AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
PORTLAND AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
SECTOR COLUMBIA RIVER
UNITED STATES COAST GUARD

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Portland Area Office and U.S. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River 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 Sector Columbia River hereby form an Alliance to provide MSU Portland members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to maritime industry hazards and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health 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."

Recognizing the joint commitment to protect worker safety and health acknowledged in the Portland Area Office and Sector Columbia River Memorandum of Understanding dated [date signed] the parties intend to form an alliance to achieve the following:

Overall Objective

The parties will cooperate and assist each other within their respective areas of responsibility and improve maritime worker safety and health. While the USCG and OSHA have two MOUs that outline jurisdiction, December 19, 1979 concerning personnel working on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), and March 17, 1983 concerning authority over seamen on inspected and uninspected vessels, this agreement seeks to specifically facilitate cooperation between MSU Portland and OSHA that will enhance agency cooperation and provide a solid framework and working relationship that is unaffected by frequent billet rotations and changes-of-command.

Cooperation and Communication

Through the Alliance, the organizations will maintain an updated list of primary and secondary points of contact to ensure a seamless channel of communication. In addition, Sector Columbia River and the Portland Area Office will conduct joint inspections where there is concurrent jurisdiction and will ensure that appropriate referrals are made where there is not. Both parties will provide technical assistance to the other in their specific areas of expertise.

Training and Resources

The parties will participate in cross-training. Sector Columbia River will annually provide training to OSHA on topics of maritime law including investigation levels of effort, marine casualty investigation requirements, and vessel inspection requirements. OSHA will annually provide training to MSU Portland on shipyard hazards, hazards in the marine terminal and longshoring industries, commercial diving, marine construction, and other worker safety and health topics. The parties will work together to provide training to maritime industry workers and ship's crew. The Portland Area Office will provide support to Sector Columbia River for site safety inspections.

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 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 Portland Area Office and Sector Columbia River.

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 be modified at any time with the written concurrence of both signatories.

Signed this 3rd day of October, 2023.