Region 1 - Alliance Annual Report - April 17, 2020

ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
And the
Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA)
April 17, 2020

  1. Alliance Background

    1. Date Signed: February 18, 2018

    2. Evaluation Period

      – February 18, 2018 to April 17, 2020

    3. Overview

      The goals of this Alliance is to provide MNA members and others with information, education, guidance, and access to resources that will help them protect the health and safety of nurses and healthcare workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to workplace violence and abuse, back and other musculoskeletal work- related injuries, slip, trip and fall hazards; latex allergens, air contaminants, and pathogens, and infection control. Provide information and assistance with filing OSHA complaints and understanding their rights and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).

    4. Implementation Team Members

      Peter Barletta, OSHA Compliance Assistance Specialist Braintree
      Joe Green, OSHA Compliance Assistance Specialist Andover
      Chris Pontus, MNA Safety and Health Director

      List OSHA members and titles/offices

      Anthony Covelo, Area Director Andover MA OSHA Area Office
      James Mulligan, Area Director Braintree MA OSHA Area Office
      Mary E. Hoye, Area Director Springfield MA OSHA Area Office

      List Alliance participant members and titles/offices

      Donna Kelly Williams, President, Massachusetts Nurses Association
      Julie Pinkham, Executive Director, Massachusetts Nurses Association
      Judith Pare, Director of Nursing Education
      Peg Taylor, Associate Director of Health and Safety
      Shirley Thompson, Director, Division of Operations

      Kathryn Flannery, Supervisor, MA OSHA Consultation Program Department of Labor Standards

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    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.

    Minutes of May 22, 2019 Meeting at the MNA in Canton – Alliance Meeting #2- Follow-up to meeting in October 2018 planning alliance events. At this meeting introduced to Peg Taylor, Assistant Director of Health and Safety. Discussed improving and set goals with training presentations to union officials on improving MNA safety and health complaint process, and streamlining communication between MNA and OSHA. Created an OSHA complaint process on MNA website.

    Braintree Office developed and sent to about 75 nursing schools and colleges in Massachusetts, a letter with OSHA resources and links to workplace safety and health resources, including information on workplace violence, to raise awareness of these issues to the health care students prior to entering their nursing profession.

    All Day MNA Conference held in October 02, 2019 at Lombardo’s in Randolph – Focused on work place violence and sexual harassment with 100 hundred attendees.

    May 28, 2019, Labor AD’s evening meeting Northshore Regional office in Lynnfield, MA, OSHA CAS presented and informed members on their rights on how to file an OSHA Complaint. – completed for 28 MNA Union Area Directors.

    OSHA Summer Summit at UMass Amherst on June 19, 2019. Chris Pontus, Judith Pare and Peggy Taylor registering and attended. This collaboration promotes sharing of safety and health learning with involvement in MNA and OSHA sponsored conferences.

    Winter Conference, typically MNA does not do training and conference during winter months, but planned a January 2020 conference at UMass Dartmouth/UMass Worcester a winter conference focusing on: Toxicology, Ergo, and Workplace Violence.

    May 24, 2019. Thank you again, for meeting with us and collaborating on potential projects with MNA. This morning I presented the idea of an OSHA training for our Labor A.D.s and our leadership team was thrilled with the prospect! Julie has asked me to reach out to you and request that you put a hold on September 5th as a potential training date. Julie and Roland will be meeting with the labor staff on June 6th to make sure that there are no conflicts with the September date.

    Occupational Safety & Health Administration presented to the Labor School on May 27, 2019 in Lynnfield, MA on employee rights and the OSHA complaint and whistleblower protection and procedures. About 25 Union Area Directors representing various hospitals in Eastern Massachusetts attended.

    Occupational Safety & Health Administration presented to the Labor School on June 17, 2019 in Canton, MA on employee rights and the OSHA complaint and whistleblower protection and procedures. About 30 Union Area Directors representing various hospitals in Eastern Massachusetts attended.

    The MNA Division of Labor met this morning and asked me to extend a formal invitation to you. MNA staff very interested in learning about strategies for communicating and reporting safety and health complaints to OSHA. In order to maximize attendance at this meeting we would like to schedule you for Thursday, October 3rd, 11:00 AM-12:00 PM at MNA Headquarters.

    Approximately 20 MNA Hospital Labor Representatives attended the OSHA presentation at the MNA headquarters in Canton, MA. The OSHA presentation was conducted on October 03, 2019 on better understanding and improving the OSHA complaint process with their members. A guideline fact sheet on the OSHA complaint process was handed out.

    January 2020, Peter Barletta and Chris Pontus commenced developing a specific OSHA -10 hour curriculum for nurses and healthcare providers. The plan is to conduct the OSHA-10 hour healthcare in the spring and fall, opened for MNA and non MNA members in the healthcare community. The OSHA -10 hour would focus on infection control and bio hazards, PPE, blood borne, needle stick, workplace violence, slip trips, falls and ergonomics, while maintaining the core OSHA-10 hour requirements under DTE regulations.

    February – April 2020- Covid-19, OSHA Braintree office provided technical assistance by hand delivering in February OSHA’s Pandemic Influenza publications for their nurses. Approximately 100 of these books were delivered to the MNA headquarters in Canton, MA, to be distributed to their approximately 83 hospitals and healthcare facilities in Massachusetts. In addition OSHA emailed all the current and up to date Covid-19 links, including respirators and fit testing guidelines regarding OSHA respiratory protection, CDC, and NIOSH links.

    The OSHA Andover, Braintree and Bridgeport CAS’s PPE donation coordinated and facilitated with alliances partners LaMar Advertising and MNA. LaMar, through the OSHA Bridgeport alliance, volunteered and offered in providing free digital billboard space at 12 locations in Massachusetts for advertising the MNA PPE donation drive. Also MNA developed a flyer for their PPE donation drive, which sent to OSHA alliances and stakeholders interested in donating PPE to front line nurses and health care providers in Massachusetts. The coordinated PPE drive has been successful with a number of organizations and companies donating KN95 Respirators, and other desperately needed PPE.

    Spring 2020 – Regional 5 Program – 2 ½ hours on ergonomics and safe patient handling Clinical Conference in May 2020 with 500-700 attendees for license renewal. Breakout sessions 90 minutes would like OSHA to present on Workplace Violence.

    Other Topics:

    Task Force Groups - develop task force group on workplace violence?

    MassCosh Grant - Risk assessment on substance abuse and opioids. Working with Teamsters and Iron Workers.

    Develop an OSHA template and handouts on how to properly and adequately file a detailed factually strong OSHA Complaint. Maybe publish an article in the Mass Nurses Newsletter and MNA website.

    Discussed OSHA’s letter to the Nursing Schools on workplace violence. Judith Pare recommended reaching out to the Nursing Honor Societies and the UMass honor Society and OSHA presenting and bringing speakers and topics. They would have strong interest. Also reach out to Student Nurses Association- IODIFY- Assumption College.

  3. Evaluations

    This alliance has been very successful in training nurses and healthcare providers on their rights on the job with a better understanding of OSHA’s and MNA role in more efficiently and effectively communicating and processing safety and health complaints.

  4. Upcoming Milestones

    List major planned activities, products, and issues that the Alliance plans to work on during the next reporting period, including plans for renewal or conclusion.

    The plan is to continue the OSHA-MNA Alliance in further developing safety and health educational products, presentations, and curriculums for their membership. Continue providing on going Covid-19 resources and technical information to all their nurses and health care providers in better protecting themselves and reducing risk of exposure while treating patient with Covid-19.

    Development of an OSHA-10 hour program specifically focusing on the safety and health training needs of healthcare workers. That will improve their knowledge of their rights under the OSHA Act, and increase their understanding of the various OSHA tools available to improve their working conditions, ensuring employers comply with all pertinent OSHA safety and health standards.

    Continued focusing on reducing injuries resulting from Work Place Violence through communication and training of best practices which employers would be able to implement at their facility.

    Report prepared by: Peter Barletta, Compliance Assistance Specialist, OSHA Braintree Office.

    Activity Types:

    • Alliance Product: Products (e.g., fact sheets, videos, toolbox talks) developed by Alliance participants as part of the Alliance. These are not OSHA products.
    • Dissemination: An Alliance participant sends OSHA information, Alliance products, or other safety and health information to its stakeholders. This includes information sent by email or social media (Facebook, Twitter), and information included in newsletters and other publications. It also includes hits on the Alliance participant’s or OSHA’s Web page.
    • Evaluation: Any efforts by the Alliance participant to evaluate the effectiveness of an Alliance activity or the Alliance as a whole.
    • Event: Participation in events such as the Construction Roundtable and NAOSH Week.
    • Exhibit: OSHA exhibits at events sponsored by the Alliance participant.
    • OSHA Product Review: Review of an OSHA product by an Alliance participant. For example, an Alliance participant may provide technical comments on an OSHA eTool or publication. The review itself is considered the Alliance activity.
    • Speech/Presentation: Speeches or presentation by OSHA staff at events sponsored by the Alliance participant.
    • Training: This includes best practice seminars or other training that Alliance participants provide for OSHA staff. It also includes training for workers/employers/others by Alliance participants.
    • Other: Use this if an activity does not fit into one of the other categories.

     

    OSHA Areas of Emphasis:

    • Agriculture
    • Asian American/Pacific Islander Workers
    • Construction
    • Ergonomics
    • Fall Prevention
    • Hazard Communication/Chemicals
    • Health Care
    • Heat Illness Prevention
    • Hispanic/Latino Workers
    • Maritime
    • Oil and Gas
    • Small Business
    • Temporary Workers
    • Transportation
    • Young Workers