FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 27,2006

SGIA & Industry Partners Renew OSHA Alliance

Fairfax, VA; July 27, 2006 — SGIA, as part of the Graphic Arts Coalition, this month renewed the Printing Industry Alliance agreement with the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In addition to SGIA, the Flexographic Technical Association, the Gravure Association of America, and the Graphic Arts Technical Foundation/Printing Industries of America are GAC members.

This strategic alliance, in place since 2002, allows members of the GAC and OSHA to jointly address safety and health concerns specific to printing and related graphic communications. With the 2006 renewal agreement, SGIA and the Alliance will focus on hazard communication, machine guarding and lockout/tagout issues.

“Pending changes to standards resulting from OSHA’s ‘Globally Harmonized System of the Classification and Labeling of Chemicals’ make hazard communication an issue throughout the manufacturing world” said Marisabel Torres, Government Affairs Associate, SGIA, noting that clear and correct labeling is essential to health and safety regardless of the manufactured product or process.

Also on the docket for 2006 are innovative solutions on safety and health issues relating to machine guarding and lockout/tagout.

“Proper practices in these areas can potentially save lives. As we work with our Alliance partners to find solutions, we’ll take advantage of the wide range of expertise and experience each participating organization contributes,” Torres said.

As part of GAC, SGIA continues to support safe work practices for specialty imaging employees by providing safety and health-related information and guidance to Association members. Information on industry best practices or effective approaches is shared throughout the graphic communications industry.

“The renewed Alliance agreement will be invaluable for improving workplace safety,” said Torres.

The Alliance’s most impressive accomplishment to date has been an ergonomics train-the-trainer program — the only training of its kind specifically focused on specialty imaging. For its part, OSHA recognizes that companies implementing this program are making a good-faith effort to reduce injuries and illness in the workplace.

SGIA — Supporting the Leaders of the Digital & Screen Printing Community
“Specialty imaging” comprises digital imaging, screen printing and the many other imaging technologies SGIA members use, including those they’ll tap in the future. These are the imaging processes and technologies employed to create new products and to enhance existing products including point-of-purchase displays, signs, advertisements, garments, containers, and vehicles. To make the most of your specialty imaging business, take full advantage of the information on SGIA.org, and experience the specialty graphic imaging industry first-hand at SGIA ’06 (Las Vegas Convention Center, September 26­29, 2006).

SGIA
10015 Main Street
Fairfax , VA 22031
Phone: 703.385.1335
E-Mail: kate@sgia.org
Website URL: www.sgia.org