OSHA and International Surface Fabricators Association Launch Alliance to Strengthen Safety Culture

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Philadelphia and Chicago regions and the International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) announce the establishment of a regional Alliance under OSHA’s Alliance Program. This voluntary, cooperative partnership pledges to elevate workplace safety, training, and safety culture across the surface fabrication industry.

The Alliance Program enables OSHA and national trade associations, like ISFA, to collaborate on outreach, education, and the national dialogue around safety and health in the workplace.

The new OSHA–ISFA Alliance will focus on:

• Joint development of training and educational materials—with an emphasis on silica dust prevention.
• Outreach and communication initiatives are designed to advance safety awareness throughout ISFA membership and the broader surfacing community.
• Promotion of a robust national dialogue on shop safety culture, encouraging leadership commitment, shared best practices, and employee engagement.

"Safety is core to ISFA’s mission of promoting professionalism in surface fabrication,” said Board President, Ted Sherritt. The organization already offers comprehensive silica dust and safety compliance resources to members. The Alliance will amplify these efforts through co-branded programming and expanded access.

Through the Alliance, OSHA and ISFA will convene a team comprising OSHA officials and ISFA representatives, meeting regularly to ensure progress and coordination. The Alliance will also create annual reports to evaluate outcomes—such as numbers trained, materials distributed, and forums held—and outline goals for subsequent periods.

The Alliance aligns with ISFA’s existing safety focus, including its widely used silica training tools, educational events, and safety related publications and webinars featured for members on its website, isfanow.org.

About OSHA’s Alliance Program 
OSHA’s Alliance Program is a voluntary partnership framework established in 2004 via Directive CSP-04-01-001 (revised in 2015 and again in 2020). It enables organizations to collaborate with OSHA in delivering training, outreach, and resources to improve workplace safety and health nationwide.

About the International Surface Fabricators Association
The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) is a globally respected trade organization serving the architectural surface industry. ISFA supports fabricators and related professionals in enhancing product quality, increasing safety, improving profitability, and promoting ethics and camaraderie through robust education and standards programs. At its core, ISFA values innovation, trust, dependability, and service. Learn more at www.isfanow.org.