Design for Safety Workgroups were established at the Roundtable meeting.

    Design for Safety Workgroup - SWRI is participating on the Design for Safety Workgroup and helped finalize the Design for Construction Safety slide presentation and Design for Construction Safety Web site. The Workgroup also developed a 2-4 Hour Design for Safety Training Course. The course is based on the Design for Construction Safety slide presentation and provides technical information for those that are interested learning more about Designing for Safety.

    Fall Protection Workgroup - The Workgroup developed the Fall Hazard Awareness for the Construction Industry training program. The program is designed for construction industry audiences including small business owners, trainers, foreman and workers. In addition, the Workgroup is developing toolbox talks for ladders that address issues such as "Do's and Don'ts of Using a Ladder", "Choosing the Right Ladder" and "Set-Up and Use of a Ladder." Ron Pilla, SWRI is developing the "Set-Up and Use of a Ladder" a ladder section of the toolbox talk.

    In addition, Mr. Pilla's company, Valcourt Building Services, provided the Workgroup with the English and Spanish versions of its fall protection slide presentation for OSHA's review and comments.

    Events

    SWRI 2006 Winter Technical Meeting, Bal Harbour, Florida, March 5-8, 2006

    Luis Santiago, Region IV, Director, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, gave a presentation "Developing a Site Specific Safety Plan" to 125 attendees on March 7, 2006. In addition, Vergie Bain, Region IV, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, staffed an Alliance Program exhibit during the conference and distributed OSHA compliance assistance resources and information on the Alliance Program, including an OSHA and SWRI Alliance Activities Summary document.

    • Promote and encourage SWRI members' participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Program, Consultation, Strategic Partnerships, and endorse mentoring among SWRI members.

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

    Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health Goals

    • In speeches and other public appearances, executives of SWRI and some of its members will attempt to raise others' awareness of and demonstrate their own commitment to workplace safety and health.

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

  2. Executive Summary

    Through the Alliance Program, OSHA and SWRI have developed a productive working relationship and are continuing to work together to address safety and health issues in the sealant, waterproofing and restoration industry. To meet the outreach and communications goals, OSHA and SWRI worked together on projects including:

    • SWRI representatives are continuing to serve on OSHA's Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Industry Safety and Health Topics page's Editorial Board.
       
    • Luis Santiago, Region IV, Director, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Area Office, USDOL-OSHA gave a presentation at the SWRI 2006 Winter Technical meeting in Bal Harbour, Florida to more than 125 attendees. Vergie Bain, Region IV, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Area Office, USDOL-OSHA, staffed the OSHA-SWRI Alliance exhibit during the conference.
       
    • SWRI has representatives on the Design for Safety and Fall Protection Workgroups that were created at the July 8, 2004 OSHA Alliance Program Construction Roundtable meeting. Ron Pilla, Valcourt Building Services, is developing the "Set-Up and Use of a Ladder" a ladder section of a toolbox talks for ladders for the Fall Protection Workgroup to review.

  3. Alliance Program Reach

    Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)

    Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
    OSHA and SWRI Alliance Web page on OSHA's Web site

    6,079
    SWRI Web site - Link to Alliance Agreement

    Data Not Available
    OSHA Sealant, Waterproofing, and Restoration Industry Safety and Health Topics page

    25,542
    March 2006 - "Designing for Construction Worker Safety," Blueprints

    Data Not Available
    March 2006 - "Workgroup Develop Design for Safety and Fall Protection Information Projects," Alliance Quarterly Review

    300
    March 7, 2006 SWRI Winter Technical Meeting, Bal Harbour, FL

    Speaker: Luis Santiago, Region IV, Director, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida Area Office, USDOL-OSHA

    125
    March 5-8, 2006 SWRI Winter Technical Meeting, Bal Harbour, FL

    Alliance Program Exhibit

    125
    TOTAL

    32,171

IV. Upcoming Milestones

The OSHA and SWRI Alliance implementation team has discussed a number of activities that will be undertaken in the upcoming year. In addition, SWRI will continue to work with OSHA and will sign an OSHA and SWRI Alliance renewal agreement.

The Alliance implementation team will develop a "Site Specific Safety Plan" chapter for the SWRI Safety & Health Manual in Spring 2007. In addition, the team will develop a smaller, summarized pocket handbook version of the Safety & Health Manual after the chapter is completed.

SWRI's members will continue to serve on OSHA's Sealant Waterproofing and Restoration Industry Safety and Health Topics page's editorial board and will review and provide comments on the page. The organization will also attend meetings of the Alliance Program's Construction Roundtable Design for Safety and Fall Protection Workgroups. Through the Fall Protection Workgroup, Ron Pilla, will complete the "Set-Up and Use of a Ladder" a ladder section of a toolbox talks for ladders. In addition, SWRI will post the revised English and Spanish versions of a fall protection slide presentation, provided by Ron Pilla's company, on the SWRI Web site after OSHA reviews the presentations and provides comments. OSHA will link to the presentation from the OSHA and SWRI Alliance Web page, Alliance Program Participants Developed Products Web page and Construction Roundtable Web page on OSHA's Web site.

Finally, SWRI plans to promote OSHA compliance assistance materials through articles in their monthly publication, Member Briefs, and on the SWRI Web site.

Report prepared by: Jess McCluer, Alliance Coordinator, Office of Outreach Services and Alliances, March 31, 2006