ANNUAL ALLIANCE REPORT
U.S. Department of Labor
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Mobile Area Office, 1141 Montlimar Drive Suite 1006
Mobile, Al 36609
(251) 441-6131; Fax (251) 441-6396
Birmingham Area Office, 950 22nd Street North, Suite 1050
Birmingham, AL 35203
(205) 731-1534; Fax (205) 731-0504
Alabama Trucking Association Workers Compensation Fund (ATAWCF) Alliance - January 20, 2016

---

1. Alliance Background
   1. Date Signed

   February 20, 2009

   2. Evaluation Period

   January 20, 2015 – January 20, 2016

   3. Overview

   The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Alabama Trucking Association Workers’ Compensation Fund (ATAWCF) Alliance formed is focused on reducing and preventing exposure to hazards on the highway, at pick-up and delivery points, as well as maintenance shops for ATAWCF members, representing 425 individually owned companies.

   4. Implementation Team Members

   The implementation team consists of representatives from the OSHA Area Offices and the ATAWCF Alliance group.

2. Implementation Team Meetings

The group conducted Alliance implementation team meetings, in person, by telephone, and through e-mail correspondence on the following dates:

• March 2015 meeting with James Cooley to review 2014 results and discuss/evaluate effectiveness of communicating our Loss Control approach to members of the ATAWCF.
• The Alliance Coordinator, James Cooley and Don Anchors had several phone calls and emails to maintain regular contact throughout the reporting period. The ATAWCF continues to share information regarding OSHA’s regulations and reporting/recording requirements. They also developed and distributed compliance assistance materials for not only trucking exposures, but for mechanic shops, warehousing, and manufacturing facilities.
3. Results

The following table summarizes the Alliance’s activities in support of the goals in the Alliance agreement.

Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives: Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions or stakeholder meetings on safety and health issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace to develop formal safety and health procedures to control hazards in the workplace.
Activity Type	Activity Name/Summary	OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported	Number Reached
Other	Alliance spotlighted in marketing brochure and discussed during agency visits, new-prospect visit and Fund member visits.	Fall Prevention, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Lock-out/Tag-out (LO/TO, and Hazard Communications	22 agencies, 32 new prospects and 326 members

 

Training and Education: To develop effective training and education programs for ATAWCF employees, association members and other regarding the following hazards: musculoskeletal stressors; struck-by incidents; chemical exposures; electrical shocks and burns; welding hazards; moving parts of machinery; slips; trips; and falls. To deliver or arrange for the delivery of courses, i.e., effective safety and health programs (management commitment and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard control and elimination, training), incident investigation, fall protection, hazard recognition, trend analysis
Activity Type	Activity Name/Summary	OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported	Number Reached
Training	During this period, group members received safety and health training.	Forklifts, LO/TO, Hazard Communications and PPE	125 members
Training	During this period, group members were provided forklift training	Forklifts safe handling and operation	89 members (impacting 400 workers)
Training	OSHA Compliance Training	PPE, LO/TO, Hazard Communications, Means of egress and Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP)	78 members (impacting 450 workers)
Training	Driver Safety Training	Fall Prevention, safe tarp installation, and distracted driving	75 members (impacting 750 workers)

 

Outreach and Communication: To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA’s and the ATAWCF web sites) to employers and employees in the industry. To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or ATAWCF conferences, local meetings or other safety events. To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding the ATAWCF best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by the ATAWCF and through OSHA or ATAWCF developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures. Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on effective safety and health systems that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
Activity Type	Activity Name/Summary	OSHA Areas of Emphasis Supported	Number Reached
Alliance Product	A safety newsletter was distributed to ATAWCF members on a monthly basis (January-December 2015). The newsletter featured several OSHA related articles, including an article on the Alliance.	Slips/Falls, Material Handling, Shop Safety, Forklifts, recordkeeping and workplace violence	425 Members
Speech/Presentation	The group’s consultative staff conducts Every Fund Member visit has a section dedicated to OSHA safety and enforcement. Consultants review compliance issues with owners/executives and assist with developing/implementing programs	Heat, Falls, material handling, Shop exposures	326 Members
Dissemination	Email blasts to Fund Members directed to owners/managers/safety personnel.	Fall Prevention, and OSHA recordkeeping	425 members
Email Blast	During this period, the Alliance forwarded an Email Blast communication to members, which focused on OSHA recordkeeping and reporting	FOSHA recordkeeping and reporting	425 members
Email Blast	During this period, the Alliance forwarded an Email Blast communication to members, which focused on Slip/Trip/Fall Prevention	Fall Prevention	425 members

 

4. Evaluations

N/A

5. Upcoming Milestones in FY 2016 - 2017
• The Alliance group plans to renew the Alliance
• The ATAWCF plans to conduct at least two Loss Control Seminars that will focus on accident prevention and compliance assistance.
• The Alliance group will continue providing members with access to safety and health information through OSHA’s and ATAWCF’s website.
• The Alliance group will continue providing members effective safety and health outreach through Midlands Management, as well as the OSHA CAS in the Birmingham Area Office.
• Develop and implement wallet-size safety information cards for drivers/workers, which highlight industry best safety practices.

Report prepared by: James Cooley, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Birmingham Area Office, February 3, 2016.