AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
BATON ROUGE AREA OFFICE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE LOUISIANA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION, LOUISIANA LOGGING COUNCIL

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Baton Rouge Area Office and The Louisiana Forestry Association, Louisiana Logging Council recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and The Louisiana Forestry Association, Louisiana Logging Council hereby form an Alliance to provide The Louisiana Forestry Association, Louisiana Logging Council members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety or workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to workplace hazards in the logging industry. This will be accomplished by addressing fall, electrical, struck by and caught in or between hazards, equipment operation hazards, environmental hazards and other safety issues, and understanding the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).

Through the Alliance, The Louisiana Forestry Association, Louisiana Logging Council will use relevant 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 to evaluate the effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on workplace safety for employers and workers.

OSHA and The Louisiana Forestry Association, Louisiana Logging Council recognize that OSHA's State Plan On-site Consultation Project 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 advancement of common goals.

This agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance's activities. Alliance participants will summarize specific activities and timeframes for completion in written work plan.

Raising Awareness of OSHA’s Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following goals related to raising awareness of OSHA's rulemaking and enforcement initiatives:

• To share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
• To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions or stakeholder meetings on the logging industry site hazard recognition in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by ensuring that workers understand their right to work in a safe and healthful workplace and that safety is everyone's responsibility.

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective training and education programs for logging personnel and industry contract workers and non-English or limited English speaking employees regarding fall hazards, equipment operation hazards, chemical hazard communication and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for logging personnel and industry contract workers and non-English or limited English speaking employees 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.

Outreach and Communication

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

• 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 OSHA's and The Louisiana Forestry Association and the Louisiana Logging Council's Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or The Louisiana Forestry Association and the Logging Council conferences, local meetings, or other special events.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding The Louisiana Forestry Association and the Logging Council's good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.
• To work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on logging industry that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
• To develop and disseminate case studies on logging industry and publicize their results.

OSHA's Alliances provide parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as raising awareness of OSHA's rulemaking and enforcement initiatives, training and education, and outreach and communication. These Alliances have proved to be valuable tools for both OSHA and its Alliance participants. By entering into an Alliance with a party, OSHA is not endorsing or promoting, nor does it intend to endorse or promote any of that party's products or services.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each organization will meet to develop a work plan, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet at least 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 Region VI Baton Rouge Area and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plan States and OSHA On-site Consultation Projects' participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for three 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 12th day of September, 2023