The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Association for High Technology Distribution (AHTD) have formed an alliance to provide machine automation workers with information and guidance on the importance of machine guarding equipment and using lockout/tagout procedures.Recognizing the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces, OSHA and AHTD will work together to promote worker safety and health in industrial workplaces and to protect employees’ health and safety. Through the alliance, the organizations will provide machine designers with information and guidance to raise awareness of the importance of proper selection, use, maintenance and installation of machine guarding equipment and the use of lockout/tagout procedures.OSHA and AHTD will work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals: 1. Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing and disseminating information on machine guarding equipment and lockout/tagout procedures, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and the AHTD's website to employers and employees in the industry.)2. Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s and AHTD's conferences, meetings or other events, such as the AHTD Spring and Fall meetings and regional safety conferences that AHTD member companies may participate in.3. Encourage AHTD's members to build relationships with OSHA’s regional and area offices to address health and safety issues in the industrial workplace, including machine safeguarding and lockout/tagout procedures.4. Work with other alliance participants on projects to address safety and health issues in the industrial workplace including machine safeguarding and lockout/tagout procedures.5. Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding AHTD best practices or effective approaches and publicize the results through outreach by AHTD and through OSHA-or AHTD-developed training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures (or any other applicable forum). OSHA and AHTD will work together to achieve the following goals related to promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health: 1. Develop and disseminate case studies illustrating the business value of safety and health and publicize their results.2. Participate in stakeholder and other forums for providing input on machine safeguarding and lockout/tagout issues in the workplace. An implementation team made up of representatives of both organizations will meet to develop a plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet at least three times per year to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the alliance. Team members will include representatives of OSHA’s Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs and any other appropriate offices.
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