AGREEMENT ESTBLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
CLEVELAND AREA OFFICE
AND
THE CLEVELAND SAFETY FORUM

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Cleveland Office and The Cleveland Safety Forum recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and the Cleveland Safety Forum hereby form an Alliance to provide the Cleveland Safety Forum members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of construction workers. The Cleveland Safety Forum includes a group of union contractors and union training coordinators. Established in 2011, the group coordinates the safety and health needs of their members, identifies best practices in the construction industry and promotes the availability of training opportunities. The Alliance will address occupational topics including, but not limited to crane regulations, fall protection, silica exposure and education, training in hazard recognition and control in the construction industry, and the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). In developing this Alliance, OSHA and the Cleveland Safety Forum recognize that OSHA's State Plan and On-site Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort.

Raising Awareness of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

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

• To share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, regulatory agenda, and provide opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective training and education programs in conjunction with OSHA personnel, construction industry workers, and management to promote understanding of workers' rights. These include the use of the OSHA complaint process, and responsibilities of employers to communicate such information to workers.
• To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by providing training methods in job hazard awareness and eliminating those hazards by utilizing the job hazard analysis (JHA) form.
• To deliver or arrange for the delivery of silica training, crane education, job hazard analysis method, hazard recognition, and the encouragement of worker participation in the workplace.
• Conduct seminars aimed at reducing workplace hazards, including training workers on new and revised standards and industry best practices.

Outreach and Communication

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

• To speak, exhibit, or appear at The Safety Forum, local meetings, or training events, such as the OSHA Outreach Trainers and Construction Safety Council of Northeast Ohio meetings to share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals. Topics may include best practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.
• To develop ways of communicating information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, including OSHA's web site) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To develop and disseminate literature on occupational hazards in the construction industry including, but not limited to crane regulations, fall hazards, silica exposure.

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 Cleveland OSHA Office and 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 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 June 19th, 2012.

________________________________

William Hocevar, CSP, Co-Chair
Cleveland Safety Forum
(Safety Director, Great Lakes Construction)

______________________________

Don Mays, Co-Chair
Cleveland Safety Forum
(Union Representative, Ohio/Kentucky
Administrative District Council of Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers)