SGMA, OSHA talk strategic partnership

The U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA Region IX Administrator Frank Strasheim met with Saipan Garment Manufacturers Association Executive Director Richard A. Pierce, and James C. Lin, president of United International Corporation, last March 19 to discuss a strategic partnership arrangement between the federal OSHA division of U.S. DOL and SGMA.

Discussion was held on the partnership agreement between SGMA and the OSHA, for the time being entitled “Excellence 2000”.

SGMA officials will review the proposed draft agreement where OSHA would agree to a limited partnership with SGMA in the interest of achieving enhanced and voluntary workplace safety and health through the establishment of monitored and maintained safety and health programs for select employers.

The overall purpose will be to eliminate the risk of catastrophic fires and to prevent serious injuries and illnesses to workers by establishment of model workplaces for safety and health.

Employers who are willing to meet the criteria of this partnership will receive OSHA assistance and annual verification inspections (in accordance with approved protocols) in lieu of programmed inspections.

Pierce will propose “Excellence 2000” to the general membership as a 100 percent totally voluntary arrangement between individual SGMA companies and OSHA.

“This program fits quite nicely with our work under our SGMA Code of Conduct, and we’ll let our committees decide as to the extent we will encourage our memberships’ participation “, he said.

“There’s not much under the proposed agreement that is not a part of standard OSHA compliance, and this arrangement allows for the development of safety and health company programs without the unscheduled OSHA inspections of the past. I would feel much more comfortable having OSHA arrange annual verification inspections of a company’s programs, than programmed inspections with the usual citations”, he added.

An SGMA company would be required to make an executive commitment and a commitment to develop a formal safety and health program, which would include employee involvement, periodic safety audits, training and education, employment of a safety/health professional within the factory, record keeping, worker housing accommodations, sanitation, fire safety, safety/health program analysis and cooperation.

As long as the company is meeting the intent of the partnership, OSHA will conduct advance scheduled verification inspections instead of regular OSHA inspections. These inspections would occur no less than once annually.

Strasheim offered the possibility of the more advanced Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) to Lin. The VPP is for firms with a commitment to workplace standards beyond the requirements of the OSHA standard, especially at senior management levels.

Both the “Excellence 2000” and VPP programs require an on-site inspection for qualification purposes. Any company found to be unable to qualify with minimum standards would be ineligible until the company corrects the deficiencies.