OSHA, MAST unite to help Southern Tier manufacturers

RP news wires, Noria Corporation

Helping Southern Tier manufacturers provide safer and healthier workplaces for their employees is the goal of a new alliance between the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Manufacturers Association of the Southern Tier (MAST), which is based in Jamestown, N.Y.

OSHA and MAST jointly will provide small businesses with information, guidance and access to training resources, with an emphasis on reducing hazards typically encountered in a manufacturing environment. Presentations will include OSHA's 10-hour general industry safety and health course, along with other programs on establishing and implementing effective safety and health management systems.

"An effective safety and health management system is a key tool for safeguarding employees," said Patricia K. Clark, OSHA's regional administrator in Manhattan. "Establishing such a system enables workers and management to anticipate, identify and eliminate occupational hazards before employees get hurt."

This alliance will guide small businesses toward acceptance into OSHA's elite Voluntary Protection Programs by helping them improve their existing safety and health programs. OSHA and MAST will share best practices and effective approaches, and encourage MAST member worksites to build relationships with OSHA and the state of New York's safety consultation service to address safety and health issues.

"Through this alliance, OSHA is providing Southern Tier manufacturers an opportunity to become among the best of the best when it comes to workplace safety and health," said Arthur Dube, director of OSHA's area office in Buffalo.

The alliance was signed by MAST executive director Todd Jay Tranum and by OSHA's Clark and Dube. For information about this and other OSHA alliances and partnerships in western New York, contact the compliance assistance specialist in OSHA's Buffalo area office at 716-551-3053.

OSHA safety and health alliances are part of U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao's ongoing efforts to improve the health and safety of employees through cooperative partnerships with trade associations, labor organizations, employers and government agencies. OSHA currently has more than 450 alliances throughout the nation with organizations committed to fostering safety and health in the workplace.

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