AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE WILKES-BARRE AREA OFFICE OF
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
A CONSORTIUM OF THE
NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA SAFETY NETWORK
AND
LUZERNE COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE
AND
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY PROFESSIONALS
(NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA CHAPTER)

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Wilkes-Barre Area Office, the Northeast Pennsylvania Safety Network (NEPASN), Luzerne County Community College (LCCC), and the Northeast Pennsylvania Chapter of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) (collectively the Participants) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces.  To that end, OSHA NEPASN, LCCC, and ASSP hereby renew the Alliance signed September 20, 2022, with a continued emphasis on providing training and safety information.  Specifically, the NEPASN, LCCC, and ASSP are committed to providing members, workplaces, and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).  Through the Alliance, the organizations will continue to address general industry hazards, work and life wellness programs, and emergency preparedness.

This Agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance’s activities.  Alliance participants agree to meet the requirements for program participation 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 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 renewing this Alliance, OSHA and the NEPASN, LCCC, and the Northeast Pennsylvania Chapter of the ASSP 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, as the opportunities or resources permit:

• Share information on OSHA’s National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
• Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on general industry hazards, work and life wellness programs, and emergency preparedness to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• Develop pathways to communicate information regarding the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA’s and the NEPASN’s, LCCC’s and/or the ASSP– NEPA Chapter’s local emails and newsletter) to employers and workers in the industry.

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following training and education objectives, as the opportunities or resources permit:

• Review and provide input on effective training and education programs for NEPASN members and others regarding general industry hazards, emergency preparedness, and work and life wellness programs, and communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• Deliver or arrange for the delivery of such courses as: Emergency Preparedness, including National Incident Management System and Incident Command Systems; Ergonomic issues; Job Safety Analysis; Personal Protective Equipment; and, Safety Committee operations. 
• Review and provide input on effective training and education programs for NEPASN members and others 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.

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, communication, 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 Wilkes-Barre Area Office 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.   Any 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 all signatories.

Signed this 16th day of October, 2024.