Region 7 - Alliance Agreement - May 25th, 2023


AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
ST. LOUIS AREA OFFICE OF REGION VII
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE SAFETY COUNCIL OF GREATER ST. LOUIS

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) St. Louis Area Office and The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis 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 The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis hereby form an Alliance to provide Council members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to workplace hazards, establish an illness and injury prevention program, and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH 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."

Through the Alliance, the organizations will use available 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 developing this Alliance, OSHA and The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis 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 Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process through The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis Web site and publications, such as Membership News Alerts.
  • Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, with special attention to falls in construction, amputations in manufacturing, suicide prevention, mental health in the workplace, trenching and excavating, heat illness prevention, and the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
  • Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by developing a sample policy for employers focused on encouraging worker engagement in hazard identification and developing a best practices document for training and engaging workers on hazard identification and control.
  • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis conferences, local meetings, or other safety events.
  • Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., print, electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis websites/social media) to employers and workers in construction and general industry.
  • Encourage The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis stakeholders to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including fall prevention, workplace mental health awareness, and heat illness prevention.
Training and Education

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

  • To develop effective training and education programs for OSHA and The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis stakeholders regarding safety and health topics in the agriculture, construction, and general industry, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
  • Deliver or arrange for the delivery of health and safety training to targeted industries in support of OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs.
  • Develop effective training and education programs for the general and construction industries 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, communications, 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 St. Louis Area Office and any other appropriate offices.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Any 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 all signatories.

Signed this 25th day of May 2023.


Bill McDonald
Area Director
St. Louis Area Office
Occupational Safety and Health Administration


Mary Beth Proost
Executive Director
The Safety Council of Greater St. Louis