Contact: Bonnie Merrill Limbach
(202)974-5210

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SPI ENTERS INTO FORMAL PARTNERSHIP WITH MICHIGAN OSHA

WASHINGTON (May 25, 2000) – At a ceremony today in Lansing, Michigan, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., (SPI) entered into a unique partnership with the Michigan Department of Consumer & Industry Services (CIS) and the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA).

Signing the partnering charter were SPI President Donald Duncan and CIS Director Kathy Wilbur.

In a press release hailing the "landmark partnership," CIS, which administers MIOSHA, explained that the purpose of the formal affiliation is to "focus on the importance of providing a safe workplace for all workers in the plastics processing industry in Michigan."

"We are proud to sign this historic agreement, which encourages plastics employers to make workplace safety and health their number one priority," Wilbur said. "We are confident this innovative partnership will be a major tool to help reduce workplace injuries and illnesses, as well as workers' compensation costs, in one of Michigan's most vital industries."

Duncan said he hoped the agreement becomes a model for the plastics industry in other states. "Nothing is more important to the productivity and integrity of the plastics industry than a safe workplace," he said. "SPI is pleased and excited to be entering into a partnership agreement with CIS to foster our mutual efforts for safety programs in the Michigan plastics industry."

The formal partnering charter establishes a relationship in which the parties will: promote worker safety, conduct stakeholder meetings to discuss pertinent and/or urgent issues, cooperate in the development and improvement of plastics processing training programs and foster a climate in which workplace safety is promoted as a good business practice. To assure these goals are successful, CIS, MIOSHA and SPI will consider every opportunity to further enhance relations and professional affiliation, according to the charter. A team of representatives from the organizations will evaluate, enhance and modify the charter at least annually to reflect contemporary issues of mutual importance.

This charter is the culmination of a recent successful informal CIS/MIOSHA partnership with SPI and Michigan plastics companies and unions, which resulted in a MIOSHA standards change that provided for increased worker safety in the plastics industry, while eliminating an economic hardship for Michigan plastics processors. (See March 20 press release, "SPI Works With Michigan to Promote Worker Safety").

That effort involved amendment of a 25-year-old state plastics standard, Part 62, which prescribed certain safety requirements for horizontal injection molding machines and related operations. The partnership is continuing to work on guidance and training for the amended standard, according to Susan Howe, SPI technical director for worker and product safety, and a meeting of the Part 62 Advisory Committee will be held at SPI's trade show (NPE) in Chicago in June.

Plastics industry representatives at the ceremony included Timothy Koury, corporate safety director for Blue Water Plastics, Inc., and an appointee to the MIOSHA General Industry Safety Standards Commission, as well as SPI Michigan Board members Cynthia Ann Alt of Agape Plastics; Joseph A. Bostater, Larry Eisenga and Carl C. Haas of Blue Water Plastics; Gordon Wright of 21st Century Plastics Corporation , and Jack D. Steel of Incoe Corp. SPI Michigan Board members not in attendance are Cornelis G. Arens of Michigan Roll Form, Inc.; Cathleen A. Hare of Plante & Moran; David Lange of D-M-E Company, and Anne Mularoni of Dart Container.

Also taking part were CIS Deputy Director Kalmin Smith, BSR/MIOSHA Director Doug Earle, SPI Technical Director Howe and SPI Midwest Regional Director Douglas Halsey.

Founded in 1937, The Society of the Plastics Industry, Inc., (SPI) is the trade association representing the fourth-largest manufacturing industry in the United States. SPI's nearly 1700 members represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw material suppliers. The U.S. plastic s industry employs 1.5 million workers and provides $304 billion in annual shipments.

According to SPI statistics, plastics shipments in Michigan totaled $21.3 billion in 1999, and the state's 1,400 plastics facilities employed 107,000 persons. Michigan ranks third in plastics production in the nation, behind only California and Ohio.

Back to Top

More About SPI:   Vision and Mission . Membership . Business Units . Regional Offices . News and Publications . Calendar of Events . Terms and Conditions of Use