The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Crane Manufacturers Association of America (CMAA), the Hoist Manufacturers Institute (HMI), and the Monorail Manufacturers Association (MMA) renewed their alliance, originally signed on October 5, 2005. The alliance will continue to provide systems owners and operators in general industry with information and access to training resources that will assist in protecting employees, including Spanish-speaking, and other high-risk or vulnerable "hard-to-reach" employees. Through the alliance, the organizations will continue their efforts to help reduce and prevent exposure to safety and health issues such as electrical hazards, falls from elevations or being struck by moving equipment.
"Our alliance has made substantial progress over the past two years in reducing and preventing serious or fatal incidents in the material handling industry," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "Together, we will continue to focus on efforts and resources that identify and implement the best industry practices that protect employees and help keep crane, hoist and monorail operators safe and healthy."
"The Crane Manufacturers Association of America, the Hoist Manufacturers Institute and the Monorail Manufacturers Association are pleased to learn that the Crane, Hoist and Monorail Alliance will be renewed for 2008 and 2009," said Hal Vandiver, executive vice president, Material Handling Industry of America. "Our collective experience with the first term of the OSHA Alliance Program fulfilled all of our key objectives. We look forward to continuing our work with OSHA to promote safety and health in the workplace."
This year, OSHA participated in ProMat 2007, and with input from the alliance, developed the Thermoforming Machines module of OSHA's Machine Guarding eTool. Articles and press releases on the OSHA and Crane, Hoist, and Monorail Alliance activities have appeared in publications such as Alliance Quarterly Review. In addition, more than 18,000 individuals have visited the OSHA Basic Steel Products Safety and Health Topics page, which is also a product of the alliance, as well as the
