The US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration recently announced the formation of a health and safety alliance with the Portland Cement Association (PCA), a membership association consisting of 30 companies operating 115 plants in 36 states.

"This alliance will be a significant step forward in our efforts to ensure that workers go home from their jobs healthy and safe," said Richard E. Stickler, MSHA acting assistant secretary. "Increasing cement worker safety awareness will help reduce risk, and improve injury and illness rates in the industry."

The alliance brings MSHA and PCA together to promote a national dialogue on the safety and health of employees working in the cement industry. The two associations will work together and combine resources and expertise to jointly engage in health and safety outreach efforts to the nation’s cement workers. Actions resulting from this alliance include:

• Development and distribution of industry-specific health and safety information.
 • Analysis of citation data to create training and education tools that will focus the industry on high priority challenges to cement worker health and safety.
 • Evaluation of hazards using applied engineering techniques to improve cement plant safety and health.
 • Identification of safety and health conditions that the alliance needs to direct its attention through the analysis of industry-specific surveys.