CSDA/OSHA Best Practices

CSDA/OSHA Alliance

The association currently does not have an Alliance partnership with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA). However, a partnership was in place for several years and the two parties worked together to release a series of Best Practices and a Toolbox Talk for the industry.

Please find these documents listed below with links to English and Spanish translations (where available).

Best Practices

COVID-19 Workplace Mask Liability Issues

Face Coverings – Dos and Don’ts

Cold Weather Concrete Cutting & Coring
CSDA-BP-023

Noise Control
CSDA-BP-023

Dust Control
CSDA-BP-022

Highway Work Zone Safety
CSDA-OBP-1001
– Spanish version

Reducing Silica
CSDA-OBP-1002
– Spanish version

Defensive Driving
CSDA-OBP-1003

Electrical Safety
CSDA-OBP-1004
– Spanish version

Scaffold Safety
CSDA-OBP-1005
– Spanish version

Ladder Safety
CSDA-OBP-1006

Distracted Driving
CSDA-OBP-1007
– Spanish version

Hearing Conservation
CSDA-OBP-1008

Aggressive Driving and Road Rage
CSDA-OBP-1009

Toolbox Safety Talk

Sprains and Strains Prevention
CSDA-OTST-1001

History of the CSDA/OSHA Alliance

The Concrete Sawing and Drilling Association (CSDA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced the formation of an Alliance in 2006 to further the safety and health of workers in the sawing and drilling industry. The Alliance focused on highway work zone hazards, motor vehicle safety and respiratory protection for hazards associated with silica.

“CSDA has a long-standing commitment to advancing the safety and training for sawing and drilling operators and the Alliance with OSHA will further advance safety awareness and recognition of job hazards for sawing and drilling contractors through training and education,” said Susan Hollingsworth, then President of CSDA.

“This Alliance gives us an opportunity to provide vital guidance materials and training resources to thousands of workers in the concrete cutting industry that will help foster a safer work environment,” added Jonathan L. Snare, former Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. “The collective expertise of CSDA and OSHA can significantly improve the safety and health of workers in the industry.”

By this time, CSDA had already developed an extensive array of safety and training materials for sawing and drilling operators. Over 1,300 students had graduated from CSDA sawing and drilling training courses. CSDA had also produced five safety and training videos covering flat sawing, core drilling, wall sawing, hand sawing and wire sawing. Furthermore, a 57-page Safety Handbook and a 200-page Safety Manual had been developed to assist cutting contractors in establishing safety and health programs.

The OSHA and CSDA Alliance produced new products designed to increase the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards and developed ways of communicating that information throughout the industry using print and electronic media, including electronic assistance tools and the websites of both organizations.

OSHA and CSDA shared information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding CSDA’s best practices and helped publicize that information through written materials, training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures. Finally, both organizations took the opportunity to speak, exhibit and appear at conferences, events, stakeholder meetings and roundtable discussions to discuss safety and health issues for the concrete cutting industry while helping to forge innovative solutions to reduce workplace hazards.

Following consultation, the Alliance partnership between CSDA and OSHA was not renewed in 2015.

Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. CSDA develops materials and programs to help sawing and drilling contractors meet this responsibility. OSHA’s role is to assure the safety and health of America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, Visit the OSHA Website.