AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
TAMPA AREA OFFICE
AND
SUNCOAST UTILITY CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Suncoast Utility Contractors Association (SUCA) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and SUCA hereby renew the Alliance signed April 17, 2015, with a continued emphasis on safety and health in the construction industry. Specifically, OSHA and SUCA are committed to providing employers and employees in the construction industry and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees' 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 address the elimination of hazards during trenching and excavation procedures, confined space entry and other imminent dangers in the underground utility construction industry.

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" and the "Guidelines for OSHA's Alliance Program Participants: Alliance Products and Other Alliance Projects."

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 SUCA 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: Outreach and Communication

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

• To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA's and the SUCA's Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or SUCA conferences, local meetings, or other outreach events.
• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on underground utility construction hazards to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace and/or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• To share among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professional information regarding SUCA's good practices or effective approaches through outreach materials developed by OSHA and SUCA, 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:

• To develop effective training and education programs for the utility construction industry regarding safe trenching and excavation procedures, confined space entry and other imminent dangers 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 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 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 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 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 OSHA Tampa Area Office and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plan States and OSHA On-site Consultation Projects to participate on the Team.

This Agreement will remain in effect for five years. Either signatory may terminate it for any reason at any time, provided such signatory give 30-days written notice. This agreement may be modified at any time with the written concurrence of both signatories.

Signed this 21st day of February 2019.