Region 4 - Alliance Annual Report - December 3, 2008

U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Atlanta Regional Office
61 Forsyth Street, S.W., Room 6T50
Atlanta, Georgia 30303
(404) 562-2300; Fax (404) 562-2295

Alliance Annual Report

December 3, 2008

  1. Alliance Background

    Date Signed: September 22, 2003

    Date Renewed: December 20, 2006

    Overview:

    OSHA, SLCC/NECA, IBEW, and SELCAT work cooperatively to provide workers and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to electrical transmission and distribution equipment hazards.
     
  2. Implementation Team Membership and Contributors:

    Representatives from OSHA, SLCC/NECA, IBEW, and SELCAT conducted effective meetings on – March 19, 2008, August 20, 2008, and November 12, 2008.

    Evaluation Period:

    December 20, 2007, through December 20, 2008
     
  3. Events and Products

    Training and Education

    Events
     
    • SELCAT has continued its effort to development of training and education programs for employees focusing on safety and health issues related to the electrical utility industry. A detailed list of the training courses conducted and the number of personnel trained are provided in the tables below. Course topics included grounding, OSHA 10-hour training course, supervisory training, OSHA Power Transmission and Distribution Standard and others. However, these tables only reflect the personnel trained by SELCAT.
    Products
     
    • None
       
    Outreach and Communication

    Events
     
    • On January 27, 2008, Steve Gaines and Virgil Melton made a presentation about the Alliance to 28 apprentices attending the SELCAT FTS School.
       
    • On March 12, 2008, Steve Gaines and Virgil Melton made a presentation about the Alliance to 28 apprentices attending the SELCAT FTS School.
       
    • On April 21, 2008, Steve Gaines and Virgil Melton made a presentation about the Alliance to 28 apprentices attending the SELCAT FTS School
       
    • On May 19, 2008, Steve Gaines and Virgil Melton made a presentation about the Alliance to 28 apprentices attending the SELCAT FTS School.
       
    • On June 25, 2008, Steve Gaines made a presentation about the Alliance to 85 participants at the IBEW Tenth District Progress Meeting in Charleston, SC.
       
    • On October 22, 2008, Steve Gaines and Virgil Melton made a presentation about the Alliance to 28 apprentices attending the SELCAT FTS School.
       
    • On December 15, 2008, Steve Gaines made a presentation about the Alliance to 28 apprentices attending the SELCAT FTS School.
       
    Products
     
    • In 2008, the Alliance document was posted on NECA’s Website, to promote the cooperative agreement (www.slccneca.org).
       
    • In 2008 the group continued to effectively promote the near-miss reporting system. This system enables participating employers and workers to share injury data and near-miss information, in an attempt to prevent the reoccurrence of a similar incident. The system is available to employees and member companies on the chapter Website.
       
    • In 2008 the group continued to effectively promote the best practices. This system enables participating employers and workers to share best practices.
       
    • During this period, the group continued to publish and distribute the Safety Alliance Update Quarterly Newsletter. The Safety Alliance Update Quarterly Newsletter reaches over 2,000 employees and companies.
       
    Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health

    Events
     
    • During this period, the MYR Group, an Alliance participant, received a VPP onsite evaluation for participation in the VPP Mobile Worksite Program. The onsite evaluation was conducted April 30 through May 1, 2008. The MYR Group was formally approved for participation in VPP In September 2008.
       
    Products
     
    • None
       
  4. Results

    The tables below reflect the training accomplished by SELCAT during 2008:
     
    SELCAT Training in 2008
     
    Course Apprentice Trained Ground-men Trained Journeymen Trained Other Total
    OSHA 10-hour 158 9 6 8 181
    First-Aid 162 22 37 34 255
    CPR 246 22 37 34 339
    Bucket Truck Rescue 96 2 0 0 104
    Pole Top Rescue 101 0 0 0 101
    Transformers (safety) -1 101 0 0 0 101
    Transformers (safety) – 2 81 0 5 0 86
            Total Trained: 1,167
     
    Alliance Outreach Impact
     
    Organization/ Group Impact
    IBEW Members 2,000
    IBEW Local’s 115
    NECA Contractors 100
    SELCAT Apprentice 196
    SELCAT Training 1,301
    IBEW Tenth District Progress Meeting 85
    Distribution of Alliance Quarterly Newsletter 2,000
      Total Reached: 5,797

  5. Upcoming Milestones in FY 2008
     
    • Continue to promote the Alliance near-miss and best practices reporting systems.
       
    • Promote the OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) to interested member companies in the Alliance.
       
    • Explore participation in the Construction Education Foundation of Georgia (CEFGA) CareerExpo in April 2009.
       
    • Develop schedule for Implementation Team Meetings in FY 2009