OSHA renews alliance with high-tech association

Employees working in the machine automation industry will continue reaping benefits from a cooperative relationship between the Association for High Technology Distribution (AHTD) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) thanks to the renewal of an alliance established two years ago.

"We are pleased to continue the commitment we made with AHTD to foster a safer and more healthful workplace environment for thousands of employees involved in machine automation," said OSHA administrator Ed Foulke November 29 after signing a two-year renewal to the alliance in a Washington, D.C., ceremony.

AHTD president Jim Norton also expressed his pleasure with the renewal saying, "Our commitment to the alliance with OSHA is in keeping with our mission to educate, network, and foster cooperative agreements to make the American workplace safer."

The alliance has resulted in the development of a "Machine-Guarding Devices" training seminar already presented to more than 200 federal and state OSHA representatives in Maine, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. AHTD representatives continue to serve on editorial boards for various Safety and Health Topics pages on OSHA’s Web site, including Robotics, Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) and Machine Guarding.

The OSHA and AHTD formal alliance will continue to provide industry employees and employers with information and guidance to raise awareness on the importance of proper selection, use, maintenance and installation of machine guarding equipment and the use of lockout/tagout procedures.