AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
MARLTON AREA OFFICE OF
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
CONSTRUCTION and GENERAL LABORERS’ (LIUNA) Local 172 S.E.T.
CONSTRUCTION and GENERAL LABORERS’ (LIUNA) Local 172

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Marlton Area Office and the Construction and General Laborers' (LIUNA), Local 172 & Local 172 S.E.T., 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 Construction and General Laborers' (LIUNA), Local 172 & Local 172 S.E.T., hereby form an Alliance, the Southern NJ Utility Construction Safety & Loss Prevention Alliance, to provide workplaces in New Jersey with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers in the utility construction industry from recognized hazards while working with and around underground utility installations,. These hazards include but are not limited to; explosive and hazardous atmospheres, electrical hazards, trenching hazards, as well as vehicular and equipment struck by hazards. The Alliance will encourage the establishment of effective workplace safety and health programs and hazard controls to reduce occupational exposure to hazards and to 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 Construction and General Laborers' (LIUNA), Local 172 & Local 172 S.E.T., 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.

Outreach and Communication on Utility-related Construction Hazards

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives related to raising awareness among employers and employees to reduce and prevent employee exposure to the wide variety of potential hazards associated with utilities-related construction work.

The participants will:

• Share information on OSHA’s National/Regional/Local Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
• Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable and other discussions, or stakeholder meetings regarding construction hazards in the Utilities Industry to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace and to provide input on safety and health issues.
• Encourage worker participation in safety and health by creating mechanisms that provide workers with a strong voice, allowing them to become more involved in their workplaces in order to ensure that working conditions are safe.

Training and Education to Assist Employers in Protecting Employees
From Utility-related Construction Hazards

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

• Develop effective training and education programs for workers and apprentices in the utility construction industry specifically regarding working with and around underground utility installations and to provide expertise in communicating such information to constituent employers and workers. These hazards include but are not limited to; explosive and hazardous atmospheres, electrical hazards, trenching hazards, as well as vehicular and equipment struck by hazards.
• Develop effective training and education programs for workers in the utilities construction industry, 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.
• Deliver or arrange for the delivery of utility related construction safety and health work practices courses.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at local stakeholder meetings, or other roundtable events.
• Develop and disseminate utilities-related construction case studies on accidents, incidents and near misses, as well as recognized best practices, and publicize their results.
• Identify and pursue training opportunities to assist OSHA, including educating its compliance and other field staff on the processes, procedures and hazards involved in the various utility related construction activities.

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, communication, 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 Marlton Area Office and any other appropriate OSHA Area Offices. OSHA will encourage State Plan States’ and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs’ participation on the team.

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 20^th day of January, 2022