OSHA, Safety Council of Northwest Ohio renew alliance to provide education, resources to area employers

Participants: U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The Safety Council of Northwest Ohio

Background: OSHA and the Safety Council of Northwest Ohio have signed a two-year renewal of their alliance to provide information, guidance and access to training resources for council members.

Chartered in 1960, the council is a non-profit, community-based organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life in Northwest Ohio through safety enhancements, personal health, the economy and the environment by providing education and resources. The SCNWO has more than 1,700 members representing small business, industry and government employers.

First signed on Dec. 20, 2005, the alliance continues the joint effort to implement safety and health improvements by:

• Developing effective training programs for local industry on topics such as transportation and traffic accident reduction, fall prevention as well as amputation, fall and combustible dust hazards.
• Providing safety seminars and talks.
• Encouraging worker participation in employer safety and health programs.
• Sharing information on occupational safety and health laws
• Educating temporary workers about their rights and job hazards.

Together, the agency will work with the SCNWO to promote a culture of worker safety and health within its member organizations and to promote awareness of the agency’s rulemakings, enforcement initiatives and safety campaigns, including an understanding of workers’ rights and employer responsibilities. The partners will also speak, exhibit and appear at OSHA or SCNWO conferences.

Quote: “In collaboration with the SCNWO, we at OSHA can help private industry, governmental bodies and small business employers train and protect their employees from preventable workplace injuries,” said Joseph Margetiak, OSHA’s acting area director in Toledo. “Our alliance allows to us to work together to foster education and provide training and resources to more than 1,700 members of the SCNWO and also provides a conduit for us to reach the growing Hispanic workforce in the Northwest Ohio through trusted resources and by providing materials in Spanish regarding their rights as workers.”

Additional Background: Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with groups committed to worker safety and health to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries, and illnesses. These groups include unions, consulates, trade or professional organizations, businesses, faith- and community-based organizations, and educational institutions. OSHA and the groups work together to develop compliance assistance tools and resources, share information with workers and employers, and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities.