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JSHQJob Safety & Health Quarterly

Volume 11 Number 4

Summer 2000

Protecting Workers,TransformingRelationships

OSHA’sStrategic

PartnershipProgram

U.S. Department of Labor

Alexis M. Herman, Secretary

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Charles N. Jeffress, Assistant Secretary

Job Safety & Health Quarterly is the officialmagazine of the Occupational Safety and HealthAdministration, U.S. Department of Labor. It isavailable by subscription from the Superintendentof Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office,Washington, DC 20402, for $15.00 per year, or$18.75 if mailed to a foreign address. Singlecopies are $5.00 (U.S.) or $6.25 (foreign).

The Secretary of Labor has determined that thepublication of this periodical is necessary in thetransaction of the public business required by lawof this Department. Use of funds for printing thisperiodical has been approved by the Director ofthe Office of Management and Budget.

Expressions of opinion in articles from sourcesoutside the U.S. Department of Labor do notnecessarily represent the views of the Depart-ment. Mention or depiction of companies or tradename products in no way constitutes endorsementby the Department of Labor.

Material contained in this publication is publicdomain and may be reproduced fully or partiallywithout permission of the Federal Government.Source credit is requested but not required.Permission is required only to reproduce copy-righted photos and other copyrighted materialcontained herein.

Editorial communications should be addressedto the Editor, Job Safety & Health Quarterly,Occupational Safety and Health Administration,200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington,DC 20210.

STAFFAnne Crown-Cyr, Executive EditorKerri L. Lawrence, Managing EditorEdwin Bowers, WriterSusan Hall Fleming, WriterJennifer A. Jacobson, Art Director

From the Editor...What one person cannot accomplish

alone, many can achieve together. OSHArecognizes that sharing skills, expertise, andresources with employers—large and small—isan effective way to eliminate potential work-place hazards and to promote safety and healthprograms that can save lives and eliminateinjuries and illnesses. As the introductoryarticle in a continuing series, our cover storyhighlights some of OSHA’s partnership effortscurrently underway across the nation. Watchfuture issues for details on how select partner-ships have proven that working together canmake a difference.

Also in this issue...OSHA recently signedan agreement with the Federal AviationAdministration calling for a joint investigationon how to better protect flight attendants. Anarticle on OSHA’s Site-Specific Targetingprogram takes a look at an innovative approachto workplace inspections.

As part of our continuing effort to keepour readers informed, we’ve featured specialtearout pages on Lyme disease and workerprotection from UV radiation. And, finally,our regular columns—What’s Happening?, MarkYour Calendar, and Q&A—highlight upcomingevents, training, and the latest scoop on grants,partnerships, outreach, and agency programs.

Thanks for your continued support. Enjoythe issue!

Kerri L. LawrenceManaging Editor

Summer 2000 1

JSHQJob Safety & Health Quarterly

Volume 11 Number 4

Summer 2000

FEATURESOSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program: Protecting Workers,Transforming Relationships

Judith Weinberg, Christopher Warren, and Audie Woolsey 18

Cooperation Under the Skies...OSHA and FAA Work Together to Better Protect Flight Attendants

Kerri L. Lawrence 28

Data Initiative and Site-Specific Targeting

Helen Hoban Rogers and Mary K. Scheuermann 31

DEPARTMENTSAssistant Secretary’s Message 2

Q&A 3

What’s Happening? 5

Mark Your Calendar 8

Ultraviolet Radiation Facts 37

Lyme Disease Facts 39

W

Assistant Secretary’s Message

hat does it take to create a safety culture? Oneword—commitment. Ev-

ery employee from the CEO to thenewest hire must agree that safetycomes first, without question, with-out exception.

A strong safety culture consistsof shared beliefs, practices, and at-titudes at a worksite. It’s the at-mosphere that pervades a work-place. Culture defines how it’sdone—whether it’s okay to cut cor-ners, or whether it’s expected, orwhether it’s forbidden. Culture isthe sum of norms, values, myths,stories, policies, procedures, andtraining. Re-create the culture andyou re-define work life.

Too often, the CEO says “Thesafety of our employees is first andforemost.” Executive managementtranslates that to “Safety of ouremployees is first, but we also mustmaintain production and profits.”Middle management says, “Safetyis important, but we must meet ourproduction goals.” First-line super-visors interpret that as “Keep

production up while being as safeas the process will allow.” And em-ployees hear the message as “Pro-duction is top priority. Do it safelywhen possible.”

In facilities where a strongsafety culture exists, everyone feelsresponsible for safety and pursuesit on a daily basis. Employees gobeyond the call of duty to identifyunsafe conditions and behaviorsand intervene to correct them.

For instance, in a strong safetyculture, any worker would feelcomfortable walking up to theplant manager or CEO and re-minding him or her to put on safetyglasses. Doing so wouldn’t be con-sidered forward or overzealous.Rather it would be valued by theorganization and rewarded. Like-wise, coworkers routinely look outfor one another and complimentsafe practices while pointing outpotential hazards.

A strong safety culture existswhen safety becomes everyone’sresponsibility, not just the safetydirector’s. Safety becomes a valueof the organization—not just acommitment of the administra-tor—and an integral part ofoperations.

As Voluntary Protection Pro-grams (VPP) companies haveproven, production does not sufferbut is enhanced over the long termdue to the level of safety andhealth excellence achieved bythe organization.

A workplace with a strong safetyculture usually experiences few at-risk conditions. The result is lowaccident rates, low turnover, low ab-senteeism, and high productivity.

That makes these workplaces suc-cessful in other areas as well.

Clearly, OSHA would like toencourage every worksite to adopta safety culture. An excellent wayto do that is through our partner-ship programs. Several of the 70OSHA partnerships are profiled inthis issue of Job Safety & HealthQuarterly.

Employers and employees in-volved in these partnerships sharea commitment to developing safetycultures. Commitment begins withtop managers. But the real key isinvolving every employee. Em-ployees often have the know-howto identify problems and find solu-tions. And no one else has as muchat stake to avoid accidents as theemployees who are likely to beinjured.

OSHA’s mission is sendingevery worker home whole andhealthy every day. Establishingpartnerships that encourage em-ployers and employees to adoptsafety cultures is a great way to ad-vance our goal. JSHQ

Charles N. JeffressAssistant Secretary of Laborfor Occupational Safety and Health

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In 1998, the OSHA-JointCommission partnership receivedVice President Gore’s prestigiousHammer Award.

Has OSHA changed somepolicies with regard to the

Nationally Recognized TestingLaboratories program?

Beginning in October 2000,OSHA will charge fees to re-

view applications and conduct au-dits of Nationally Recognized Test-ing Laboratories (NRTLs). OSHAinstituted the NRTL program toensure that testing and certifica-tion of equipment or products asrequired by many of OSHA’s safety

standards have been done appro-priately. The size of the programand the amount of work involvedin maintaining it have resulted inlarge costs for the agency both interms of human resources and indirect costs, such as travel.

OSHA soon will charge fees fortwo types of services: (1) process-ing applications for the initial rec-ognition of an organization as aNRTL or for expansion or renewalof OSHA’s recognition of an exist-ing NRTL; and (2) performing au-dits of NRTLs to determinewhether they continue to meet re-quirements for recognition.

What is the basis of OSHA’snew partnership agreement to

promote health and safety forhealth care workers?

OSHA and the Joint Com-mission on Accreditation

of Healthcare Organizations(JCAHO) are extending their cur-rent partnership to foster contin-ued participation in OSHA’s Vol-untary Protection Programs and torecognize excellence in workersafety and health among healthcare institutions. The Joint Com-mission is an independent, not-for-profit organization that evaluatesand accredits more than 5,000 hos-pitals and more than 12,000 otherhealth care organizations.

“This partnership is very fruit-ful,” says Assistant Secretary ofLabor for OSHA, Charles N.Jeffress. “It has dramatically ex-panded OSHA’s outreach in thehealth care industry and produceda voluntary performance strategythat has improved worker safetyand health throughout the indus-try.”

OSHA and the Joint Commis-sion have been working togethersince 1996 to help hospitals, nurs-ing homes, and other health carefacilities understand how to meetthe requirements of both organiza-tions to provide a safe and health-ful environment for workers whocare for others. The two organiza-tions have developed training ma-terials and publications for healthcare facilities and provided specificexamples in Joint Commission ac-creditation manuals to illustratehow compliance with OSHA stan-dards also satisfies Joint Commis-sion standards. The partnershiphelps organizations minimize du-plication and focus resources onimproving safety and health forworkers who face a higher thanaverage risk of occupational illnessand injury.

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Q & A

OSHA and the Joint Commission have beenworking together since 1996 to help hospitals,nursing homes, and other health care facilitiesunderstand how to meet the requirementsof both organizations to provide a safeand healthful environment for workerswho care for others.

Each site applying for initialrecognition as an NRTL will payan application fee and an onsitereview fee, totaling $5,900.Following OSHA’s assessment, theagency will calculate fees based onthe actual staff time and travelcosts incurred. “We will bill or re-fund the difference between theamount pre-paid ($5,900 per site)and the calculated fees,” agencyofficials say.

There are currently 17 NRTLsoperating 41 sites in the U.S.,Canada, Europe, and Far East.Complete information can befound in the July 31, 2000, FederalRegister, and on OSHA’s website atwww.osha.gov.

Has OSHA entered into anynew partnerships in the con-

struction industry recently?OSHA and the southernNew Jersey chapters of the

Associated Builders and Contrac-tors Association (ABC) recentlysigned a “Platinum Partnership”agreement saluting the membercompanies for exemplary safety andhealth programs at their worksites.More than 150 employers make upthe two New Jersey chapters ofABC. Together they employ morethan 1,500 workers at constructionsites throughout the state.

“Platinum” contractors mustmeet stringent safety guidelines in-cluding (1) having an occupationalinjury and illness rate of fewer than8 incidents per 100 employees (theindustry average is 8.8); (2) hav-ing a site-specific written safety andhealth program—based upon ei-ther the American National Stan-dards Institute or OSHA guide-lines—that includes employee in-volvement; (3) providing trainingfor employees on hazards specificto their jobs; (4) providing effec-tive supervisor training modeled on

OSHA’s 10-hour constructionsafety course; (5) designating safetypersonnel who receive trainingequivalent to OSHA’s 30-hourconstruction safety training course;and (6) having a record that in-cludes no willful or repeat seriousviolations in the last 3 years andno fatalities or catastrophic acci-dents that resulted in serious cita-tions in the last 3 years.

For more information, contactOSHA’s Directorate of Construc-tion at (202) 693-2020.

Each year OSHA awardstraining grants. Has the

agency selected the awardees thisyear?

For Fiscal Year 2000, OSHAawarded nearly $8 million

nationwide in Susan HarwoodTraining Grants to organizations toprovide safety and health trainingand related services. The agency

awards the grants through a com-petitive process to organizationsthat propose to educate workersand employers in small businesses,train workers and employers aboutnew OSHA standards, or trainworkers and employees about high-risk activities or hazards eitheridentified in OSHA’s strategic planor as part of an OSHA special em-phasis program.

The agency introduced a newcategory of grants this year. TheseInstitutional Competency BuildingGrants will assist non-profit orga-nizations that serve clients nation-

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ally or in multiple states to developand/or expand their occupationalsafety and health training, educa-tion, and related assistance over a3 to 5 year period.

The training grants honor thelate Susan Harwood, a former di-rector of the Office of Risk Assess-ment in OSHA’s Health StandardsDirectorate, who passed away in1996. During her 17-year tenurewith the agency, Harwood helpeddevelop OSHA standards to pro-tect workers exposed to bloodbornepathogens, cotton dust, benzene,formaldehyde, asbestos, and lead inconstruction.

Information about the organiza-tions receiving the Susan HarwoodTraining Grants will be posted onOSHA’s website at www.osha.gov.JSHQ

For Fiscal Year 2000, OSHA awarded nearly$8 million nationwide in Susan HarwoodTraining Grants to organizations to providesafety and health training and related services.

What’s Happening?NIOSHRecommendations Issued for Firefighter Training

Following a tragic training accident involving firefighters in Califor-nia, NIOSH has issued strict recommendations toward preventing fu-ture tragedies. NIOSH studied the accident in which a 38-year-oldfirefighter—taking part in a multi-jurisdictional, multi-company train-ing exercise—initiated a risky, unauthorized bailout procedure knownas an “emergency ladder slide” from a second story window and plum-meted to his death. The method involves a head-first advance over thetop of a ladder, hooking an arm through a ladder rung, and grasping aside rail, swinging the legs around to the side of the ladder and slidingdown the ladder to the ground. The firefighter was unable to adequatelyhook the ladder rungs or grasp a ladder side rail and fell to his death.

As a result, NIOSH recommends that all new training programs un-dergo a comprehensive review of the content and curriculum prior toimplementation. The agency’s guidelines suggest collaboration betweenfire departments and other fire-related organizations, including the In-ternational Fire Service Training Association, U.S. Fire Administra-tion, International Association of Fire Chiefs, and the InternationalAssociation of Fire Fighters. NIOSH also recommends that fire depart-ments designate individual safety officers at all significant training ex-ercises to observe operations and ensure that all trainees consistentlyfollow safety rules and regulations.

Copies of the publication are available free from NIOSH—Publica-tions Dissemination, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226-1998; phone 1-800-35-NIOSH (1-800-356-4674); fax (513) 533-8573;or e-mail at [email protected].

Respirator Warning IssuedNIOSH recently issued a bulletin calling for owners of the Draeger Inc.

OxyK-Plus self- contained, self-rescuer respirators (SCSRs) to check themfor dangerous defects. Recent spot examinations of SCSRs—designed forone-time use as a temporary source of oxygen for workers in emergencies inmines and other workplaces—found particles of potassium superoxide, anirritant chemical, in the breathing tubes and mouthpieces of some SCRSsused in mines. Potassium superoxide, which is a component of the chemi-cal cartridges used in the devices, can seriously irritate and possibly burnthe respiratory tract if inhaled.

The individual SCRSs are sealed in casings until use to protect compo-nents from being adversely affected by moisture or foreign substances. Theunits’ packaging, however, precludes visual inspection of interior parts suchas the mouthpiece and the breathing tube. Owners should check for pos-sible defects by inspecting the exterior of the sealed unit and shaking thedevice. If the unit rattles or makes any other kind of noise when shaken,there may be damage and the device should be removed from service. Us-ers should follow Draeger’s instructions to check the casing for damage ormissing parts and contact the manufacturer for further guidance at 1-800-858-1739 or -1741. For more information, also consult NIOSH’s website atwww.cdc.gov/niosh.

Jo b Sa f e t y & H e a l t h Q u a r t e r l y6

Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP)Excellence In Worker Safety and Health Recognized

OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) recently recognizedthe Springfield Remanufacturing Corporation of Springfield, MO, forrenewal of its OSHA Star VPP membership and its continued excel-lence in worker safety and health. SRC’s 360 employees remanufactureagricultural and automotive engines. First approved for Star in No-vember 1995, the facility has injury incidence rates about 78 percentbelow the national industry average.

The VPP recognizes and promotes companies with effective safetyand health management programs resulting from management, labor,and OSHA collaboration. There are currently 509 VPP worksites inthe U.S.

For more information on OSHA’s VPP, write the OSHA Director-ate of Federal-State Operations, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W.,Room N-3700, Washington, DC 20210; or call (202) 693-2213. Seealso Outreach on OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov.

Oregon OSHA’s Safety andHealth “Tools of the Trade”

Oregon’s Occupational Safetyand Health Administration(OR-OSHA) recently devel-oped OR-OSHA’s “Tools of theTrade”—a complete, compre-hensive tool kit made up of theingredients OR-OSHA believesan employer needs for an effec-tive safety and health program.

Included is a copy of theOregon law, a booklet on howto develop a safety and healthprogram, instructions on how tofill out the required injury andillness log, a basic guide to de-veloping and implementing anoccupational safety and healthcommittee, a sample copy of thestate’s safety and health newslet-ter, and a “hot line” number tocall for answers to puzzlingquestions.

OR-OSHA also has devel-oped an innovative “RoadMap”—a separate, introductorypamphlet with an overview ofOR-OSHA. It features a quicktour of OR-OSHA services, aglossary of terms, and a look atthe agency’s pertinent rules,what employers should do toensure a safe and healthfulworkplace, what employees’obligations are, and where to getassistance.

For more information or acopy of the materials, contactthe OR-OSHA Resource Cen-ter, Labor and Industries Build-ing, 350 Winter Street, N.E.,Salem, OR 97310, or visit theirwebsite at www.orosha.org.Look for online copies of the“Tool Kit” and “Road Map” un-der Publications.

For more information on OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs,write the OSHA Directorate of Federal-State Operations, 200 Con-stitution Avenue, N.W., Room N-3700, Washington, DC 20210; orcall (202) 693-2213. See also Outreach on OSHA’s website atwww.osha.gov.

OSHA

Summer 2000 7

UpcomingConferences

More than 20,000 per-sons—including OSHA rep-resentatives—are expected toattend the National SafetyCouncil’s 88th Annual Con-gress and Expo at the OrangeCounty Convention Center,Orlando, FL, from October13-20, 2000. OSHA will hosttwo booths—one staffedjointly by representatives ofthe Office of Public Affairs,Partnership Programs, andOSHA field staff and anotherrepresented by the OSHATraining Institute and theEducation Centers. Morethan 175 panels will discuss abroad spectrum of safety andhealth topics from ergonom-ics to violence in the work-place. Several OSHA officialsare scheduled to take part.

The International FishingIndustry Safety and HealthConference will be held fromOctober 23-25, 2000 atWoods Hole, MA. Co-spon-sors include the Alaska FieldStation, NIOSH, U.S. Cen-ters for Disease Control andPrevention, the HarvardSchool of Public Health-Oc-cupational Health Program,and the Harvard/NIOSH Edu-cation and Research Center.For more information, contactGeorge Conway at (907) 271-1390 or Jennifer Lincoln at(907) 271-2382. JSHQ

Star Program UpdateNew• Blake Medical Center, Bradenton, FL• Georgia-Pacific Corporation, Oxford, MS• International Paper’s Shreveport Preprint & Coating, Shreveport, LA• Potlatch Corporation’s Southern Unit, Warren, AR• Reynolds Metal Company, Gum Springs Plant, Arkadelphia, AR• Springs Industries, Inc., Hartwell Finishing Plant, Hartwell, GA• United Space Alliance, Gemini Facility, Houston, TX• United Space Alliance, Headquarters, Houston, TX• United Space Alliance, Flight Crew Equipment/Extra Vehicular Activity/Training Academy, Houston, TX

10-Year Star• Halliburton Energy Services, Duncan, OK

8-Year Star• Georgia Pacific, Crossett Paper Operations, Crossett, AR

6-Year Star• Thrall Car Manufacturing, Winder, GA

3-Year Star• Milliken & Company, New Holland Plant, Gainesville, GA• Chevron Chemical Company, LLC, St. James Plant, St. James, LA• ExxonMobil Chemical Company, Mont Belvieu, TX• OxyChem-Delaware City Plant, New Castle, DE• International Paper, Retail Packaging-Cosmetics, Clifton, NJ

Merit to Star Update• The Trane Company, La Crosse, WI

Demonstration Update• Harmony Construction at OxyChemical, Convent, LA• United Space Alliance (USA) at Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX

2-Year Demonstration• J.E. Merit Constructors, Inc. at Novartis Corporation, St. Gabriel, LA

One-Year Demonstration• Zachry Construction Company at Equistar, Wadsworth, TX

Merit Update• Avery Dennison, Hamilton, OH• National Enzyme Company, Forsyth, MO• International Paper, Folkston Mill, Folkston, GA• B.F. Goodrich Aerospace, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

This brings the total participants to 509 sites in the Federal VPP:429 in Star, 55 in Merit, and 25 in Demonstration.

OSHA Training Institute Schedule121 Introduction to IndustrialHygiene for Safety Personnel

Introduces the general conceptsof industrial hygiene including therecognition of common health haz-ards, such as air contaminants andnoise, hazard evaluation throughscreening and sampling, controlmethods for health hazards, includ-ing ventilation and personal pro-tective equipment, and criteria forreferral to industrial hygienepersonnel.

Tuition: $1,200Dates: 10/24/00 - 11/03/00

201 Hazardous MaterialsCovers OSHA general industry

standards and consensus and pro-prietary standards relating to haz-ardous materials, such as flammableand combustible liquids, com-pressed gases, LP-gas, cryogenic liq-uids, anhydrous ammonia, andexplosives.

Tuition: $912Dates: 12/14/00 - 12/22/00

203 Basic Electrical PrinciplesIntroduces the basic principles

of electricity including Ohm’s law,series and parallel circuits, and ad-verse affects of electricity on thehuman body. Also focuses on rec-ognizing electrical hazards,OSHA’s electrical standards, ap-propriate inspection procedures,and training in various types ofelectrical test equipment. Intendedfor newly hired federal and statecompliance personnel.

Tuition: $480Dates: 11/14/00 - 11/17/00

204A Machinery and MachineGuarding Standards

Presents various types of com-mon machinery and related safetystandards. Provides guidance onthe hazards associated with variouskinds of machinery and the con-trol of hazardous energy sources(lockout/tagout).

Tuition: $624Dates: 10/30/00 - 11/03/00

207A Fire Protectionand Life Safety

Introduces recognizing potentialfire hazards and emergency proce-dures including the chemistry offire, types and effectiveness of ex-tinguishing agents, means of egress,detection and alarm systems, firebrigades, fire prevention plans andthe Life Safety Code (NFPA 101).

Tuition: $624Dates: 12/18/00 - 12/22/00

222A Respiratory ProtectionCovers requirements for estab-

lishing, maintaining, and monitor-ing a respirator program. Includesterminologies, OSHA standards,NIOSH certifications, and medi-cal evaluation recommendations.

Tuition: $480Dates: 11/28/00 - 12/01/00

226 Permit-Required ConfinedSpace Entry

Provides “how-to” on recogniz-ing, evaluating, preventing, andabating safety and health hazardsassociated with permit-requiredconfined space entry. Includes rec-ognition of confined space hazards,basic information about instru-ments used to evaluate atmo-spheres’ hazards, and general per-mit space ventilation techniques.

Tuition: $480Dates: 11/14/00 - 11/17/00

234 BiohazardsTeaches health and safety pro-

fessionals to recognize, evaluate,and control biological hazards dur-ing occupational exposure. Coursestresses work practices, personalprotective equipment, controltechniques, recognized pathogens,and currently applicable OSHAstandards.

Tuition: $480Dates: 12/12/00 - 12/15/00

245 Evaluation of Safetyand Health Programs

Assesses safety and health pro-grams, emphasizing techniques toevaluate their thoroughness andeffectiveness, including applyingOSHA safety and health programguidelines, policies, related direc-tives, and the field manual. Lim-ited to federal OSHA, state 18(b)and 21(d) consultation personnel,and current voluntary protectionprogram participants.

Tuition: $480Dates: 10/17/00 - 10/20/00

Mark Your Calendar

300 Safety and Health for Oiland Gas Well Operations

Focuses on the safety and healthof on- and off-shore oil and gas welloperations including processes,terms, equipment and materials,and special hazards. Covers oildrilling equipment and operationssuch as making up and breaking outpipe drilling joints, throwing thespinning chain, placing and re-moving drilling pipe, and workingfrom the derrick.

Tuition: $480Dates: 11/14/00 - 11/17/00

322 Applied WeldingPrinciples

Increases the students’ knowl-edge of welding operations includ-ing oxyacetylene, MIG, TIG, andopen arc; proper use of each; per-sonal protective equipment; safetyand health hazard recognition andcontrol; and OSHA requirements.

Tuition: $480Dates: 11/28/00 - 12/01/00

500 Trainer Coursein Occupational Safetyand Health Standardsfor the Construction Industry

Prepares students in the privatesector for teaching the 10- and 30-hour construction safety andhealth outreach program. Coursecovers effective instructional ap-proaches and the effective use ofvisual aids and handouts.

Tuition: $624Dates: 10/30/00 - 11/03/00

501 Trainer Coursein Occupational Safetyand Health Standardsfor General Industry

Teaches how the provisions ofthe OSH Act may be implementedin the workplace, including rightsand responsibilities under theOSH Act, the appeals process, andrecordkeeping. Introduces OSHA’sgeneral industry standards and pro-vides an overview of the require-ments of most frequently refer-enced standards. Allows studentsto become trainers in the OutreachProgram and to conduct both a10- and 30-hour general industrycourse.

Tuition: $624Dates: 10/16/00 - 10/20/00

To register for courses or to obtain a training catalog, write the OSHATraining Institute, 1555 Times Drive, Des Plaines, IL 60018; or call(847) 297-4913. See also Outreach, Training on OSHA’s website atwww.osha.gov.

502 Update for ConstructionIndustry Outreach Trainers

Provides an update on OSHAconstruction standards, policies,and regulations.

Tuition: $432Dates: 11/14/00 - 11/16/00

510 Occupational Safetyand Health Standardsfor the Construction Industry

Covers OSHA policies, proce-dures, and standards as well as con-struction safety and health prin-ciples with an emphasis on thoseareas that are most hazardous.

Tuition: $624Dates: 10/16/00 - 10/20/00

The OSHA Training Institutealso has a program for other institu-tions to conduct OSHA courses forthe private sector and federal agen-cies. These include Eastern Michi-gan University/United Auto Work-ers, Ypsilanti, MI (800) 932-8689;Georgia Technological ResearchInstitute, Atlanta, GA, (800) 653-3629; Great Lakes OSHA TrainingConsortium, St. Paul, MN, (800)493-2060; Keene State College,Manchester, NH, (800) 449-6742;Metropolitan Community Col-leges—Business and Technology

Center, Kansas City, MO, (800)841-7158; National Resource Cen-ter for OSHA Training, Washing-ton, DC, (800) 367-6724; NationalSafety Education Center, DeKalb,IL, (800) 656-5317; NiagaraCounty Community College,Lockport, NY, (800) 280-6742; RedRocks Community College andTrinidad State Junior College, Lake-wood, CO, (800) 933-8394; TexasEngineering Extension Service,Mesquite, TX, (800) 723-3811;University of California, San Diego,CA, (800) 358-9206; and Univer-

sity of Washington, Seattle, WA,(800) 326-7568.

For tuition rates and registrationinformation, contact the institutionoffering the courses and see alsoOSHA’s website at www.osha.gov.For alternate course locations notedin parentheses, please contact theinstitution for more information.

Editor’s Note: A new category—Online Courses—has been added tothis list. The dates for these coursesare marked with an asterisk (*).Contact the designated institutionfor more information.


201A Hazardous MaterialsLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 10/24/00 -10/27/00

United Auto Workers 11/01/00*(Livonia, MI)

Location: Niagara County Dates: 12/04/00 - 12/07/00Community College

Location: Red Rocks Community Dates: 11/27/00 - 11/30/00College/Trinidad StateJunior College

204A Machinery and Machine Guarding StandardsLocation Metropolitan Community Dates: 11/13/00 - 11/16/00

Colleges—Businessand Technology Center

Location Niagara County Dates: 10/16/00 - 10/19/00Community College

Location: Red Rocks Community Dates: 10/02/00 - 10/05/00College/Trinidad State Junior College

Location: Texas Engineering Dates: 11/13/00 - 11/16/00Extension Service(Houston, TX)

Location: University of California, Dates: 10/09/00 - 10/12/00San Diego

222A Respiratory ProtectionLocation: Georgia Technological Dates: 10/17/00 - 10/19/00

Research InstituteLocation: Great Lakes OSHA Dates: 11/08/00 - 11/10/00

Training Consortium(St. Paul, MN)

Location: Metropolitan Community Dates: 10/16/00 - 10/19/00Colleges—Businessand Technology Center



Summer 2000 11

225 Principles of Ergonomics Applied to Work-RelatedMusculoskeletal and Nerve DisordersLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 11/13/00 - 11/15/00

United Auto Workers 11/01/00*(Livonia, MI)



Location: University Dates: 12/04/00 - 12/06/00of Washington(Seattle, WA)

226 Permit-Required Confined Space EntryLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 11/29/00 - 12/01/00

United Auto Workers (Livonia, MI)Location: Metropolitan Community Dates: 10/02/00 - 10/04/00




Location: Texas Engineering Dates: 11/06/00 - 11/08/00Extension Service(Mesquite, TX)


301 Excavation, Trenching, and Soil MechanicsLocation: Texas Engineering Dates: 11/27/00 - 11/29/00

Extension Service(Mesquite, TX)

309A Electrical StandardsLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 10/24/00 - 10/27/00

United Auto Workers(Livonia, MI)

Location: Great Lakes OSHA Dates: 10/31/00 - 11/03/00Training Consortium(Cincinnati, OH)



500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standardsfor the Construction IndustryLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 10/17/00 - 10/18/00

United Auto Workers(Findlay, OH)

Location: Georgia Technological Dates: 10/30/00 - 11/03/00Research Institute


Location: National Resource Dates: 10/16/00 - 10/19/00Center for OSHATraining(Morgantown, WV)


Location: National Safety Dates: 10/09/00 - 10/13/00Education Center



Location: University of California, Dates: 10/02/00 - 10/05/00San Diego(Las Vegas, NV)

Location: University of Washington Dates: 11/06/00 - 11/09/00 (Seattle, WA)

501 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standardsfor General IndustryLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 10/10/00 - 10/13/00

United Auto Workers(Ypsilanti, MI)

Location: Georgia Technological Dates: 10/09/00 - 10/13/00Research Institute(Charlotte, NC)

Location: Great Lakes OSHA Dates: 11/28/00 - 12/01/00Training Consortium(Winona, WI)

Location: Keene State College Dates: 10/16/00 - 10/20/00Location: Metropolitan Community Dates: 12/04/00 - 12/07/00


Location: National Resource Dates: 10/23/00 - 10/26/00Center for OSHATraining(Huntington, WV)

Location: National Safety Dates: 10/23/00 - 10/27/00Education Center(Appleton, WI)


Location: Red Rocks Community Dates: 10/16/00 - 10/19/00College/Trinidad StateJunior College


Location: University of California, Dates: 10/30/00 - 11/02/00San Diego(Las Vegas, NV)

Location: University of Washington Dates: 11/13/00 - 11/16/00(Seattle, WA)

502 Update for Construction Industry Outreach TrainersLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 11/01/00*

United Auto WorkersLocation: Great Lakes OSHA Dates: 10/09/00 - 10/11/00

Training Consortium(Cincinnati, OH)




Location: National Safety Dates: 11/28/00 - 11/30/00Education Center(Hillside, IL)


Location Red Rocks Community Dates: 11/13/00 - 11/15/00College/Trinidad State Junior College



503 Update for General Industry Outreach TrainersLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 11/01/00*

United Auto WorkersLocation: Georgia Technological Dates: 11/28/00 - 11/30/00

Research InstituteLocation: Keene State College Dates: 10/04/00 - 10/06/00

(Springfield, MA)Location: Metropolitan Community Dates: 10/02/00 - 10/04/00



Location: National Safety Dates: 10/17/00 - 10/19/00Education Center(Elgin, IL)





510 Occupational Safety and Health Standardsfor the Construction IndustryLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 11/07/00 - 11/10/00


Location: Georgia Technological Dates: 10/23/00 - 10/27/00Research Institute

Location: Great Lakes OSHA Dates: 11/28/00 - 12/01/00Training Consortium



Location: National Resource Dates: 10/23/00 - 10/26/00Center for OSHATraining(Silver Spring, MD)

Location: National Safety Dates: 11/06/00 - 11/10/00Education Center(Hillside, IL)


521 OSHA Guide to Industrial HygieneLocation: Eastern Michigan Dates: 10/16/00 - 10/19/00



Location: National Safety Dates: 10/30/00 - 11/03/00Education Center(Hoffman Estates, IL)


Location: Texas Engineering Dates: 10/23/00 - 10/26/00Extension Service(Austin, TX)


Location: University of Washington Dates: 10/23/00 - 10/26/00(Seattle, WA)

600 Collateral Duty Course for Other Federal AgenciesLocation: Metropolitan Community Dates: 12/04/00 - 12/07/00



Location: University of California, Dates: 12/11/00 - 12/14/00San Diego JSHQ


Location: Texas Engineering Dates: 10/23/00 - 11/09/00Extension Service

(Houston, TX)Location: University of California, Dates: 11/06/00 - 11/09/00

San DiegoLocation: University Dates: 10/09/00 - 10/12/00

of Washington(Seattle, WA)

Protecting Workers,Transforming Relationships

OSHA’s StrategicPartnership Program:

re you a business owner,manager, or worker facingserious hazards at your

worksite? Are you looking forhelp? Time was, when a group ofemployers recognized a seriousworkplace safety and health prob-lem jeopardizing their employees,the last person they would likelycall for assistance was the localOSHA representative. WhenOSHA identified an industry-wideproblem, it normally would re-spond by sending compliance of-ficers to the worksites, prepared touncover violations of OSHA stan-dards and to issue citations and pro-pose penalties.

Times have changed. OSHAcontinues an enforcement programthat focuses on worksites and in-dustries with the highest injury andillness rates. But the agency also iscommitted to a complementaryapproach to protecting workersthat is winning supporters acrossthe private sector.

OSHA’s Strategic PartnershipProgram (OSPP), the newest ad-dition to the agency’s expandingfamily of cooperative programs,1

seeks to bring together willing em-ployer groups, labor unions, andOSHA in a voluntary, cooperativeproblem-solving relationship.

“Partnership programs empha-size sustained efforts and continu-ing results,” Assistant Secretary ofLabor Charles N. Jeffress says.“They are key to leveraging federalresources and expanding the use ofbest practices in occupationalsafety and health,” he adds.

Individual partnerships createdwithin the program are not in-tended as quick fixes. Typically,partners agree to work together for2 to 3 years, creating solutions thatwill continue to work long after theformal relationship ends.

The program officially beganNovember 13, 1998, when Jeffresssigned a policy directive entitled“OSHA Strategic Partnerships forWorker Safety and Health.” Now,less than 2 years later, the agencyhas 70 partnerships with more than4,600 employers and 108,000workers. And OSHA is receivinga lot of positive feedback attestingto the viability of this approach.

by Judith Weinberg,Christopher Warren,and Audie Woolsey

1 The OSHA Consultation Program and theVoluntary Protection Programs are long-running, highly successful cooperativeprograms.

A

Maine Safe Logging 2000Three hundred employers and

their 3,000 employees are workingwith OSHA to reduce fatalities andserious injuries in Maine’s loggingindustry and to develop effectivesafety and health programs.

New Jersey Pilot SilicaPartnership

OSHA, the New Jersey Depart-ment of Transportation, the NewJersey Department of Health andSenior Services, the New JerseyDepartment of Labor, the Utilitiesand Transportation ContractorsAssociation-New Jersey, the Labor-ers International Health and SafetyFund, Laborers Locals 172 & 472,the National Institute for Occupa-tional Safety and Health(NIOSH), and several major high-way construction contractors andtheir employees are using partner-ship to identify and control silicahazards in the heavy highway con-struction industry and raise em-ployer and employee awarenessabout this hazard throughout thestate. The partnership emphasizesthe identification of feasible engi-neering controls, respiratory pro-tection, establishment of historicalexposure data, and the logistics as-sociated with supplying respiratoryprotection to a transient andchanging work force.

Metro MarineThis agreement between OSHA,

Metro Machine Company, Interna-tional Brotherhood of Boilermak-ers, Local 2000, and DelawareCounty (PA) Community Collegeaims to prevent fatalities and otherinjuries related to ship disposal inPhiladelphia, PA.

Pittsburgh OSHA / MBA /PBCTC ConstructionPartnership

The Master Builder’s Associa-tion of Western PA, Inc., the Pitts-burgh Building and ConstructionTrades Council, and OSHA areworking together to reduce lost-workday injury and illness rates,improve the overall safety andhealth performance of participat-ing contractors, leverage resources,and recognize exemplary partner-ing contractors.

NPS - Sleeping Bear DunesNational Lakeshore

Among OSHA’s 10 partnershipswith the National Park Service isSleeping Bear Dunes NationalLakeshore in Michigan. Manag-ers and employees are working to-gether to develop and implementan effective safety and health pro-gram, promote safety awarenessand education, encourage em-ployee participation in hazardidentification and abatement, re-duce the lost-time case rate signifi-cantly, and establish a system of ac-countability for safety and health.The ultimate goal of the partner-ship is to reduce injuries and ill-nesses among Park Service employ-ees in this beautiful, but often haz-ardous location for them.

Construction StakeholdersIn this Fort Worth, TX, partner-

ship, OSHA is working with theHomebuilders Association, Asso-ciated Building Contractors, Asso-ciation of General Contractors,Iron Workers, Carpenters, andother unions, insurance compa-nies, trade organizations, and theCity of Fort Worth. The effort

A Sampling of OSHA Partnerships

targets small construction employ-ers and seeks to reduce the highnumber of fatalities and serioushazards of falls, electric shock,struck-bys, and caught-betweens.Activities include training, safetyrecognition programs, billboard ad-vertisement, and semi-annualbrainstorming sessions. Fall pro-tection awareness has increased.And volunteer instructors providea free 10-hour construction classmonthly in both English and Span-ish. More than 400 workers havebeen trained to date.

St. Louis PRIDEThis major regional partnership

effort, encompassing 1,000 em-ployers and 25,000 employees, tar-gets the four leading hazards in theSt. Louis construction industry.Representatives from manage-ment, labor, and the governmentare cooperating to encourage St.Louis contractors to improve theirsafety and health performance, toassist contractors in their efforts toreach established goals, and torecognize those contractors withexemplary safety and healthprograms.

Pinon Management / RTWColorado, Inc.

OSHA, Colorado’s Consulta-tion Program, and insurance com-panies are partnering with thisnursing home management groupthat covers 7 nursing homes and507 employees. The focus is on re-ducing back injuries, sprains,strains, and workplace violence.The agreement calls for imple-menting effective safety and healthprograms, training employees, andevaluating the effort regularly.

Saipan GarmentManufacturing Association

This partnership betweenOSHA and the Saipan GarmentManufacturing Association(SGMA) aims to eliminate the riskof catastrophic fires and preventserious illnesses and injuries. Un-der the agreement, participatingemployers commit to develop andmaintain formal written safety andhealth programs for their worksitesand any associated staff housing.The partnership also calls forestablishing a joint employer/employee safety and healthcommittee.

Boise LoggingThe goal of this partnership is

to reduce injuries and illnesses inIdaho’s logging industry and to pro-mote a cooperative relationshipamong Idaho industrial timberlandowners, logging contractors, andOSHA. OSHA is providing tech-nical assistance and outreach.

Partnering timberland ownersagree to establish written safety andhealth procedures, provide safetyand hazard recognition training,conduct and document site inspec-tions and accident investigations,encourage employee involvementin worksite safety and health, andassure compliance with OSHAstandards.

Individual partnerships created within theprogram are not intended as quick fixes.Typically, partners agree to work together for2 to 3 years, creating solutions that will continueto work long after the formal relationship ends.

Partnership OverviewIn a Strategic Partnership,

OSHA enters into an extended,voluntary, cooperative relation-ship with groups of employers(sometimes one large multi-siteemployer), employees, and, whenapplicable, the labor organizationsrepresenting the workers. OSHA’sgoal is to encourage, assist, and rec-ognize the partners’ efforts to elimi-nate serious workplace hazards andachieve a high level of workersafety and health. Other stake-holders are encouraged to join the

process, such as workers’ compen-sation insurance providers, educa-tional institutions, professional as-sociations, state and local govern-ments, and others who can contrib-ute to partnership success.

OSHA and its partners togetheridentify measurable goals, developan action plan, and implement itcooperatively. This process cantransform the relationship betweenOSHA and an employer or evenan entire industry. In one projectafter another, former adversariesare recognizing that workingtogether to solve workplacesafety and health problems is toeveryone’s advantage.

OSHA Strategic Partnershipsinclude two types—comprehensiveand limited. Comprehensive part-nerships help transform the wayworker safety and health are man-aged at partnering sites. Each par-ticipating employer must committo implementing in a timely man-ner an effective workplace safetyand health program that consistsof management leadership andemployee involvement, hazardanalysis, hazard prevention andcontrol, safety and health training,and regular self-evaluation. Com-prehensive partnerships containcore elements discussed in theOSHA partnership policy. See thesidebar below for a list of these coreelements.

Limited partnerships typicallyfocus on a particular workplaceproblem or other more restrictedgoal. For example, a limited part-nership might focus on eliminat-ing or controlling the most serioushazards in a particular industry.Some limited partnerships also re-quire partners to establish compre-hensive safety and health pro-grams.

Active involvement of employ-ees and union support at unionizedworksites are important elementsin all OSHA Strategic Partner-ships. OSHA’s experience with itsVoluntary Protection Programs—which recognize the nation’s safestworksites—has demonstrated theessential role workers play in iden-tifying and preventing safety andhealth hazards.

Most of the worksites that havechosen to partner with OSHA aresmall businesses with an averagework force of 39 employees. Ex-ceptions are large employers suchas ConAgra, which is workingcooperatively with the UnitedFood and Commercial Workersand OSHA to increase worker pro-tection at eight of its sites.

The majority of the partnershipsfocus on areas of concern addressedin OSHA’s Strategic Plan, such assilica and lead exposures and seri-ous hazards in the nursing home,food processing, logging, and con-struction industries. OSHA also isespecially interested in partnershipsthat seek to reduce amputations andthe hazards of shipbuilding.

Other industries in whichOSHA has partnerships include• metal recycling,• grain handling,• oil and gas well servicing,• automotive radiator repair,• structural metal fabrication shops,• fish processing,• janitorial contractors, and• telecommunication towers.

Participating unions include• Laborers Union,• Teamsters,• Carpenters Union,• AFGE,• Roofers & Waterproofers,• Iron Workers,• Operating Engineers,• United Food & Commercial Workers,• Plumbers & Steamfitters, and• American Federation of Grain Millers.

The Benefits of PartneringWhat one person cannot accom-

plish alone, many can accomplishtogether. By sharing skills, exper-tise, and limited resources, OSHAand its partners are working to pro-duce the kinds of lasting, systemicchanges that save lives and preventinjuries and illnesses. In the pro-cess, the barriers to trust and re-spect fade, and all parties benefitfrom a more productive, coopera-tive relationship.

The Core Elements of Strategic PartnershipSituation Analysis: What is the problem? Is partnershipan appropriate strategy?

Identification of Partners: Who is in a position to solvethe problem?

Partnership Goal: What needs to happen?

Leveraging: Who brings what resources to the partnership?

Safety and Health Programs: Lots of work, big payoff. Arepartners ready to take this step?

Employee Involvement / Employee Rights: How will workersbe involved and their rights protected?

Stakeholder Involvement: Who else is concerned withthe problem and ready to join forces?

Measurement System: How will success be measured?

Incentives: What rewards are available?

Verification: How will partners’ commitments be verified?

Evaluation: Who will perform the annual evaluation?What will it assess?

Termination: Under what circumstances can the agreementbe terminated?

By sharing skills, expertise, and limitedresources, OSHA and its partners are workingto produce the kinds of lasting, systemicchanges that save lives and prevent injuriesand illnesses.

An OSPP can benefit workersby• reducing risk of injury, illness, or

death on the job;• increasing practical safety and

health knowledge and skills; and• enhancing employee morale and

quality of work life.An OSPP can benefit employ-

ers by• helping them develop practical

skills to identify hazards, solveproblems, and manage safety andhealth at their sites;

• helping them establish effectivesafety and health programs;

• reducing workers’ compensationinsurance, OSHA penalties,and other costs of injuries andillnesses;

• enabling them to pool their re-sources with industry colleagues;

• increasing productivity, enhanc-ing employee morale, reducingabsenteeism; and

• providing opportunities to helpother businesses, the employer’sindustry, and the community.

An OSPP can benefit OSHA by• enabling OSHA to increase its

emphasis on serious hazards;

• solving problems on a large scalewith groups of employers, incontrast to individual site-basedstrategies;

• providing a means to measureimpact;

• offering opportunities to lever-age the agency’s limited re-sources; and

• producing models of effective,voluntary, cooperative compli-ance.

Rocky Turner, President of LPRConstruction and also President ofSESAC, the Steel Erectors SafetyAssociation of Colorado—one ofOSHA’s earliest and longest run-ning partnerships—cites an unex-pected benefit. “At this stage, ifyou’re a Denver area steel erectorand you want to do work with repu-table general contractors, then youhave to be in SESAC,” Turner says.“Being in SESAC means you’repledged to the partnership’s fallprotection standards, to imple-menting an effective safety andhealth program, to making sureyour workers know how to worksafely, and are going to stick by therules. As a result, steel erectors ofall sizes continue to come into thepartnership. It’s become a way tolevel the playing field—you’recommitting resources to safety, butyour competitors are too,” he adds.

Patricia K. Clark, OSHA Re-gional Administrator in RegionII—where the New Jersey PilotSilica Partnership operates—reit-erates the idea that OSHA part-nerships help institutionalize con-sistently applied safety rulesthroughout hazardous industries.She says the biggest complianceproblem confronting the heavyhighway construction industry inNew Jersey was the uncertainty ofwhen and where to expect signifi-cant crystalline silica exposure. So,the partnership set out to identify

the common tasks likely to createsuch exposure. Members of thepartnership monitored these tasksunder “real world” conditions todetermine actual employee expo-sure. The results of this monitor-ing confirmed what had previouslybeen presumed but never conclu-sively established. Common taskssuch as jack hammering, cutting,milling, or drilling concrete andthe associated clean-up did indeedoverexpose employees to silica.This overexposure ranged from ap-proximately 2 to 13 times the gen-eral industry permissible exposurelimit.

The partnership distributedthis new information statewidethroughout the industry, but thenwent a dramatic step further. Bysuccessfully inserting strong silicahazard control language in all ap-plicable New Jersey Department ofTransportation contracts, the part-nership institutionalized safety lan-guage into contracts, helping tolevel the playing field for all con-struction contractors during thebid process, and continually bring-ing the hazard of crystalline silicaexposure to the attention of theindustry. Clark says, “This partner-ship has had a dramatic impact onan industry that OSHA has haddifficulty reaching through tradi-tional means. One of our continu-ing goals is to find novel and effec-tive ways to improve workplacesafety and health.”

Promoting the OSPP ApproachTo give employers reason to

come forward and participate,OSHA offers a variety of incen-tives, such as• outreach, training, and other

forms of technical assistance;• free onsite consultation to quali-

fying worksites;• inspections that focus on a site’s

most serious hazards;

• penalty reductions; and• positive publicity and recogni-

tion.

Other incentives offered to somepartnership participants include• reduced workers’ compensation

premiums; and• opportunities to share resources

and expertise through trainingcourses, safety and healthprogram materials, and develop-ment assistance.

Understandably, many employ-ers are particularly interested in theinspection provisions of partner-ships. OSHA makes it clear thatpartnering employers remain sub-ject to OSHA inspection and in-vestigation procedures. Thatmeans that during an OSHA in-spection of a partnering worksite,citations may be issued and penal-ties may be assessed for violationsof standards, regulations, or thegeneral duty clause. Partneringsites, however, may be eligible for

focused inspections as well as pen-alty reductions calculated accord-ing to agency procedures, includ-ing good-faith reductions forimplementing an effective safetyand health program.

Tommy Lee, Safety Director atW.S. Bellows—the first companyto qualify under OSHA’s con-struction partnership with the

Associated General Contractors inHouston, TX—explains, “Our re-lationship with OSHA has neverbeen better. They respect us for thevery high standards we’ve set in thepartnership. So when OSHAcomes onto one of our sites, there’sno nitpicking. They recognize theeffort we’re making, and we knowthey have an important job to do,too. We’re partners, not adversar-ies.”

OSHA does not offer its partnersexemption from programmed in-spections. This benefit continuesto be available only to employerswho qualify to participate in theVoluntary Protection Programs(VPP) and the OSHA Consulta-tion Program’s Safety and HealthAchievement Recognition Pro-gram (SHARP). If a partneringsite has undergone an OSHA part-nership verification visit withinthe previous 12 months, however,OSHA may choose to forego anyprogrammed inspection of that site(and in some instances other sitesoperated by the employer) for aperiod of time. During these veri-fication visits, OSHA determineswhether a site is living up to thecommitment it made when it en-tered the partnership.

Making the CommitmentThe details of commitment vary

from one partnership to the nextand are spelled out in the writtenagreement the partners developand sign. The agreement may in-clude a commitment to conductregular self-inspections, to providesafety and health training to work-ers and supervisors, and to takeother specified steps toward reduc-ing injuries and illnesses. Partnerstypically agree to provide “OSHA

In one project after another, former adversariesare recognizing that working together to solve

workplace safety and health problems is toeveryone’s advantage.

200 Log” data and other informa-tion that will help the partnershipgauge the progress of individualpartners and the success of theoverall effort. In many OSPPs,partnering employers commit toestablishing an effective worksitesafety and health program. In ev-ery partnership, employers reaffirmtheir commitment to comply withthe requirements of the Occupa-tional Safety and Health Act of 1970and applicable OSHA standards.

Getting StartedThe impetus for a new partner-

ship can come from almost any sec-tor of the occupational safety andhealth community. Sometimesthat means OSHA. Many partner-ships begin when the agency de-termines that the OSPP’s coopera-tive problem-solving is an appro-priate way to attack a prevalenthazard. Other partnerships gettheir start when an employer groupor a labor union contacts OSHA,at either the area office, regional,or national office level, and asks tomeet. This option gives employ-ers’ and workers’ an advantage be-cause at this very early stage, theirperspective—their voice—is help-ing to shape the project. Whoevertakes the first step, the primarypartners ultimately will be employ-ers, workers, and OSHA.

Although there are no hard andfast rules for developing a partner-ship, it makes sense to have an ini-tial basic familiarity with the in-tent and requirements of the pro-gram. The agency’s OSPP policydocument describes the programand is available on OSHA’s webpage. Go to www.osha.gov andselect the Partnership link. Ineach OSHA regional office, a Part-nership Coordinator can provide

In communities across the nation, OSHAand its partners are meeting the challengeto find novel and effective ways to betterprotect America’s working men and women.

assistance and additional partner-ship materials and begin discus-sions.

The OSHA Strategic Partner-ship Program is proving that coop-eration among management, labor,and government is not only desir-able, but also attainable. Indeedtimes have changed. In commu-nities across the nation, OSHAand its partners are meeting the

challenge to find novel and effec-tive ways to better protectAmerica’s working men andwomen. JSHQ

Weinberg and Woolsey are programanalysts and Warren is a safetyspecialist in OSHA’s Divisionof Voluntary Programs, Directorateof Federal-State Operations,Washington, DC.


Cooperation Under the Skies ...

OSHA and FAA WorkTogether to Better ProtectFlight Attendants

SHA and the FederalAviation Administration(FAA) are pledging to

cooperate to make the skies saferfor flight attendants through im-proved working conditions. His-torically, FAA has been responsiblefor their safety. Through a recentmemorandum of understanding(MOU) between OSHA andFAA, the two agencies will studyhow to best regulate flight atten-dant safety while aircraft are inoperation.

“OSHA welcomes the opportu-nity to work more closely with theFAA to address safety and healthissues of concern for flight atten-dants. We believe that a numberof OSHA rules will be applicableduring aircraft operation, and bothairlines and flight attendants willbenefit,” says OSHA Administra-tor Charles N. Jeffress.

As a first step, the two agenciesare forming a team to reviewOSHA standards and regulations

on recordkeeping, bloodbornepathogens, noise, sanitation, haz-ard communication, and access toemployee exposure and medicalrecords as well as whistleblowerprotections. The joint team is toreport its findings on applicabilityof these OSHA requirements byDecember 6, 2000.

Based upon the recommenda-tions of the joint team, FAA willissue a proposed new policy state-ment on applying OSHA rules toflight attendant safety and healthand will request public comment.In turn, OSHA has agreed to con-sult with the FAA before propos-ing a standard that would apply toflight attendants to determinewhether aviation safety would becompromised.

In 1975, as permitted under theOccupational Safety and Health Actof 1970, the FAA asserted author-ity over the safety and health ofaircraft crew members. In its July10, 1975 Federal Register notice, the

by Kerri L. Lawrence O

FAA stated that “every factor af-fecting the safe and healthy work-ing conditions of aircraft crewmembers involves matters insepa-rably related to the FAA’s occupa-tional safety and health responsi-bilities.” The new agreement rec-ognizes that regulations could beapplicable to flight attendant safetywhile the aircraft is in operationwithout compromising aviationsafety.

Under the MOU, OSHA willcontinue to enforce its standardsand regulations for other aviationindustry employees, such as main-tenance and ground support per-sonnel. FAA will continue tocover the flight deck crew, includ-ing pilots and co-pilots.

OSHA’s Jeffress and FAA Ad-ministrator Jane F. Garvey formallysigned the agreement in a cer-emony held at the Department ofLabor on August 7, 2000. A copyof the MOU is available onOSHA’s website under What’sNew or through the subject indexunder Memorandums of Under-standing. JSHQ

Lawrence is Managing Editor of JobSafety & Health Quarterly and awriter-editor in OSHA’s Office ofPublic Affairs, Washington, DC.


Data Initiativeand Site-Specific Targetingby Helen Hoban Rogers and Mary K. Scheuermann

ince its creation, OSHA hashad one mission: sendingeach and every worker home

whole and healthy every day. Andalthough that mission has re-mained the same over the years, ap-proaches have changed as to howthe agency can best achieve thisgoal. In recent years, OSHA’s fo-cus has been on outreach—work-ing with employers and employeesto ensure that workplaces are safeand employees are healthy. In thatendeavor, partnerships and pro-grams such as the Voluntary Pro-tection Programs (VPP) and thestate Consultation Programs haveproven very successful.

The agency also recognizes,however, that it must continue toenforce the standards and regula-tions it has created—predomi-nantly through inspections. In aneffort to combine the successfuloutreach programs with the needfor inspections and enforcement,OSHA created programs like thesite-specific targeting inspectionprogram (known as the SST) andthe 13,000 employer-letters out-reach project with the same goalin mind: protecting America’swork force.

OSHA’s Data InitiativeSince 1996, OSHA has been

using the Data Initiative—alsoknown as the Data Survey—to col-lect data from employers to bettertarget high-risk industries. TheData Initiative gives OSHA a tar-geting tool it never had before: theability to determine each worksite’slost-workday injury and illness(LWDII) rate.1

S

1Lost-workday injury and illness (LWDII)rate: This includes cases involving daysaway from work and restricted work activityand is calculated based on (N/EH) x(200,000) where N is the number of lost-workdays. injuries, and illnesses combined,EH is the total number of hours worked byall workers during the calendar year, and200,000 is the base for 100 full-timeequivalent workers. For example: If workersof an establishment (including management,temporary, and leased workers) worked645,089 hours at their worksite and theworksite had 22 lost-workday injuries andillnesses from the OSHA 200 (totals incolumns 2 and 9), the LWDII rate would be(22/645,089) x (200,000) = 6.8.

OSHA is now well into its second year of usingits site-specific targeting inspection programfor comprehensive programmed inspectionsin non-construction industries.

Before the Data Initiative,OSHA targeted its compliance ef-forts towards entire industries, re-lying on generic industry-baseddata to determine where to focusits enforcement program and out-reach efforts. And although indus-try data have been extremely use-ful for identifying categories ofproblems (e.g., specific industriesand occupations at risk), it was notthe most efficient use of theagency’s resources. Aggregation ofdata by industry masked the expe-rience of individual employers.OSHA would not know until itarrived at an employer’s facilitywhether the employer had a highinjury and illness rate, only thatthe employer was in a high-rateindustry.

In early 1996, OSHA estab-lished the Data Initiative so theagency could focus on those estab-lishments with serious safety andhealth problems. Each year there-after, OSHA has sent its data sur-vey form (the “OSHA Occupa-tional Injury and Illness Data Col-lection Form”) to approximately80,000 non-construction establish-ments, requesting from each em-ployer the average number of em-ployees who worked for the em-ployer during the prior calendaryear, and the total hours the em-ployees worked during the prioryear. To verify the accuracy of theinformation submitted, OSHA se-lects a sampling of employers toaudit.2

Also, OSHA amended itsrecordkeeping regulation in 1997to clarify the agency’s authority torequest that employers send thedata survey to OSHA by mail orelectronic means.3

Cooperative ComplianceProgram (CCP)

The first use of site-specific in-formation from OSHA’s Data Ini-tiative began in November 1997with the Cooperative ComplianceProgram (CCP) and High-Rate Targeting Program. This pro-gram incorporated a cooperative

2OSHA established an audit program toassess and monitor the quality of employerinjury and illness recordkeeping nationwide.It is an integral part of the OSHA DataInitiative. When OSHA implemented theData Initiative Collection System, itrecognized the need to ensure the accuracyof the collected data. Under the auditprogram, OSHA conducts onsite audits ofemployer injury and illness records to verifythe overall accuracy of source records,estimate the extent of employer compliancewith the OSHA recordkeeping requirements,and assess the consistency between data onthe employer’s log and data submitted to theagency under the Data Initiative.3See Title 29, Code of Federal Regulations,Part 1910.17.

element under which most of theestablishments targeted for inspec-tion would first be offered an op-portunity to partner with OSHAto develop a better workplacesafety and health program. Severalindustry groups legally challengedthe CCP program. In 1998, OSHAcancelled it and began the SST.

Site-Specific TargetingOSHA is now well into its sec-

ond year of using its site-specifictargeting inspection program forcomprehensive programmed in-spections in non-construction in-dustries. Although the agency’sspecial emphasis programs4 con-tinue to comprise the majority ofOSHA’s programmed inspections,the site-specific targeting inspec-tions play an important role inOSHA’s overall enforcement strat-egy. Programmed inspections tar-get an industry or type of workplacefor investigation, rather than re-sponding to an employee com-plaint, fatality report, or other situ-ation, known as unprogrammed in-spections.

During calendar year 1999, Fed-eral OSHA inspections totaledmore than 36,000 nationwide. Ofthese, more than 17,000 (47 per-cent) were programmed inspec-tions, and about 2,900 (17 percent)of these were under the SST.

OSHA implemented the SSTinspection plan in April 1999.This program was followed by theSite-Specific Targeting 2000 plan

4Special emphasis programs includeNational Emphasis Programs (NEPs) andLocal Emphasis Programs (LEPs), whichtarget a particular industry (e.g., auto bodyshops, logging, metal forging and metalstamping, woodworking, warehousing, orsteel erection), or a variety of jobs with aparticular hazard (e.g., lead, silica,methylene chloride, amputations, carbonmonoxide, falls, or grain handling).

Summer 2000 33

Each federal OSHA area officegets its own list of establishmentsin the primary targeting group andis expected to complete inspectionsof these establishments by year’send. If an area office needs addi-tional establishments, then theyuse the supplemental list.

The inspections are not simple.Establishments selected for a site-specific inspection will receiveboth a comprehensive safety and acomprehensive health inspection.If a site has received a comprehen-sive safety inspection within thepreceding year, however, then onlythe comprehensive health inspec-tion will need to be conducted andvice versa. Occasionally, if an em-ployer has been greatly improvingits safety and health performance,a site-specific inspection may be a“records only” inspection. If theemployer’s LWDII rate, as calcu-lated by the OSHA complianceofficer during the inspection, showsthe establishment to have a lowLWDII rate for the last 2 consecu-tive years, then the complianceofficer may confine the inspectionto a review of the employer’s safetyand health records.

The SST and the Data Initiativeallow OSHA to focus its most in-tense enforcement resources atthose workplaces where hazards aregreatest. The 2,200 establishmentson the SST inspection list in 1999had more than 100,000 lost-work-day cases in calendar year 1997.The 4,200 establishments on the2000 program’s inspection list hadalmost 130,000 lost-workday casesin calendar year 1998. From April1999 to August 2000, 11 percent

A number of employers have written backto OSHA acknowledging that they share

the agency’s concern and are actively workingon improving their programs.

5The 1997 injury and illness data collectedby the 1998 Data Initiative were used in the1999 Site-Specific Targeting plan. Likewise,the 1998 data, collected by the 1999 DataInitiative, is currently being used for the2000 Site-Specific Targeting plan.

that began in February 2000.5

From the information submitted byemployers in the Data Initiative,OSHA determines what theLWDII cut-off rate will be for thesite-specific targeting inspectionsbased on the number of such in-spections the agency anticipates itwill be able to conduct during theyear. The 1999 program initiallytargeted those workplaces with anLWDII rate above 16.0 (more than2,200 workplaces). The 2000 pro-gram initially targets workplaceswith a LWDII rate above 14.0(about 4,200 workplaces). To putthis in perspective, the national av-erage LWDII rate for 1997 and1998 was about 3.0—that is, aworkplace with approximatelythree injuries or illnesses resultingin lost-workdays for every 100 full-time workers.

Both the 1999 and 2000programs used two inspection lists,

primary and supplemental. Thefirst, or primary, targeting list hasthe establishments with an LWDIIat or above 16.0 (in 1999) and 14.0(in 2000), and the second, orsupplemental, list has those estab-lishments with a LWDII between10.0 and 16.0 (in 1999) and be-tween 8.0 and 14.0 (in 2000).

of all general industry significantenforcement cases—where the to-tal proposed penalties were$100,000 or more—came fromSST inspections.

Outreach Letters to High-RateEmployers

In addition to supplying an in-spection list for the 1999 and 2000SST inspection plans, OSHA hasused the Data Initiative during thepast 2 years for outreach to high-rate employers. OSHA identified12,500 employers in 1999 (13,000in 2000) in federal jurisdictionwith the highest injury and illnessrates. OSHA sent these employ-ers letters indicating the agency’sconcern about their high injuryand illness rates and informingthem of available services, such asthe OSHA onsite consultation

program, that can be used to iden-tify hazards and address occupa-tional safety and health issues tohelp them reduce their rates. Theemployers who received the lettersin 1999 had an LWDII rate of 10.0or higher. The employers who re-ceived the letters in March 2000had an LWDII rate of 8.0 or higher.This list is available on OSHA’swebsite www.osha-slc.gov/html/hot_5.html.

Although the lists of high-rateemployers are drawn from informa-tion supplied by the Data Initiative,this outreach activity is separatefrom OSHA’s enforcement effort.Getting a letter does not necessar-ily mean an employer is on one ofOSHA’s targeting lists. It simplymeans that both OSHA and theemployer now know that theworkplace’s safety and health ef-

forts need attention. A number ofemployers have written back toOSHA acknowledging that theyshare the agency’s concern and areactively working on improvingtheir programs.

Through programs like the SSTand the 13,000 employer-lettersoutreach initiative, OSHA contin-ues encouraging employers to re-duce injury and illness rates, to savelives, and to achieve the agency’smission of protecting America’swork force each and every day. JSHQ

Rogers is a safety specialist, andScheuermann was a summer internin OSHA’s Directorate of Compli-ance Programs, Washington, DC.


Visit NCI’s website for the patients, the public, and the mass media at http://rex.nci.nih.govor NCI’s main website at http:// www.nci.nih.gov

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Protecting YourselfAgainst Harmful Sunlight

Am I at Risk?Did you know that the number of new cases of skin

cancer, and the number of deaths caused by the mostserious type of skin cancer are rapidly rising in theUnited States? This is particularly troubling since thenumbers for most cancers have been declining. Sun-light is the main source of ultraviolet (UV) radia-tion known to damage the skin and to cause skin can-cer. The amount of UV exposure depends on thestrength of the light, the length of exposure, andwhether the skin is protected. There are no safe UVrays or safe suntans. Sun exposure at any age can causeskin cancer. Your skin and eyes are most susceptibleto sun damage. You need to be especially careful inthe sun if you have• numerous moles, irregular moles, or large moles;• freckles or burn before tanning;• fair skin, or blond, red, or light brown hair; or• spend a lot of time outdoors.

Melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer,and accounts for more than 75 percent of the deathsdue to skin cancer. In addition to skin cancer, sunexposure can cause premature aging of the skin,wrinkles, cataracts, and other eye problems.

How Do I Protect Myself from UV Radiation?If you work outdoors, there are five important steps

you can take to protect against UV radiation and skincancer:

1. Cover up. Wear clothing to protect as much ofyour skin as possible. Wear clothing that does nottransmit visible light. To determine if the clothingwill protect you, try this test: Place your hand be-tween the fabric and a light source. If you can seeyour hand through the fabric, the garment offers littleprotection against sun exposure.

2. Use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher.Experts recommend products with a Sun ProtectionFactor, or SPF, of at least 15. The SPF number rep-resents the level of sunburn protection provided bythe sunscreen. An SPF 15 blocks out 93 percent ofthe burning UV rays; an SPF 30 blocks out 97 per-cent of the burning UV rays. Products labeled “broadspectrum” block both UVB and UVA radiation.Both UVA and UVB contribute to skin cancer.

3. Wear a hat. A wide-brimmed hat is ideal be-cause it protects the neck, ears, eyes, forehead, nose,and scalp. A baseball cap provides some protectionfor the front and top of the head, but not for theback of the neck or the ears where skin cancers com-monly develop.

4. Wear sunglasses that block UV rays. UV-absor-bent sunglasses can help protect your eyes from sundamage. Ideal sunglasses do not have to be expen-sive, but they should block 99 to 100 percent of UVAand UVB radiation. Check the label to make surethey do. Darker glasses are not necessarily the best.UV protection comes from an invisible chemical ap-plied to the lenses, not from the color or darkness ofthe lenses.

5. Limit direct sun exposure. UV rays are most in-tense when the sun is high in the sky, between10 AM and 4 PM. If you are unsure about the sun’sintensity, take the shadow test: If your shadow isshorter than you, the sun’s rays are the strongest.Seek shade whenever possible.

You may also want to check the UV Index foryour area. The UV Index usually can be found inthe local newspaper or on TV and radio news broad-casts. It gives the expected noon-time UV radia-tion reaching the earth’s surface on a scale of1 to 10+. It is forecast daily for 58 cities. The higher

Ultraviolet Radiation Facts

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the number, the greater the exposure to UV radia-tion. The Index helps determine when to avoid sunexposure and when to take extra protective measures.(See www.nws.noaa.gov./om/uvi.htm for more infor-mation.)

Should I Get Checked?Yes. Skin cancers detected early can almost

always be cured.The most important warning sign for skin cancer

is a spot on the skin that is changing in size, shape, orcolor over a period of 1 month to 1-2 years. The mostcommon skin cancers—basal cell and squamouscell—often take the form of a pale, wax-like, pearlynodule; a red scaly, sharply outlined patch; or a sorethat does not heal; whereas melanoma often starts asa small, mole-like growth.

So it’s important that you examine your body, andsee a health care clinician if you find an unusual skinchange.

Apply sunscreen liberally at least 15 minutes be-fore going outside. Reapply every 2 hours or more fre-quently if you sweat a lot or are swimming.

Warning: Do not depend on sunscreens alone.Combine sunscreen with wide-brimmed hats, UV-protective sunglasses, and tightly woven clothing toincrease your protection against UV radiation. JSHQ


There are many websites with good informa-tion about preventing, detecting, and treatingskin cancer, including the following:

American Cancer Society for melanoma andnonmelanoma skin cancers (scroll menu of com-mon cancers) at www.cancer.org, or call 1-800-ACS-2345.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,for various health materials including skin can-cer at www.cdc.gov/ChooseYourCover, or call1-888-842-6355.

For more information on OSHA, visit theagency’s website at www.osha.gov, or call 1-800-321-OSHA or your nearest OSHA office. Tele-typewriter (TTY) number is (877) 889-5267.

Reprint of U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Publication, OSHA 3166. For a copy,write to the OSHA Publications Office, P.O. Box 37535, Washington, DC 20013-7535, call (202) 693-1988, or visit OSHA’swebsite at www.osha.gov.

How Can I Learn MoreAbout Preventing Skin Cancer?

Note: This map demonstrates an approximate distribution ofpredicted Lyme disease risk in the United States. The truerelative risk in any given county compared with othercounties might differ from that shown here and might changefrom year to year.

OSHA has published a hazard information bulle-tin (HIB) to provide guidance to people who residein high or moderate risk areas in the United Statesand who are exposed to ticks during the course oftheir work and thus at risk of contracting Lyme dis-ease.* Examples of outdoor work that may be associ-ated with increased risk of exposure to infected ticksinclude: construction work, landscaping, forestry,brush clearing, land surveying, farming, railroad work,oil field work, utility line work, and park and wildlifemanagement.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) has developed a national Lyme disease riskmap** in which CDC identified areas of the UnitedStates as minimal or no risk, low risk, moderate risk,or high risk for predicted Lyme disease. Areas at highor moderate risk include many counties in the North-east U.S., some areas around the Great Lakes, and anarea in Northern California. It is important that stateand local health department authorities be consultedto determine risk in any given area, since risk canvary even within a county, and perhaps from year toyear.

Lyme disease is caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, a bac-terium carried in the gut of certain ticks. When theseinfected ticks attach to the human body (often inarmpits, groin, scalp, or other hairy, hidden body ar-eas), they slowly feed, and within 36-48 hours theymay transmit B. burgdorferi to their human host.Young ticks are especially abundant and are seekinghosts in late spring and early summer, although adultticks can transmit infection as well.

Although a majority of people with Lyme diseasedevelop a “bulls-eye” rash, 20 to 40 percent of per-sons who have the disease do not have a rash. Othersigns and symptoms may be non-specific and similarto flu symptoms (e.g., fever, lymph node swelling, neck

U.S. Department of LaborOccupational Safety and Health Adminsitration

* See OSHA HIB 00-04 online at www.osha.gov or by calling yournearest OSHA office listed in the blue pages of your telephonedirectory.**“Recommendations for the Use of Lyme Disease Vaccine;Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on ImmunizationPractices (ACIP).” MMWR 6/4/1999, 48 (RR-7). www.cdc.gov.

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High riskModerate riskLow riskMinimal or no risk

This fact sheet is informational in content and advisory in nature. It is not a new standard or regulation and creates no legal obligation.

stiffness, generalized fatigue, headaches, migratingjoint aches, or muscle aches). Diagnosis is based ona history of known exposure and development of clini-cal signs and symptoms, with blood testing providingvaluable supportive information. Most cases of Lymedisease can be successfully treated with antibiotics.It is very important that Lyme disease be diagnosedand treated with antibiotics, since untreated Lymedisease may result in symptoms (i.e., arthritis, musclepain, heart disease, and brain and nerve disorders)that are severe, chronic, and disabling.

VaccineLYMErix is approved by FDA for use in individu-

als 15-70 years old. This vaccine may kill B. burgdorferiin the tick gut by stimulating human antibodyproduction. Three injections are given: an initial

National Lyme disease risk map with fourcategories of risk

The Directorate of Technical Support issues Hazard Information Bulletins (HIBs) in accordance with OSHA Instruction CPL 2.65 to providerelevant information regarding unrecognized or misunderstood health and safety hazards, as well as potential hazards associated with particularmaterials, devices, techniques, and engineering controls. An HIB is not a new standard or regulation, and it creates no legal obligations. It isadvisory in nature, informational in content, and is intended for use by employers seeking to provide a safe and healthful workplace. TheOccupational Safety and Health Act requires employers to comply with hazard-specific safety and health standards. In addition, employers mustprovide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm under Section 5(a)(1), thegeneral duty clause, of the Act. Employers can be cited for violating the general duty clause if there is a recognized hazard and they do not takesteps to prevent or abate the hazard. However, failure to implement HIB recommendations is not, in itself, a violation of the general duty clause.Citations can only be based on standards, regulations, and the general duty clause.

injection, one a month later, and a third 1year afterthe initial injection. Protection after the third doseis 76 percent for definite Lyme disease, 100 percentfor asymptomatic infection. The Lyme disease vac-cine should be considered for individuals in certainsituations, (e.g. persons who reside in areas of highor moderate risk, and who engage in activities thatresult in frequent or prolonged exposures to tick habi-tats). It is not recommended for individuals withcertain medical conditions. More information re-garding the vaccine and its recommended use is con-tained in OSHA’s Lyme disease HIB and on the CDCwebsite at www.cdc.gov.

Workers at risk should be advised of the signs andsymptoms of Lyme disease, as well as the primary andsecondary preventive measures for this disease. Thosewho are at increased risk for Lyme disease shouldobtain medical advice regarding the applicability ofthe Lyme disease vaccine; those who have symptomsof suspected tick-borne infection should seek medi-cal attention early. More detailed information regard-ing various aspects of Lyme disease prevention canbe found on the CDC website at www.cdc.gov.

Personal Protection• Wearing light-colored clothing (to more easily see ticks.)

• Wearing long-sleeved shirts, tucking pant legs into socks or boots (delays ticks from reachingskin so they can be more easily found before attaching.)

• Wearing high boots or closed shoes covering the entire foot.

• Wearing a hat.

• Using appropriate insect repellants on non-facial skin and permethrin on clothes (kills ticks) inaccordance with Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.

• Showering and washing and drying clothes at a high temperature after outdoor exposure.

• Doing a careful body check for ticks, prompt removal with tweezers, and skin cleansing withantiseptic.

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***“Recommendations for the Use of Lyme Disease Vaccine;Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on ImmunizationPractices (ACIP).” MMWR 6/4/1999, 48 (RR-7). www.cdc.gov.

Prevention of Lyme DiseaseFirst line of defense is decreasing the probabil-

ity of tick bites.*** Ticks can be vectors of otherinfections, in addition to Lyme disease.

• Avoidance of tick habitat (brushy, overgrowngrassy, and woody areas) particularly in springand early summer when young ticks feed.

• Removal of leaves, tall grass, and brush fromareas around work areas or residential areas todecrease tick as well as host (deer and rodent)habitat.

• Application of tick-toxic chemicals to sur-rounding work or residential areas in accor-dance with federal, state, and local regulationsand community standards.

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