OSHA, IEC Renew Alliance for Five Years
The alliance has developed fact sheets, toolbox talks, and guidance documents on updated OSHA electrical standards; hazards involved in working on or near energized electrical conductors and circuit parts; general safety guidance to help prevent fall injuries; and ladder safety.
OSHA announced it has renewed its alliance for the fourth time -- the original one was signed in August 2002 -- with the Independent Electrical Contractors Inc., an Alexandria, Va.-based trade association for merit shop electrical and systems contractors that represents more than 3,000 members with 51 chapters nationwide. During the new five-year term of the agreement, the alliance partners will focus mainly on providing OSHA staffers with NFPA 70E and arc flash training and on preventing workers' exposures to electric shock and arc flash hazards.
They also will promote awareness of OSHA's campaigns on preventing falls and heat illness and will work to promote a culture of safety through outreach, particularly to small businesses and workers with limited- and non-English speaking skills.
"For more than a decade, OSHA and IEC have had a productive partnership developing resources to protect thousands of workers in the electrical industry," said Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels. "Our continued alliance will help ensure that employers and workers in this industry receive information and training that are essential to keeping their workplaces safe and healthful."
The alliance has developed fact sheets, toolbox talks, and guidance documents on updated OSHA electrical standards; hazards involved in working on or near energized electrical conductors and circuit parts; general safety guidance to help prevent fall injuries; and ladder safety.