AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
PENNSYLVANIA AREA OFFICES
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
PENNSYLVANIA OSHA CONSULTATION PROGRAM
INDIANA UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
AND
PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR & INDUSTRY
BUREAU OF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Pennsylvania Area Offices (Allentown, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, and Wilkes-Barre), Pennsylvania OSHA Consultation Program at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry – Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (PA DLI BWC) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and PA DLI BWC hereby renew the Alliance signed September 9, 2019, and renewed February 16, 2022, with a continued emphasis on promoting safety and health training. Specifically, all organization(s) are committed to providing each signatory member and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect 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 workplace safety committee issues, rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA Act).

This agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance’s activities. Alliance participants also agree to meet the requirements for program participation laid out in the "Fundamental Requirements for OSHA Alliance Program Participants"¹ and the "Guidelines for OSHA’s Alliance Program Participants: Alliance Products and Other Alliance Projects²".

Through the Alliance, the organizations will use 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 renewing this Alliance, OSHA and PA DLI BWC recognize that OSHA’s 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 Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and other activities.
• Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and the PA DLI BWC websites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• Share non-confidential trending data relative to injuries and illnesses that have been found within the covered counties of the OSHA offices which are signatory to this agreement, to aid in the development of local initiatives.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and PA DLI BWC conferences (PA Governor’s Occupational Safety and Health Conference), local meetings, or other Safety Day events.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding PA DLI BWC programs, including Pennsylvania Training for Health and Safety (PATHS), Health and Safety Data Processing and Management System (HandS), good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
• Collaborate with PA DLI BWC and their trainers on OSHA initiatives, including Local, Regional, National Emphasis Programs, Stand Down Efforts (e.g. Fall Prevention, Trench Safety, Forklift Safety, etc.) and National Campaigns (e.g. Focus Four, Heat, Safe + Sound, etc.).

Training and Education

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

• Develop effective training and education programs for PA DLI BWC trainers regarding OSHA standards and initiatives to enhance their efforts to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• Develop effective training and education programs for OSHA staff regarding PA DLI BWC mandates, programs and initiatives to enhance OSHA’s efforts to communicate such information to various stakeholders, employers and workers.
• Develop effective training and education programs for PA OSHA Consultation staff regarding PA DLI BWC mandates, programs and initiatives to enhance OSHA’s efforts to communicate such information to various stakeholders, employers and workers.
• Deliver or arrange for the delivery of OSHA outreach activities and PA DLI BWC safety and health courses, for various stakeholders including career and technical schools/institutions (high school and secondary education).
• Develop effective training and education programs for PA DLI BWC and their stakeholders to promote an 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, communication, training, and education. These Alliances have proven to be valuable tools for both OSHA and Alliance participants. By entering into this Alliance, neither OSHA nor PA DLI BWC is endorsing or promoting, nor does it intend to endorse or promote, any of the other organizations’ products or services apart from those contemplated by this agreement.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each organization will meet throughout the year but no less than twice 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 each OSHA Office that is a signatory to the Alliance agreement and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage OSHA On-Site Consultation programs’ participation on the team, as resources permit.

This agreement, including participation in any and all activities or objectives to be performed hereunder, is strictly voluntary. This agreement is not intended to and does not create any contractual rights or obligations with respect to the signatory entities or any other parties.

This agreement will remain in effect for a period not to exceed five years. Any signatory may terminate their continued participating 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 16 day of February, 2022.

¹ https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CSP_04-01-003_0.pdf, Section VIII, G

² https://www.osha.gov/alliances/alliance-products-guide