OSHA and the Department of Army Strategic Partnership
Close-Out Report
On August 25, 2008, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the United States Army (Army) entered into an OSHA Strategic Partnership (OSP). The key goal of the OSP was to reduce the Army's civilian and contract worker injuries and illnesses through participation in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP).
The OSP was designed to support the goal of former President George W. Bush's Safety, Health and Return to Employment (SHARE) Initiative to reduce occupational injuries and illnesses by 3% per year. The SHARE Initiative concluded on October 1, 2009.
Based on changes within the Army's strategic approach to safety and health, organizational structure, resource levels, and safety and health metrics alignment with the terms of the OSP, OSHA and the Army have mutually agreed to conclude the National OSP as of August 15, 2010.
Through working to meet the OSP agreement's goals, a number of successes resulted from the OSHA and Army OSP were reported, including:
- Development best practices:
- Development of a New Employee Safety Orientation Enhanced Training Program to increase worker awareness of safety and the OSP
- Development of an Ergonomics Lab to aid with the reduction of overexertion-type injuries
- Implementation of SafeStart to increase worker involvement in safety
- Conduct of daily safety meetings to discuss OSP goals and VPP status
- Implementation of a safety stand-down training week
- Implementation of an employee information system called SPIKE
- Delivery of a weekly broadcast to address site safety and health concerns
- Development of safety and health management systems:
- As of December 31, 2009, five installations/sites applied to OSHA for VPP status, resulting in one approval (Fort Indiantown Gap, PA approved on December 19, 2008). The additional four installations/sites were pending onsite evaluations and/or VPP final approval
- Also notable are the continued efforts by Red River Army Depot as an OSHA Challenge participant. Red River Army Depot applied for and has been actively participating in OSHA Challenge since the inception of the program in August 2007
Report prepared by: Al Woodson, Safety and Health Specialist, Office of Partnerships and Recognition, August 10, 2010.