The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Independent Lubricant Manufacturers Association (ILMA) renewed their
alliance May 23 to continue successful efforts to protect manufacturing industry workers from industrial hazards.
Originally signed in February 2004, the alliance will continue the organizations' efforts to provide ILMA members and others, including small businesses, with information on safety and health resources related to industrial hazards associated with metalworking fluids. In addition, the renewal addresses hazard communication issues.
"We hope that the next two years of this productive relationship meets with as much success as the first two," said OSHA administrator Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "Workers in the manufacturing industry are benefitting from this relationship and we look forward to our continued association with an organization that possesses not only a bottomless well of industrial expertise, but also the firm conviction that workplace safety is a priority."
"Partnering with OSHA for a consecutive alliance proves how high ILMA holds employee health and safety within the workplace and industry," agreed ILMA executive director Celeste Powers. "Through the hard work of the Safety, Health Environmental and Regulatory Affairs Committee and the Association's legal counsel, we have been able to achieve a number of goals these past two years and I look forward to seeing what all involved with the alliance will accomplish over the next two years."
Through the alliance, OSHA and ILMA have worked together to raise awareness about industrial hazards related to metalworking fluids and OSHA's compliance assistance resources. For example, OSHA staff made a number of presentations at ILMA conferences. ILMA representatives are participating on the editorial board of the OSHA
Metalworking Fluids Safety and Health Topics page. Further, ILMA developed a Metalworking Fluids
QuickStart Guide for small businesses that outlines common best practices for using lubricants.
Founded in 1948, ILMA works to supply its members with information and guidance on current safety, health, and environmental issues in the lubricant industry. Its manufacturing members are independent lubricant companies that together produce over 25 percent of all lubricants sold in the North America. This amount includes approximately 80 percent of metalworking fluids and other specialty industrial lubricants.