OSHA Renews Alliance with American Red Cross
OSHA announced yesterday that it has renewed its alliance with the American Red Cross and will continue to strive to improve employee awareness of safety and health issues in the workplace. The alliance focuses particularly on emergency preparedness, first aid, and disease prevention.
"OSHA is pleased to continue to work with the American Red Cross to further the cause of safety and health," said Edwin G. Foulke, Jr., assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. "I am proud to see the wide variety of educational opportunities our joint efforts have made possible in the past three years, from OSHA lectures at local Red Cross chapters to the nationally broadcasted webcasts produced through the alliance. We are looking forward to even greater successes to come."
Through the alliance, OSHA and the American Red Cross will continue to provide employees, including those with limited proficiency in English, with information and resources that will help them keep their workplaces hazard-free. Since the alliance began in 2005, OSHA and the American Red Cross have worked together to develop four webcasts devoted to their mutual goals in occupational safety and health: "Bloodborne Pathogens - What You Need to Know to Prevent Disease Transmission in the Workplace"; "Is Your Worksite Prepared for Emergencies?"; "Are You Prepared for Pandemic Flu?"; and, "Is Your Worksite an OSHA Best Practice for First Aid Programs?" OSHA representatives have also given presentations on OSHA regulations and standards, including ergonomics, bloodborne pathogens, first aid, and fire prevention at numerous chapter meetings of the American Red Cross throughout the United States.
"During the last three years the American Red Cross and OSHA alliance has benefited thousands of employers and employees through our co-sponsored educational activities both at the national and local community level. The Red Cross looks forward to expanding our relationship over the next two years as we continue to promote workplace safety and preparedness," said Scott Conner, senior vice president, Preparedness and Health Safety Services for the American Red Cross.