Our company is very active with the Sealant Waterproofing & Restoration Institute (SWR Institute). Since our membership in 2001, we have had company members involved with the SWR Institute’s Safety Committee. In February 2003, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the SWR Institute signed an alliance agreement to promote safe and healthful working conditions for workers who apply and work with sealant, waterproofing and restoration products.
Our company regularly participates in OSHA’s bi-annual construction roundtable meeting at the Department of Labor in Washington, D.C. While we represent the Sealant, Waterproofing and Restoration industry, there are over 20 other OSHA National Alliances. Through the Alliance, the organizations will use relevant injury and illness data in selected industries to help identify areas of emphasis for Alliance awareness, outreach, and communication activities. The Alliances will also explore and implement selected options to evaluate the effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety for employers and workers.
The Alliance’s goals include:
Raising awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives
- To share information on OSHA’s National Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
- To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
- To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on falls, vehicle safety, and other industry related hazards to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
Outreach and communication
- To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA’s and the SWR Institute’s Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
- To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or SWR Institute’s conferences, local meetings, or other regional events.
- To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding SWR Institute’s good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.
