Denver Region - Alliance Agreement - September 17, 2024


ARRANGEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR’S
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
DENVER AND ENGLEWOOD COLORADO AREA OFFICES
AND
THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF GUATEMALA IN DENVER, COLORADO

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Denver and Englewood Area Offices and the Consulate General of Guatemala in Denver, Colorado, hereinafter referred to collectively as “the Participants;” and

Recognizing the joint commitment to protect the well-being of Guatemalan workers in the United States acknowledged in the Letter of Arrangement between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States of America and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, related to workplace protections for Guatemalan workers in the United States of America, signed at Washington, D.C., on May 10, 2022; and

Recognizing that OSHA's Alliance Program provides for the establishment of cooperative relationships for purposes such as training and education, outreach, and communication, and promoting a national dialogue on workplace safety and health; intend to form an Alliance to achieve the following:

Overall Objective

The Participants intend to establish a collaborative relationship to provide Guatemalan Nationals in Colorado and the Participants' common jurisdiction and others information, guidance, and access to education and training resources to promote workers' rights in protecting their occupational safety and health, particularly with regards to preventing exposure to fall hazards, heat illness hazards, trenching and excavation hazards, and other serious hazards in construction, agriculture, and general industry; and to help them understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following training and education goals:

To develop training and education programs for Guatemalan Nationals in Colorado and the Participants' common jurisdiction regarding fall, heat illness, trenching and excavation, and other serious hazards in construction, agriculture, and general industry.

To develop training and education programs for Guatemalan Nationals in Colorado and in the Participants' common jurisdiction to promote understanding of workers' rights and responsibilities of employers, including the use of the OSHA complaint process.

To deliver or arrange for the delivery of hazard prevention courses.

To develop workplace health and safety curricula on fall, heat illness, trenching and excavation, and other serious hazards in construction, agriculture, and general industry.

Outreach and Communication

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print, and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and links to OSHA's website from the Consulate's website) to Guatemalan Nationals in Colorado and the Participants' common jurisdiction and their employers.

To speak, exhibit, or appear at the Participants' conferences, local meetings, or other events.

To participate in "Mobile Consulate" activities and events.

Promotion of a National Dialogue

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following goals related to promoting a national dialogue on workplace safety and health:

To raise awareness of and demonstrate commitment to workplace safety and health and workers' rights under the OSH Act whenever leaders from the Participants address groups.

To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on fall, heat illness, and trenching and excavation hazards to help forge innovative solutions on issues concerning workplace safety and health and understanding of workers' rights and responsibilities of employers under the OSH Act.

To share information on laws and standards, including those relating to workers' rights and responsibilities of employers under the OSH Act.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each Participant intends to meet to develop a plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the Participants. In addition, the Participants intend to meet at least two times per year to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance.

Nothing in this Arrangement commits the Participants to the expenditure of any funds.

This Arrangement may commence upon signature by both Participants. This Arrangement is intended to discontinue two (2) years from the date of signing. A Participant should endeavor to provide thirty (30) days advance written notice of its intent to discontinue its participation in this Arrangement. This Arrangement may be modified in writing at any time by mutual consent of the Participants.

Signed at Denver, Colorado, in duplicate, this 17th day of September 2024, in the English and Spanish languages.

For the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration:


Art Hazen
Acting Area Director
Denver Area Office


Chad Vivian
Area Director
Englewood Area Office

For the Consulate General of Guatemala in Denver, Colorado:


Moramay Godoy Escobedo
Consul General