Region 2 - Alliance Annual Report - October 17, 2010

THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
PUERTO RICO AREA OFFICE,
THE PUERTO RICO OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
PUERTO RICO DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES
AND
THE UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO RIO PIEDRAS CAMPUS
ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
October 17, 2011

  1. Alliance Background

    Original signing: January 22, 2004
    1st Renewal: April 3, 2006
    2nd Renewal: April 15, 2008
    3rd Renewal: September 30, 2010

    Overview

    The purpose of this alliance is to provide the Rio Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico (UPR), through Division of Continuing Education and Professional Studies (Spanish acronym - DECEP), the Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety Office (Spanish acronym - OPASO) and the Institute of Labor Relationships from the Faculty of Social Sciences (Spanish acronym - IRT) with information, guidance and access to training resources that will help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to occupational health and safety hazards and to promote the national dialogue on workplace safety and health goals.

    These goals are to be achieved through training and educational, outreach and communication.

    Implementation Team Members

    From UPR-Rio Piedras Campus:

    Jorge Ramos - Director OPASO
    Migdalia Ruíz - DECEP
    Lymari Orellana - OPASO/DECEP (Liaison)

    From Federal OSHA

    Madelline Medina - CAS

    From PR – OSHA

    Ilza Román

    Contributors

    Professor Juan Iván Colón

  2. Implementation Team Meetings

    October 14, 2010, at Plaza Universitaria, Rio Piedras, PR
    March 11, 2011, at PRAO
    August 26, 2011, at PRAO

    APPA Meetings

    October 14, 2010, at Plaza Universitaria, Rio Piedras, PR
    March 11, 2011, at PRAO

  3. Events and Products

    Evaluation Period

    March 12, 2010 to August 31, 2011

    Alliance Activity

    • Events

    Goal 1: To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.

    Goal 2: To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on construction, general and maritime industry hazards, including the psychosocial hazards such workplace violence, as well as emergency managements issues, and legal aspect focused on employees’ right under the OSH Act, to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

    Goal 1: To develop effective training and education program for employees, students and the general community regarding construction, general and maritime industry related hazards, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.

    Goal 2: To develop effective training and education program for construction, general, and maritime employees and employers to promote understanding of workers’ rights, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, and the responsibilities of employers and to communicate such information to workers and employers.

    Goal 3: To deliver or arrange for the delivery of safety and health courses through the Certificate in Occupational Health and Safety of DECEP.

    1. Raising Awareness of OSHA’S Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

      • The University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus hosts an annual occupational safety related activity, free of charge, open to employees and employers from all industries, as well as the general public, to maintain workplace safety awareness.
        • Open Forum by the State Insurance Fund Corporation (CFSE), was offered on April 16, 2010. A total of 53 participants attended this activity.
        • “Harassment and Violence in the Workplace: Tools for Prevention” was offered on May 6, 2011. A total of 59 participants attended this activity
      • Provided academic resources for professional forums in matters related to safety and health.
        • Attorney Normary Figueroa
          • Legal Aspects of Law 16 – PR Occupational Safety and Health Act
            • April 28, 2010 at PR-OSHA
            • June 23 and 24, 2011 at Safety and Occupational Health Summit – Puerto Rico Manufacturers’ Association (PRMA)
        • Prof. Jorge Ramos
          • General safety awareness course at Legislature Library (Tomas Bonilla Feliciano), May 2011; 20 people in attendance.
      • Facilitated the sponsorship by OSHA’s National Office of Ms. Maureen Ruskin, Directorate of Standards and Guidance. On August 3, 2011, Ms. Ruskin presented “Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) at the 43rd IUPAC World Chemistry Congress (IUPAC 2011) held at the Puerto Rico Convention Center in San Juan, P.R. A total of 16 participants attended this conference.
      • Resources were provided to lecture on the Legal Aspects of Law 16 – PR Occupational Safety and Health Act during the Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration held April 28, 2010 at PR-OSHA. A total of 166 participants attended this activity.
      • In June 22 and 23, 2010 and June 23 and 24, 2011, participated in the PRMA Safety and Occupational Health Summit.
        • Lymari Orellana and Migdalia Ruiz lead round table exercises on Emergency Response (Situation A). A total of 80 participants attended this activity.
        • Attorney Normary Figueroa
          • June 23 and 24, 2011 at the PRMA Safety and Health Summit: Legal Aspects of Law 16 – PR Occupational Safety and Health Act. A total of 35 participants attended this seminar.

    2. Training and Education

      • Events
      • General community: two workshops sessions of “Playing Safe” were offered by UPR-OPASO during summer of 2010 to a children and youth summer camp, which was coordinated by Social Action of Puerto Rico, a community based organization. Through these sessions, the participants, children from low income families and with learning disabilities, were provided with information about the risks of playing outside such as heat stress and dehydration, how to recognize those hazards, and the safety measures to be taken to prevent or minimize them.
      • The workshop “Harassment and Violence in the Workplace: Tools for Prevention” was offered on May 6, 2011. This activity provided an opportunity for participants to learn to identify and recognize traits/characteristics of people who may be/become violent, and how to work with the situation if it arises in the workplace. A total of 59 participants attended this activity.
      • An 8hrs HAZWOPER refresher for 12 people and a 40hrs course for 21 were offered to personnel from the Emergency Management Office-Bayamon. Municipality.
      • The University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus provided health and safety topics courses/lectures at the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Institute of Labor Relations
        • Faculty of Natural Sciences - during the second semester of 2010-2011 academic year, as part of ongoing CINA4995: Environmental Permitting Regulations and emergency response. A total of 12 undergraduate students attended the class.
        • Institute of Labor Relations - as part of the trainings offered by the Labor Education Program. Two courses on Principles of Occupational Safety and Health were offered to area coordinators of the Teachers’ Association of Puerto Rico. A total of 28 participants attended this activity in San Juan; 12 in Ponce, PR. For those participating in these activities, 12 contact hours were awarded in San Juan, 16 in Ponce.
      • On April 16, 2010, UPR-Rio Piedras sponsored an Open Forum by the State Insurance Fund Corporation (CFSE), in which the speaker, Mr. Roberto Delgado – Director CFSE, provided information to employers from small industries and pharmaceutical industries; to medical and occupational nurses, and government agencies on the recordability of cases involving injuries and illnesses in the workplace, examples of cases that would meet their requirements for recordability, as well as of the services offered by the Corporation to all employers in the Island. A total of 53 participants attended this activity.
      • Two seminar sessions were offered by UPR-OPASO to 60 construction workers under “Construction Risk Communication Training”, which included topics such as Hazard Communication (Labels, MSDS), Fire Extinguishers use, and Health Hazards in Construction: Silica.
      • A “10 Hour” Maritime Course (29 CFR 1917) was offered at the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA–UTM) Local 1740 facility in San Juan, PR; 16 union employees attended the course.
      • An “8 Hour” general safety awareness course was offered to employees of the Legislature Library (Tomas Bonilla Feliciano) on May 2011. A total of 20 participants attended this activity.
      • A “10 Hour” course on General Industry was offered to union employees from the Distillery Industry; firefighters from the island’s southern region also attended this course, which was held at University of Puerto Rico, Ponce Campus on June, 2011. A total of 21 participants attended the course.

      OSHA publications are used in some of the courses as they relate to the different applicable industries and the impact on the employers and employees for non-compliance with OSHA standards and regulations. During this evaluation period, five students completed the certificate.

      • April 2010 - June 2011: Certificate in Occupational Safety and Health - DECEP, offered every quarter, consists of 7 requisite courses of 156 contact hours and 2 elective courses of between 36 to 51 contact hours, for a total between 192 to 207 contact hours equivalent to 19 to 21 units/credits.
      • Two “30 Hour” Construction Industry courses, attended by 11 participants each; and a “30 Hour” General Industry course, attended by eight, were conducted during this evaluation period.

    3. 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, PR OSHA’s and the Río Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.

      Goal 2: To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s, PR OSHA’s or the Río Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico conferences, local meetings, or other educational events.

      Goal 3: To share information among OSHA and PR OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professional regarding the Río Piedras Campus of the University of Puerto Rico’s good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshop, seminars, and lectures developed by the participants.

      Goal 4: To work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on construction, general and maritime industries, that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

      • Events
        • As part of the 2nd Annual Safety and Health Conference of Puerto Rico, members of the UPR Rio Piedras Campus offered one plenary session on Risk Assessment. A total of 179 participants attended this activity.
        • A Spanish curriculum on Safety and Health for pre-school children, developed last year, is now in the editing process. A book titled “Currículo de Salud y Seguridad para niños y niñas prescolares: actitudes, hábitos y valores para toda la vida” (Safety and Health Curriculum for pre-school children: lifelong attitudes, customs, and values”), discussing the development of the curriculum, was published in 2010. UPR – Rio Piedras is expected to be one of the organizations participating in the pilot program.
        • The 2nd Safety and Health Conference coordinated by APPA, “Creating a safe and healthy environment for all”, took place October 22, 2010, at the University of Puerto Rico - Ponce Campus. A total of 179 participants attended this activity.

    Alliance Products

    No products or resources have been developed to meet this Alliance goal.

  4. Results

    The UPR-Río Piedras Campus continues to be instrumental in promoting awareness and prevention of hazards associated with the construction, general and maritime industries. Through OPASO, it has also been actively involved in reaching out to safety and health professionals in an effort to advance their knowledge and academic preparation in occupational safety and health issues.

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

    Number of Individuals Trained

    Approx. Number of Individuals Reached
    Construction Industry Course (30 Hours) 22 50
    General Industry Course (10 Hours) (UTIL-Ponce) 21 100
    General Industry Course (30 Hours) 8 30
    Maritime industry Course (10 Hours) (UTM-ILA) 16 250
    Certificate in OSH graduates 5 50
    Open Forum with the State Insurance Fund Corporation 53 160
    Playing Safe 63 120
    Construction Risk Communication Training 60 80
    Harassment and Violence in the Workplace: Tools for Prevention 59 180
    HAZWOPER training 40 hrs (OME Bayamón) 12 24
    HAZWOPER refresher training 8 hrs (OME Bayamón) 27 54
    Legislative Library 20 40
    Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) at the 43rd IUPAC World Chemistry Congress 16 200
    Principles of Occupational Safety and Health 40 120
    Environmental Permitting Regulations and Emergency Response Class 12 24
    Round table excises for Emergency Response Situation PRMA Safety and Occupational Health Summit 80 160
    Legal Aspects of Law 16 – PR Occupational Safety and Health Act during the Workers’ Memorial Day commemoration 166 332
    Legal Aspects of Law 16 – PR Occupational Safety and Health Act PRMA Safety and Occupational Health Summit 35 70
    SUB-TOTAL 715 2044
    APPA    
    Conference: "Creating a safe and healthy environment for all" 179 500
    Total 894 2,544

  5. Upcoming Milestones

    • Hold the 3rd Annual Safety and Health Conference of Puerto Rico (one-day event) in October 2011, at the Island’s western region (Mayaguez).
    • Prepare a flyer or quick card on basic ergonomic concepts to be distributed among at least 50% of UPR employees by April 2012 (which would initially consists of approximately 2000 employees). This initiative could be extended to the university community as a whole, in the near future.

Report Prepared by: Madelline Medina – CAS Puerto Rico Area Office 787-277-1560

For more information, contact the Office of Outreach Services and Alliances at 202-693-2340 or go to www.osha.gov.