OSHA Partners with Boat People SOS, Plans Workshops
Enhancing workplace safety and health for Vietnamese-American workers in Louisiana is the goal of a new alliance formed between OSHA and the Gretna, La., branch office of Boat People SOS, a community-based organization that provides safety and health information, training programs, and resources throughout Vietnamese-American communities. The organization was founded in 1980 and has about 15 branch offices nationwide. The signing ceremony was held Feb. 12 at OSHA's area office in Baton Rouge.
"This agreement provides an opportunity for partners involved to join together in promoting safety and health in the workplace," said Dorinda Folse, OSHA's area director in Baton Rouge. "We are hopeful that the cooperative effort to maximize worker safety will prevent potential injuries."
Through the alliance, training and education programs will be developed for Vietnamese-American workers, including at least six educational workshops annually. The training will focus on reducing and preventing workers' exposure to chemical hazards, falls, struck-by, caught-between, and electrical hazards that may be encountered.
OSHA alliances are a means for participating organizations to network with others committed to workplace safety and health, and exchange information about hazards. The agency currently has more than 470 alliances throughout the nation with organizations committed to fostering safety and health in the workplace. For more information about the OSHA/Boat People SOS alliance or other OSHA partnerships or alliances, employers and employees may call the agency's Baton Rouge Area Office at 225-298-5458.