ALLIANCE ANNUAL REPORT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
HARRISBURG AREA OFFICE
AND
THE PENNSYLVANIA CHAMBER OF
BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY

November 2, 2010

1. Alliance Background
   
   Date Signed:
   
   March 29, 2004
   
   Dates Renewed:
   
   August 10, 2005
   August 20, 2007
   August 18, 2009
   
   Alliance Overview.
   
   The statewide Pennsylvania Chamber is the largest broad-based business association in Pennsylvania and the second largest state Chamber in the United States. The Chamber has over 10,000 customers; 82% being considered small employers with less than 100 employees and 1/3 of their members having less than 10 employees. By combining OSHA’s safety expertise with the broad base of employers who belong to the PA Chamber, OSHA’s resources can be leveraged more effectively. Our common goal is to help employers through outreach, training and educational safety programs that they can take back to and implement at their individual work places.
   
   The Alliance between OSHA and the PA Chamber provides a platform to reach small employers and provide necessary information, guidance, access to training on a variety of safety regulations, and best practices from the OSHA website. These are all resources that companies may not realize exist without these OSHA sessions which are organized and facilitated by the PA Chamber. Each year under the Harrisburg Area Office alliance, we conduct three (3) Roundtable sessions to help employers, their safety managers and employees with professional and business development in the Harrisburg area and conduct four (4) sessions in other parts of the state. A true win-win for all parties, while meeting OSHA’s objective, to furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards.
   
   Implementation Team Members.
   
   OSHA Members: Kevin G. Kilp, Area Director Harrisburg; Dale Glacken, Compliance Assistance Specialist (CAS).
   
   PA Chamber Members: Susan Smith, Director, Educational Services; Don Holt, VP of Finance and Operations.


2. Implementation Team Meetings
   
   August 2009 through August 2010 – Numerous contacts (telephone conference calls and e-mail exchanges) were made to prepare for each of the three Roundtable sessions. The more notable include:
    
   1. Our most notable discussion was held on Jan 26, 2010. We set agenda for the year and rough dates for the events. The March roundtable was expanded to include the Erie Area Office.


3. Activities and Products
   
   Evaluation Period.
   
   August 21, 2009 thru August 20, 2010.
   
   Alliance Activity.
    
   • Training and Education

   1. September 10, 2009, Fall Half Day OSHA Roundtable: Dale Glacken, Harrisburg Area Office (HAO) CAS, provided opening remarks and an OSHA Update for members of the PA Chamber of Business and Industry in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. Rocco Dipietro from Cocciardi and Associates provided information on Complying with the Respiratory Protection Standard. Frederick Miller from High Safety Consulting Services provided information to the attendees on Complying with the Powered Industrial Truck Standard. There were 62 attendees at the Roundtable.
   
   2. March 2010, Spring Half Day OSHA Roundtable: The PA Chamber expanded this outreach activity to add four (4) additional locations throughout the Commonwealth: Scranton, Valley Forge, Camp Hill, Erie and Pittsburgh. Each session was opened and an OSHA Update was given by the local OSHA Area Directors (AD). Harrisburg was without an AD, so the opening remarks and OSHA Update was provided by the Assistant Area Director (AAD), Mr. Matt Bole. CAS from Harrisburg provided the presentation to the other area offices to ensure uniformity among presentations. In addition, Charles Baker from Compliance Management International presented, Electrical Safety Provisions Standard and Safety Precautions to Prevent Arc Flash. And Joseph Boslet from Inservco Insurance Services discussed Tool Safety-The Proper Use of Power and Hand Tools to the crowd. Following the sessions the audiences ask the morning speakers and OSHA representatives safety questions. There were 197 participants at all 5 events.
   
   3. May 26, 2010, Annual OSHA and Workplace Safety Conference. Opening comments were given by Sue Smith, PA Chamber followed by numerous presentations. The first session was presented by Thomas Benjamin and Dennis Morikawa, from Morgan Lewis and Bockius. They presented an Update on OSHA Issues and Tips of Surviving Inspections. Steve High, High Safety Consulting Services presented It’s A Small World After All (HAZCOM and GHS)”, Dale Glacken, HAO CAS presented Complying with OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements-Injury and Illness Logs”. Jeff Lee, from Brubacher Excavating, Inc ended the day with Complying with the Fall Protection Standard. 81 people attended this session.

   • Outreach and Communication

   Each quarter the PA Chamber sends 5000 of its members the PA Chamber Expert a newsletter giving members safety information and some from the OSHA website and links to safety information. Over the last year the Pa Chamber included articles on many safety topics in the PA Chamber Expert, such as: The 2009 regulatory priorities, the new acetylene standard, payment for PPE, the new Cranes and Derricks in Construction Final Rule, Administrative Penalty Changes and information about the New Assistant Secretary.

   • Promoting the National Dialogue on Safety and Health
   
   Alliance Products
    
   • Training and Education
     
     N/A
      
   • Outreach and Communication
     
     N/A
      
   • Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
     
     N/A
      
4. Results
   
   The sixth year of the Alliance was devoted to presenting information to the Chamber’s members at three scheduled "Ask OSHA Roundtable" sessions. Similar activities are planned for the seventh year of the Alliance. During this last year the Chamber expanded their efforts and offered an additional Half Day Round Tables, to include 5 area offices in the following cities: Scranton, Valley Forge, Camp Hill, Erie and Pittsburgh.

   Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)	Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
   Half day, "Ask OSHA roundtable", Sept 10, 2009	62
   Half day, "Ask OSHA roundtable", March 2010	197
   Full day, "Ask OSHA roundtable", May 26, 2010	81
   TOTAL:	340

5. Upcoming Milestones
   
   We have already conducted our September 16, 2010 conference and have planned two half day Roundtables for this coming year with a full day OSHA/Chamber Roundtable for 2011. The first 2011 Roundtable will be conducted on March 25, 2011 and will cover OSHA Recordkeeping and Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) with the Global Harmonize System (GHS). This session will be conducted statewide at 5 different locations throughout the commonwealth. A full day session will be held in Camp Hill, PA on June 1, 2011 and the final half day session for the year will be on September 15, 2011. The result is seven (7) sessions conducted throughout the Commonwealth.