AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN
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) and the Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and MNA hereby form an Alliance to provide MNA members and others with information, education, guidance, and access to resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to workplace violence and abuse, back and other musculoskeletal work-related injuries, slip, trip and fall hazards; latex allergens, air contaminants, and other hazards, and assistance with filing OSHA complaints and understanding 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 will summarize specific activities and timeframes for completion in a written work plan.

Through the Alliance, the organizations 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 improving workplace safety for employers and workers. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and MNA recognize that OSHA' s State Plan and 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 the advancement of common goals.

Raising Awareness·of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

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

• To share information on OSHA's National Emphasis Programs, Local Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the OSHA 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 workplace violence prevention and safe patient handling program planning.
• To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health committees under OSHA's new Safety and Health Program guidelines to recognize and avoid slip, trips, and falls and hazards associated with the potential or actual release of energy from various sources including radiation and electrical devices.
• To encourage the use of OSHA tools such as Quick Takes, and the OSHA web site, and to promote the use of social media through OSHA Blogs, Twitter feeds and Facebook to share safety and health updates and regulatory agendas affecting the healthcare industry. For example increasing awareness on inadvertent toxic and chemical exposure to health care workers taking care of those involved in the illegal drug industry and other hazardous work such as working with blood and bodily fluids and infection control, to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective training and education programs for health-care administrators and staff regarding issues surrounding safe patient handling and workplace violence prevention and support programs for victims of workplace violence, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for registered nurses and hospital support personnel 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.
• To develop, arrange and deliver educational initiatives on selected priority topics as identified by the implementation team.

Outreach and Communication

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

• To disseminate 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 MNA's Web sites) to employers, MNA members, and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or MNA's conferences, local, regional or national meetings hosted by partner organizations.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding MNA's best-practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures, podcasts or other virtual forums developed by the participants.
• To work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on workplace violence or violence prevention that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
• To share information such as data and statistics on work place violence in the healthcare industry with employers, healthcare workers and the public to educate on work place violence trends and possible solutions in the industry through presentations, conferences, press releases and social media to help reduce the risk of work place violence injuries.
• To encourage MNA's Regional Offices to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including workplace violence.

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, outreach and communication. These Alliances have proven 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.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years 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 OSHA and MNA signatories.

Signed:

• James Mulligan, Braintree Area Director, U.S. Department of Labor- OSHA
• Mary Hoye, Springfield Area Director, U.S. Department of Labor- OSHA
• Anthony Covello, Andover Area Director, U.S. Department of Labor- OSHA
• Donna Kelly Williams, President, Massachusetts Nurses Association
• Julie Pinkham, Executive Director, Massachusetts Nurses Association