AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BIRMINGHAM and MOBILE, ALABAMA, AREA OFFICES
AND
THE ALABAMA TRUCKING ASSOCIATION
WORKERS COMPENSATION FUND

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Alabama Trucking Association Workers Compensation Fund (ATAWCF) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and the ATAWCF hereby renew the Alliance signed February 20, 2009 and renewed January 27, 2012, as well as February 6, 2014, with a continued emphasis on trucking industry. Specifically, OSHA and the ATAWCF are committed to providing ATAWCF 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 focus on the prevention of hazards on the highway, at pick-up and delivery points, in maintenance shops, and administrative business locations, as well as hazards resulting from traffic accidents, road rage, musculoskeletal stressors, struck-by incidents, chemical exposures, electrical shocks and burns, welding hazards, moving parts of machinery, slips, trips, and falls.

This renewal 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 relevant 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 to evaluate the effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety for employers and workers. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and the ATAWCF recognize that OSHA's State Plan and On-site Consultation Project 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 of OSHA’s Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following goal related to raising awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives:

• Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions or stakeholder meetings on safety and health issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace to develop formal safety and health procedures to control hazards in the workplace.

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following training and education goals:

• To develop effective training and education programs for ATAWCF employees, association members and other regarding the following hazards: musculoskeletal stressors; struck-by incidents; chemical exposures; electrical shocks and burns; welding hazards; moving parts of machinery; slips; trips; and falls.
• To deliver or arrange for the delivery of courses, i.e., effective safety and health programs (management commitment and employee involvement, worksite analysis, hazard control and elimination, training), incident investigation, fall protection, hazard recognition, trend analysis.

Outreach and Communication

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

• To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA’s and the ATAWCF web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or ATAWCF conferences, local meetings or other safety events.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding the ATAWCF best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by the ATAWCF and through OSHA or ATAWCF developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures.
• Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on effective safety and health systems that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

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 the Birmingham and Mobile, Alabama, Area Offices, as well as 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 five 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 26th day of April, 2016.