AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
FORT LAUDERDALE AREA OFFICE
AND
UNDERGROUND CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA dba
NUCA of SOUTH FLORIDA

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Fort Lauderdale Area Office and the Underground Contractors Association of South Florida dba NUCA of South Florida (NUCASF), henceforth "OSHA and NUCASF" or "the Participants," 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 NUCASF hereby form an Alliance to provide NUCASF members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing hazardous exposure related to trenching, confined spaces, silica, heat stress, work zones, and other excavation and trenching hazards. Effort will also be made to ensure that NUCASF members and others understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

This agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance's activities. Participants can summarize specific activities and timeframes for completion in a written work plan.

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 effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety and health. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and NUCASF recognize that OSHA's State Plan and On-Site Consultation Program partners are an integral part of OSHA's national efforts, and that information about the programs 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 workplace hazards, and develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and the OSHA and NUCASF web sites) to employers and workers in the underground utility construction industry.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA or NUCASF conferences, local meetings, or other co-sponsored events.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings, or other activities, which highlight local fatality data. The goal of this effort is to reduce hazards in the underground utility construction industry and to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace.
• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding NUCASF's best practices and effective approaches through outreach materials developed by OSHA and NUCASF, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the Participants.

Training and Education

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

• Develop effective training and education programs for the utility construction industry regarding safe trenching and excavation procedures, confined space entry and other hazardous activities in the underground utility construction industry and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To deliver or arrange for the delivery of underground utility construction courses.

OSHA's Alliance Programs provides 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 Program 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 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 Fort Lauderdale Area Office and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plans and OSHA On-Site Consultation Programs to participate on the team.

This Agreement will remain in effect for two years. 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 both signatories.

Signed this 20th day of June, 2019.