ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT
American Mushroom Institute
October 24, 2008

Signed ~ Sept. 28, 2007

Overview:

The AMI/OSHA Alliance goal is to develop and provide training and education programs for the mushroom growing industry to prevent falls and amputations, and to reduce or eliminate chemical, electrical and physical hazards. Other goals include the development and implementation of effective safety and health programs and providing expertise in communicating safety and health information to employers and employees.

Implementation Team Members

OSHA Alliance Committee

Eugene Richard--AMI/CAC
James Touey—OSHA- Philadelphia Area Office Compliance Assistance Specialist
Chris Alonzo--Pietro Industries
Daniel Beltran--Masda Mushroom Co.
Tyler Blackwell--C. J. Mushroom Co.
Gus Carozzo--Mushroom Spawning Co.
Efren Diego--Kaolin Workers Union
Nancy Frush--Giorgi Mushroom Co.
Peter Gray--Phillips Mushroom Farms, Inc.
Serafina Youngdahl Lombardi--Kaolin Mushroom Union
Michael Pia Jr.--Kaolin Mushroom Farms Inc.
Monica Rocha--Country Fresh Mushroom Co.
Sam Wilson--Needham Mushroom Farms, Inc.
Jerry Yeatman--C. P. Yeatman & Sons, Inc.
Jose Roberto Zavala-- Doel Vasquez-Ortiz Giorgi Mushroom Co. Safety Committee Members

Contributors

Laura Phelps--American Mushroom Institute, President, John Hilliard Safety Intern, Giorgi Mushroom, Sara Manning, AMI Community Awareness Committee, OSHA Compliance Safety & Health Officer Magnolia Torres, OSHA Compliance Safety & Health Officer Marie Armstrong.

Evaluation Period

The evaluation covers from the time frame of September 28, 2007 through September 28, 2008.

Implementation Team Meetings

Initial Implementation Meeting held at OSHA Philadelphia Area Office on October 16, 2007.
First Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on November 8, 2007 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square.
Second Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on March 6, 2008 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square.
Third Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on May 22, 2008 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square.
Fourth Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on August 21, 2008 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square.

Events and Products

Training and Education

November 8, 2008, Initial Alliance Meetings- Power Point presentation, Introduction to OSHA and the Inspection Process, Working with OSHA through Cooperative Programs, Most Frequently Cited Standards in the Farming Industry.

March 6, 2008, Power Point Presentation- Safety & Health Management Systems.

August 21, 2008, Power Point presentation covering LOTO and Electrical Safety Related Work Practices.

Outreach and Communication

• OSHA’s Philadelphia Area Office Compliance Assistance Specialist performed outreach on February 14, 2008 at the Penn State Ogontz Campus at a seminar entitled "Keep Farming First" on behalf of the Alliance. The KFF Program was attended by approximately 300 farming business representatives from Pennsylvania.
• More than 50 people attended a June 19, 2008 OSHA Alliance break out session to learn about the program established by AMI and OSHA to create an ongoing farm safety relationship. The program was held at the Stroud Water Research Center in Kennett Square, PA. The agenda featured an overview on safety programs governed by OSHA, interactive Web tools available for farms, how to fill out and when to post OSHA forms, training suggestions, the importance of a safety team made up of supervisors and employees, and the insurance saving costs that come with a reduction in accidents. Effective Alliance member Safety programs were highlighted.

Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health

• Four articles have been published by Alliance members in the American Mushroom Institute’s National Monthly Magazine "Mushroom News"
• December 2007 – OSHA & AMI set up an alliance program to educate and train employees on mushroom farms. Eugene Richards, AMI.
• May 2008 – Principles of Safety and Health Management Systems, James Touey, Compliance Assistance Specialist.
• September 2008 – Mushroom News: American Mushroom Institute/OSHA Alliance – Update – Eugene Richards, AMI.
• September 2008- "The Safety Committee: Just the Tip of the Iceberg- John Hillard Giorgi Mushroom Company.

Results

The Alliance had a great first year. The implementation team has continued to be enthusiastic about the unlimited potential of the cooperative program. One hurdle that the Alliance has faced is limited or non-existent BLS injury/illness data for the mushroom growing industry. Through trust the local mushroom growers have voluntarily provided their respective injury/illness data which has served dual purposes. First it has allowed the whole to share in trends in the industry and to develop a reliable focus for the alliance. Second it has established a measurable base-line for the employers to be compared to in future years.

Upcoming Milestones

The focus of the second year will be train-the-trainer sessions on electrical hazards, machine guarding and accident investigation.