AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN
BOSTON AREA SOUTH
BOSTON AREA NORTH
SPRINGFIELD AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
MASSACHUSETTS NURSES ASSOCIATION

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Boston-North (Andover), Boston-South (Braintree), and Springfield offices and the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) 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 and MNA hereby renew the Alliance signed February 13, 2018, with a continued emphasis on workplace violence, ergonomics, infection control PPE, and OSH rights. Specifically, both OSHA and MNA are committed to providing MNA members 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 hazards to workplace violence and abuse, back and other musculoskeletal work-related injuries, slip, trip and fall hazards; Covid-19 and infection control; and other air contaminants, and hazards.

This agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance's activities. 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 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 MNA 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:

• Share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local 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 workplace hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and the MNA websites and social media) to employers and workers in the industry.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and MNA conferences, local meetings, or other events like the OSHA Summer Summit and weekly OSHA virtual New England Roundtable Group.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on patient handling and Covid and infection control to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding MNAs' best practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
• Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by engaging labor representatives, bargaining units, and the MNA membership through the dissemination of information in the MNA newsletter, website, and various presentations. The MNA will continue to share OSHA information with other trade unions/professional organizations.
• Collaborate with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on Safe staffing, workplace violence, safe patient handling, personal protective equipment (PPE)/infection control and air quality issues.
• Develop and disseminate case-based research utilizing state and national data. Research findings demonstrate the impact and consequences of deteriorated work conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic that are ongoing.

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives:

• Develop effective training and education programs for nurses and other healthcare regarding workplace violence, ergonomics, infection control and noise, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• Deliver or arrange for the delivery of OSHA-10 general industry courses customized to the nursing audience. Plan to develop an in person and on-line OSHA -10-hour curriculum with the first courses planned to be scheduled by or before the Spring of 2025 at locations to be determined.
• Develop effective training and education programs for nurses 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 OSHA Boston -South and North offices and OSHA Springfield office. OSHA will encourage State Plans' and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs' participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for a period not to exceed five years. Any signatory may terminate it for any reason at any time, provided the terminating signatory give 30 days' written notice to the other. This agreement may be modified at any time with the written concurrence of all signatories.

Signed this 12th day of October, 2023.