Arlington, VA — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recognized the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) as an Alliance Program Ambassador in recognition of GCCA’s long-standing work raising safety awareness in the cold chain.

“Since the establishment of OSHA nearly 50 years ago, and especially over the past 10 years, GCCA has valued our strong partnership and shared focus on workplace health and safety,” said Matthew Ott, CAE, CMP, President & CEO. “We are very proud to be named as an OSHA Alliance Ambassador and look forward to continuing to work closely with OSHA on various projects to advance our shared priority of improving safety.”

Since entering into an Alliance on July 30, 2010 with subsequent renewals on July 28, 2014,  and July 31, 2019,  the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) have worked together by sharing information, guidance, and access to training resources that address occupational hazards, and promoting understanding of the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.  

“OSHA and GCCA continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to improve safety and health practices and programs in the workplaces, and commit to continue their work together through an Alliance Program Ambassador relationship,” said Lauren Sweatt, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for OSHA, in a statement during the most recent Alliance renewal. 

Lowell Randel, Senior Vice President for Government and Legal Affairs adds, “Ambassador designation from OSHA recognizes our industry’s commitment to safety and will enable us to work even more closely with the agency to develop compliance assistance tools and resources, share information with workers and employers, and further our efforts to train OSHA inspectors regarding the cold chain industry. This is also an important mechanism for GCCA members to build relationships with OSHA Regional and Area Offices.”

Under the OSHA Alliance banner, GCCA and OSHA will convene stakeholder group meetings on ammonia refrigeration system-related issues. In addition, the organizations plan to develop written communication tools, exhibit and speak at industry events, and develop case studies to illustrate positive examples of safety programs. The International Institute for Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) and the Refrigerating Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA) will continue to play an important role in developing these programs.

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About the Global Cold Chain Alliance

Comprised of its Core Partners, including the International Association of Refrigerated Warehouses (IARW), the World Food Logistics Organization (WFLO), the International Refrigerated Transportation Association (IRTA), and the Controlled Environment Building Association (CEBA), the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) represents all major industries engaged in temperature-controlled logistics. GCCA unites all partners to be innovative leaders in the temperature-controlled products industry.

Media Contact: Cathy Lada, Director, Marketing & Communications. +1 (703) 373-4300 x 218 or clada@gcca.org.