Birmingham Region - Alliance Agreement - October 9, 2024
AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF ARKANSAS (AGC)
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Little Rock Area Office and Associated General Contractors of Arkansas (AGC) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and AGC hereby form an Alliance to provide AGC members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to construction hazards and understanding the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).
This agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance's activities. Alliance participants also agree to meet 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 available 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, including but not limited to member surveys, to evaluate the Alliance and measure the impact on improving workplace safety and health. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and AGC 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.
Raising Awareness: Outreach and Communication
The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives:
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Share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
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Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
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Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and AGC conferences, local meetings, or other AGC events.
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Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding AGC good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
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Ensure Alliance activities are informed by the perspectives of non-managerial workers employed in the construction industry by involving non-management to participate in safety meetings and site safety inspections.
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Encourage AGC members to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including falls and heat stress in the construction industry.
Training and Education
The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives:
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Develop effective training and education programs for construction workers regarding safety hazards in the construction industry and communicate such information to constituent employers and workers. Ensure training materials/programs are made available in appropriate languages and formats to equitably meet the needs of their target audiences.
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Develop effective training and education programs for construction workers to promote understanding of workers' rights, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, and the responsibilities of employers and to communicate such information to workers and employers. Ensure training materials/programs are made available in appropriate languages and formats to equitably meet the needs of their target audiences.
OSHA's Alliances provide organizations an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as raising awareness of OSHA's initiatives, outreach, communications, training, and education. These Alliances have proven to be valuable tools for both OSHA and Alliance 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 representatives of each organization will meet one to two times 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 OSHA Little Rock Area Office and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plans' and OSHA On-Site Consultation program' participation on the team.
This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Either signatory may terminate their organization's participation in the agreement for any reason at any time, provided they give 30 days' written notice. This agreement may be modified at any time with the written concurrence of both signatories.
Signed this 9th day of October, 2024.
Kia E. McCullough
Area Director
Little Rock Area Office
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Brad Spradlin
Executive Vice President
Associated General Contractors of Arkansas (AGC)