ISRI - Renewal Agreement - December 7, 2020


AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE INSTITUTE OF SCRAP RECYCLING INDUSTRIES, INC.


The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc. (ISRI) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and ISRI hereby renew, in part, the Alliance signed October 19, 2015, with a continued emphasis on protecting the health and safety of workers in the scrap recycling industry. Both organizations remain committed to providing ISRI members and others with information and resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The Alliance will focus on scrap recycling industry hazards, such as slips, trips, and falls; heat and cold stress; lithium battery and needlestick injuries; and other topics as appropriate, with particular emphasis on outreach to small- and medium-sized employers.

This renewal agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance’s activities. Alliance participants will summarize specific activities and timeframes for completion in a written work plan. Alliance participants also agree to meet the requirements for program participation laid out in the “Fundamental Requirements for OSHA Alliance Program Participants” and the “Guidelines for OSHA’s Alliance Program Participants: Alliance Products and Other Alliance Projects.”

Through the Alliance, the organizations will use relevant injury, illness, and hazard exposure data, when appropriate, to help identify areas of emphasis for Alliance awareness, outreach, and communication activities. The Alliance will also explore and implement selected options to evaluate the effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety for employers and workers. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and ISRI recognize that OSHA’s State Plan and On-Site Consultation Program partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort, and that information about the products and activities of the Alliance may be shared with these partners for the advancement of common goals.

The participants intend to work together to achieve the following outreach and communication objectives:

  • Share information on OSHA’s National Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
  • Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
  • Develop information on the recognition and prevention of scrap recycling industry hazards and the value of safety and health programs in improving safety performance and communicate this information (e.g., via educational webinars, the EHS Update e-newsletter, ISRI Safety Stand-Down Day materials, the OSHA and ISRI websites, and other mechanisms, as appropriate) to employers and workers in the scrap recycling industry.
  • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA or ISRI conferences, meetings, and other events, such as ISRI Safety & Environment Council meetings and the Annual ISRI Convention & Exposition.
  • Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on scrap recycling industry hazards to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
  • Collaborate with other Alliance Program participants to address workplace safety and health issues, such as needlestick hazards in waste and recycling collection and processing.
  • Encourage ISRI members and other industry stakeholders to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices; participate in OSHA’s Cooperative Programs, such as the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program and the Voluntary Protection Program; and utilize OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program to improve health and safety in scrap recycling workplaces.

OSHA's Alliance Program provides organizations an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA and has proven to be a valuable tool for both OSHA and Alliance Program participants. By entering into an Alliance with an organization, OSHA is not endorsing or promoting, nor does it intend to endorse or promote, any of that organization’s products or services.

An implementation team made up of OSHA and ISRI representatives will meet at least once per year to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. OSHA team members will include representatives of the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, the Directorate of Enforcement Programs, the Directorate of Standards and Guidance, and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plans’ and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs’ participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Either signatory may terminate it for any reason at any time, provided they give 30 days’ written notice. This agreement may also be modified at any time with the written concurrence of both signatories.

Signed this 7th day of December, 2020.

 


Loren Sweatt
Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor
for Occupational Safety and Health

 


Robin K. Wiener
President
Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries, Inc