AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE ELEVATOR INDUSTRY SAFETY PARTNERS

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Regions 1 through 10 and the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC), National Elevator Industry, Inc. (NEII), National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC), Elevator Contractors of America (ECA), Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund (EIWPF), and the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP), collectively known as the “Elevator Industry Safety Partners” (EISP), 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 noted organizations hereby form an Alliance to provide the elevator industry employers and workers, and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help reduce and prevent exposure to “Focus Four” (falls, electrical, struck-by, and caught between) and other recognized hazards during the construction, modernization, maintenance, and repair of conveyances within the elevator industry, hereinafter known as conveyances. Elevator industry conveyances include, but are not limited to, elevators, escalators, moving walks, dumbwaiters, LULA lifts, wheelchair lifts, sidewalk lifts, dock lifts, material lifts, inclines, and other special purpose conveyances or similar industry devices designed to transport or maneuver persons or property. A list of conveyances is included for reference. The Alliance will place emphasis on identifying, developing, and promoting the implementation of conveyance industry best practices, procedures, and programs, while also providing information on understanding the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employees and 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 available aggregated, non-company specific fatality, 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 effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety and health. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and the noted organizations recognize that OSHA's State Plans and On-Site Consultation Program partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort, and that public 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 Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
• Develop information on the recognition and prevention of “Focus Four” and other recognized workplace hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and EISP websites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA or conveyance industry conferences, local meetings, or other related events.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on conveyance industry “Focus Four” and other recognized hazards to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• Develop and disseminate non-company specific case studies on incidents, injuries, and fatalities within the conveyance industry that include information about age groups, type of work, tasks being performed, applicable standards, and training/education received, and publish their results.
• Encourage EISP and their members to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues.

Training and Education

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

• Create training tools and resources to communicate and reinforce industry-wide safety and health best practices, such as hazard fact sheets, hazard alert notices, and potential special-emphasis optional topics for use in the 10/30-hour Outreach courses.
• Develop effective training and education programs for the elevator industry on “Focus Four” and other recognized hazards in the industry. Products should stress the importance of attending training and that all company personnel need to follow safe work rules. Training products will also include information that promotes an understanding of workers’ rights and responsibilities as well as employers’ responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).
• Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by engaging them in joint communication, training, and education efforts.
• Identify and pursue training opportunities to assist OSHA, including educating its compliance and other field staff on conveyance industry construction, modernization, repair and maintenance tasks, and recognized hazards.

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 initiatives, outreach, communications, training, and education. 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 meet one to two times per year, and more frequently when necessary, to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. OSHA team members will include representatives of OSHA Regions 1 through 10 that are signatory to the agreement and any other appropriate OSHA representatives: Directorate of Training (DTE), OSHA Training Institute (OTI), and the Directorate of Enforcement Programs (DEP). OSHA will encourage State Plans’ and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs’ participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Any signatory may terminate their organization’s participation in the agreement 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. Additional entities involved in the conveyance industry may be added as Alliance participants to this agreement upon written request and approval of OSHA and the EISP.

Signed this 5th day of September, 2019

Conveyances In The Elevator Industry

The attached list of Conveyances is not all inclusive