AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
REGION X, BELLEVUE AREA OFFICE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, REGION X
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
PUGET SOUND SHIPBULDERS ASSOCIATION

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Region X Bellevue Area Office and the Puget Sound Shipbuilders Association (PSSA) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American shipyards. To that end, OSHA and Puget Sound Shipbuilders Association hereby renew the Alliance signed February 22, 2007 with a continued emphasis on using knowledge to help foster a culture of prevention while sharing best practices and technical knowledge.

Specifically, OSHA and the Puget Sound Shipbuilders Association are committed to providing PSSA members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of 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 safe and healthful working conditions for shipyard employees, particularly addressing and preventing exposure to shipyard safety and health hazards. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and PSSA recognize that OSHA’s State Plan and On-site Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort.

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 shipyard hazards 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 goal.

Develop training programs, as needed, on any of the following subjects:

Should a PSSA member desire assistance on any topics listed above, OSHA may be contacted and assistance will be arranged. The compliance assistance provided will be negotiated by OSHA and the shipyard, and may include the presence of OSHA staff at the shipyard.

Outreach and Communication

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals.

• Invite OSHA personnel into their shipyards to observe best practice situations. Cross-train OSHA personnel and industry safety and health practitioners in PSSA’s best practices and/or effective approaches.
• Seek opportunities to jointly develop and disseminate information from conferences, local meetings, events, or through print and electronic media, including links from OSHA’s Web site.
• Share information on best practices of PSSA members/worksites, as jointly determined by OSHA and PSSA, with others in the industry through outreach by PSSA and through OSHA on developed training programs and materials.
• Convene or participate in forums or roundtable discussions, on common safety hazards, to help forge innovative solutions.
• Provide OSHA with future topics for the OSHA Shipyard Safety and Health “E-Tool”.

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 plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet at least three 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 Region X OSHA and the Puget Sound Shipbuilders Association 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 two years from the date of signing. 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 all signatories.

Signed this 16th day of January, 2015.