ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Philadelphia Area Office
Philadelphia Area Office ~ American Mushroom Institute
December 22, 2009

1. Alliance Background
   
   Date Signed: September 28, 2007
   
   Date Renewed: October 27, 2009
   
   Alliance 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. As a result of the Alliance’s measurable success the agreement was renewed for an additional two years.
   
   Implementation Team Members.
   
   Committee Members:
   
   Eugene Richard – AMI/CAC
   James Touey – OSHA
   Rick Wright – To – Jo Mushrooms
   Daniel Beltran – Masda Mushrooms
   Eric Dunlap – KAOLIN Mushrooms
   John Hillard – Giorgi Mushoom Co.
   Peter Gray – Phillips Mushroom Farm
   Bill Green – Phillips Mushroom Farm
   Monica Rocha – Country Fresh Mushroom Co.
   Joanne Osborne – S & P Conveyors Inc.
   Viviana Cordero – C. P. Yeatman & Son
   Jerry Yeatman – C. P. Yeatman & Son
   Chris Alonzo – Pietro Industries
   James Howard – Country Fresh Mushroom Co
   Sam Wilson – Needhams Mushroom Farm
   Linda Musser – Country Fresh Mushroom Co.
   Saloman Ortiz – S & P Conveyors Inc.
   Dan Leo – John C. Leo & Son
   Ruth Schultz- Kaolin Mushroom Union
   
   Contributors:
   
   Albert D’Imperio – Area Director, OSHA Philadelphia Area Office
   Magnolia Torres, OSHA Compliance Safety & Health Officer
   Barbara Bray, OSHA Region III Resource Technician
   Joseph McKeefery, Wage & Hour
   Laura Phelps – President AMI
   Don Needham – Chairman of CAC
   Ed Leo – Owner of John C. Leo & Son
   Dave Carroll – President of Giorgi Mushroom
   Bill Barber – Giorgi Mushroom
   Eric Lorenz - Penn State University Sr. Extension Associate Pesticide Education
   
    
2. Implementation Team Meetings
   
   Implementation Meeting held at the American Mushroom Institute facility located in Avondale (Kennett Square), PA.
   
   Second Year of Alliance- First Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on January 8, 2009, at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square
   
   Second Year of Alliance- Second Quarterly Meeting held on February 5, 2009, at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square
   
   Second Year of Alliance - Third Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on April 23, 2009, at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square
   
   Second Year of Alliance- Fourth Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on July 30, 2009 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square
   
    
3. Activities and Products
   
   Evaluation Period:
   
   The evaluation covers from the time frame of September 28, 2008 through September 28, 2009.
   
   Events and Products
    
   • Training and Education
     
     November 8, 2008, CAS provided a training session to the AMI for the Alliance Members. A Power Point presentation was conducted covering: Introduction to OSHA and the Inspection Process, Working with OSHA through Cooperative Programs, Most Frequently Cited Standards in the Farming Industry
     
     On February 5, 2009 CAS provided a training session at the AMI for the Alliance Group Members. A Power-point presentation was conducted covering: Electrical Hazards, Confined Space Programs and OSHA’s Multi-Employer Citation Policy
     
     May 28, 2009, Alliance Group Meeting to discuss the agenda for the Second Annual Alliance Breakout Session
      
   • Outreach and Communication
      
     • On November 12, 2008, a meeting was conducted with representatives of the American Mushroom Institute and the Farmworkers Health and Safety Institute. The discussions were predicated on potentially utilizing resources and reference information that had been previously generated by the Friends of Farmworkers Group through an OSHA Susan Hardwood Grant.
        
     • On June 18, 2009, the AMI/OSHA Alliance conducted their Second Annual Alliance Break-out Session”. Topics for the full day event included presentations by OSHA representatives on “Navigating the OSHA Web-site”, as well as “SST Selection for Programmed Inspections”. Additional presentations were provided by AMI representatives covering “Recordkeeping” and “Pick-light Electrical Safety”. There were also two guest speakers, a Department of Labor Wage & Hour representative provided an update on his agency and a Penn State Instructor provided guidance on Hazard Communications in the Agriculture Industry.
        
   • 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” from September of 2008 to September 2009.
        
     • November 2008- Article “Goals of the Alliance Set” Eugene Richards, AMI
        
     • March, 2009 – Article “Be Prepared in the Event That You Have an OSHA Inspection”. What programs OSHA looks for during an inspection. Eugene Richards, AMI.
        
     • February 2009- Article “First Aid” Medical Surveillance, First Aid Training requirements, preparing your worksite Eugene Richards, AMI
        
     • September – 2009- Article “June Meeting Draws a Crowd” Article talks about the Second Annual AMI/OSHA Alliance Break-Out Session” Sara Manning Mushroom News/AMI
4. Results
   
   The Alliance had an extraordinary second year. The implementation team has continued to be enthusiastic about the unlimited potential of the cooperative program. The Alliance group has continued to voluntarily provide their respective injury/illness data for the second year in a row. This statistical information has allowed the industry to share in trends and has developed a reliable focus for the alliance. The continued gathering of this information will develop a measurable base-line for the industry employers to be compared to in future years. Additionally, the injury illness information gathered to date has allowed for the AMI Alliance Members to begin focusing on the development of sample OSHA S & H Programs which are pertinent to the Mushroom Growing industry. The Alliance group has formulated sub-committees which have been tasked with developing these industry specific programs.
    

   Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)	Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
   AMI Alliance Group Training Session– Electrical Safety , Confined Space Power Point Presentation	15 Trained – Effecting 1000 employees
   AMI Alliance Group Training Session: Introduction to OSHA and the Inspection Process, Working with OSHA through Cooperative Programs, Most Frequently Cited Standards in the Farming Industry	15 Trained – Effecting 1000 employees
   Alliance Group Break-out Session	50 Trained – Effecting 10,000 employees
   TOTAL: 3	60 Trained – Effecting 12,000 employees

   
    The work of the group also has a major impact on the Mushroom industries’ Hispanic Workforce. It is estimated that 90% of the estimated 12,000 employee workforce in this industry are Hispanic.
    
5. Upcoming Milestones
   
   The focus of the Alliance’s third year is to continue to develop sample safety programs that are Mushroom Industry specific. The Alliance Group is on target to issue four sample programs in the next year. The group has already developed a sample Personal Protective Equipment program which is in the process of being disseminated and intends to produce a sample LOTO Program, Hazard Communications and Powered Industrial Truck program in this year, and a variety of other programs in the next two years of the agreement.
   
   Report Prepared by: James Touey Compliance Assistance Specialist
   
   For more information, contact the Office of Outreach Services and Alliances at 202-693-2340 or go to OSHA.