ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
Philadelphia Area Office
Philadelphia Area Office ~ American Mushroom Institute
December 21, 2011

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. The Alliance continued to be productive and successful in the fourth year of the agreement.
   
   Implementation Team Members
   
   Committee Members:
    

   Eugene Richard – AMI/CAC	Chris Alonzo – Pietro Industries
   James Touey – OSHA CAS	James Howard – Country Fresh Mushroom
   Rick Wright – To – Jo Mushrooms	Sam Wilson – Needhams Mushroom Farm
   Russ Kilmer – To-Jo Mushroom *	Linda Messer – Country Fresh Mushroom
   Daniel Beltran – Masda Mushrooms	Saloman Ortiz – S & P Conveyors Inc.
   Eric Dunlap – Kaolin Mushrooms	Joanne Osborne – S & P Conveyors, Inc
   Richard Rush – Kaolin Mushroom*	Dan Leo – John C. Leo & Son
   John Hilliard – Securis	Leanna Verget – Oakshire Mushroom Farm*
   Randy Hertzler – Giorgi/Gaspari Mushroom	Rogelio Vivero Jr. – Warwick Mushroom *
   Bill Barber – Giorgi Mushroom	Robert Cantarera – John C. Leo & Son *
   Chris Buckley – Giorgi Fresh *	Anita Swayne – Swayne’s Inc*
   Guy Braxton – Giorgi Mushroom*	Jesus Juarez Jr.- Modern Mushroom *
   Peter Gray – Phillips Mushroom Farm	David Sampson – Country Fresh *
   Bill Green – Phillips Mushroom Farm	Monica Rocha – Country Fresh Mushroom
   Viviana Cordero – CnB Mushrooms *	Bob Dolinger – Bob Dolinger Hauling, Inc *
   Jerry Yeatman – C. P. Yeatman & Son	Joanne Osborne – S & P Conveyors Inc
   Erin Klotzbach - C.P Yeatman & Son*
   Meghan Klozbach- CP Yeatman & Son*

   
   
   Contributors:
    

   Albert D’Imperio – Area Director, OSHA Philadelphia Area Office

   Laura Phelps – President AMI

   Sara Manning – Mushroom News

   Jean Lonnie – AMI Consultant

   Don Needham – Chairman of CAC

   Ed Leo – Owner of John C. Leo & Son

   Dave Carroll – President of Giorgi Mushroom

   Neel Horst – Wells Fargo Insurance

   Jim Mooney – Regional Coordinator, USDOL Wage & Hour

   Ivette Vigano – Assistant District Director, USDOL Wage & Hour



2. Implementation Team Meetings
   
   Implementation Meetings held at the American Mushroom Institute facility located in Avondale (Kennett Square), PA.
   
   Fourth Year of Alliance- First Quarterly Meeting held on October 26, 2010 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square. Alliance accomplishments discussed and goals established for fourth year.
   
   Fourth Year of Alliance- Second Quarterly Meeting and training session held on January 20, 2011, at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square.
   
   Fourth Year of Alliance - Third Alliance Quarterly Meeting held on, March 1, 2011 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square.
   
   Fourth Year of Alliance- Fourth Alliance Quarterly Meeting and training session held on June 16, 2011 at the American Mushroom Institute’s facility in Kennett Square.


3. Activities and Products
   
   Evaluation Period
   
   The evaluation covers the time frame of October 26, 2010 through October 27, 2011.
   
   Events and Products:
    
   • Training and Education
     
     On October 26, 2010, CAS provided a training session for the implementation team on OSHA’s Lock-Out Tag-Out (LOTO) regulations and provided sample programs. Alliance subcommittee identified and assigned to develop a general Mushroom Industry LOTO program.
     
     January 20, 2011, CAS attended Implementation Meeting- Discussions included but not limited to: Industry Injury/Illness Data; Injury Illness Prevention Program (I2P2); OSHA Region III Most Frequently Cited Standards in General Industry.
     
     June 16, 2011- CAS attended Implementation Team Meeting –Topics included OSHA’s new National Office Campaign on Heat Stress. Publications and resource information was provided as well as an update on OSHA’s new Global Harmonized System, OSHA Data Initiative (ODI) as well as a discussion on OSHA’s Susan Harwood Grants.
     
     In addition to the Alliance Implementation Meetings, the AMI Alliance committee meets routinely on a monthly base to continue moving the Alliance agenda forward.
   
   
   • Outreach and Communication
      
     • On March 24, 2011, the AMI/OSHA Alliance conducted their Third Alliance General Meeting “Break-out Session”. Sixty-seven representatives for thirty-six Mushroom Industry employers were represented at the meeting. Topics for the full day event included presentations by the Area Director for OSHA Philadelphia Area Office (PHOA) “OSHA’s Perspective on the AMI Alliance – Past, Present and Future” as well as the PHAO Compliance Assistance Specialist who provided an OSHA Update covering OSHA’s “Strategic Targeting Initiative (2011)-SST Selection for Programmed Inspections” and “OSHA Inspection History and Most Frequently Cited Violations in the Mushroom Growing Industry”. Additional presentations were provided by AMI Implementation Team Members on: OSHA Recordkeeping, a look at the Mushroom Industry injury/illness experience and common mistakes during recordkeeping; “Mushroom Specific Generic Lock-Out Tag Out” a sample program for the industry” and “Safety Pays”, which focused on the financial benefit of workplace safety. Additionally, a representative for one of the Alliance Member Companies discussed a “Success Story” concerning a recently applied employee shoe policy, which produced fewer trips and falls for harvesters in the growing rooms while another member company summarized methods for accident investigations which can be utilized on mushroom farms.
     • In the last year the Alliance finalized a “Mushroom Industry” specific sample Lock-Out/Tag-Out Program (LOTO) and began developing additional Safety and Health Programs on Powered Industrial Trucks (forklift), Emergency Action Plans and Respiratory Protection. The LOTO program was the fifth programs developed and disseminated to the member companies in the four years of the agreement. Other sample programs include; Developing a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), Personal Protective Equipment, Pick Light Safety and Recordkeeping.
     • Communications between the AMI Alliance and OSHA continues throughout the year in the form of technical assistance and OSHA Updates that affect the mushroom growing industry. .Topics discussed in the past year included Global Harmonized System (GHS), LOTO, OSHA’s Multi-Employer Worksite Policy, Emergency Evacuation Plans, Heat Stress, Powered Industrial Truck safety, and Recordkeeping,
   • Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health
      
     • From October 2010 to October 2011, six additional articles were published by the Alliance members in the American Mushroom Institute’s National Monthly Magazine “Mushroom News”. These six articles were added to the twelve prior Alliance related articles printed since the initiation of the Cooperative Agreement.
     • October 2010 “Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)” John Hilliard OSHA Safety Committee Georgi Mushroom
     • October 2010 “Job Safety Analysis” Chris Alonzo OSHA Safety Committee Pietro Industries
     • October 2010 Reprint from OSHA’s National Office Published Region III Alliance Success Story “Philadelphia Area Office Alliance with American Mushroom Institute Trains Workers” Kate Becker Program Analysis, OSHA Office of Outreach Services and Alliances in the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs
     • January 2011- “First Line of Defense” John Hilliard OSHA Safety Committee Georgi Mushroom
     • DOL and OSHA Alliance Draws Crowd – Sarah Manning – American Mushroom Institute/Editor Mushroom News
     • Reporting and Recording Occupational Injuries and Illnesses – Eugene Richard OSHA Committee Richards American Mushroom Institute
4. Results
   
   The Alliance continued to have success in the fourth year of the agreement. The implementation team has again continued to grown in the past year adding members representing several new companies who were not previously involved. As was with the first three years of the agreement, the Alliance group has continued to voluntarily provide individual company injury/illness data company. This statistical information, which has allowed the localized industry to share in their trends, has shown to be consistent from year to year and more statistically reliable for use. The continued gathering of this information will develop a measurable base-line for the industry employers to be compared to in future years. The Alliance group has developed several “Mushroom Industry” specific sample safety programs which have been disseminated amongst their member companies and have displayed interest in developing injury/illness case studies to be published in the future.
    

   Type of Activity (Conference, Training, Print and Electronic Distribution, etc.)	Number of Individuals Reached or Trained
   AMI Alliance Group Training Session – Lock Out Tag Out (LOTO)	16 Trained- Effecting 800 employees
   AMI Alliance Group Training Session– I2P2, Injury/Illness Trending, Most Frequently Cited Standards in  General Industry	21 Trained – Effecting 1000 employees
   AMI Alliance Group Training Session – Heat Stress, Global Harmonized System, OSHA Data Initiative, Susan Harwood Grant	17 Trained – Effecting 1000 employees
   Alliance General Meeting “Break-out Session”	67 Trained – Effecting 10,000 employees
   TOTAL : 4	121 Trained – Effecting approximately 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 fifth year is to continue to develop sample safety programs for the Mushroom Industry. The Alliance Group is on target to issue three additional sample programs in the next year. The group is in the process of developing industry specific sample Respiratory Protection Program, Powered Industrial Truck Program as well as an Emergency Response Plan. The Alliance also intends to develop a case study on injury and illness trends in the Mushroom Growing Industry utilizing the previously gathered AMI Member statistical information voluntarily gathered since the inception of the Alliance.
   
   The AMI Alliance will also be encouraging the individual industry employers to translate site specific safety programs into Spanish for their predominantly Latino workforce. In the next year, the Alliance Implementation Team plan on making these sample programs available through a link on the American Mushroom Institute’s website. Also, both parties are eager to renew the Alliance 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 www.osha.gov.