AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
CINCINNATI, CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, AND TOLEDO AREA OFFICES
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
OHIO BUREAU OF WORKERS' COMPENSATION
AND
THE OHIO CRAFT BREWERS ASSOCIATION
AND
THE BREWERS ASSOCIATION
AND
THE MASTER BREWERS ASSOCIATION OF THE AMERICAS DISTRICT MIDWEST

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Ohio Area Offices (Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, and Toledo); Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation; Ohio Craft Brewers Association; Brewers Association; and Master Brewers Association of the Americas District Midwest (hereafter referred to as the Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and the Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance hereby form an Alliance to provide the craft brewing industry in Ohio with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to hazards during the brewing, storing, containerizing, handling and delivery of craft beer to final locations, and to understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of 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 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 developing this Alliance, OSHA and the Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance 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 objectives related to raising awareness of OSHA's rulemaking and enforcement initiatives:

• To share publicly-available information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
• To share publicly-available information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on recognizing common hazards associated with the craft beer brewing industry and ways to minimize exposure, help implement innovative solutions in the workplace and to provide input on site specific safety and health issues. These hazards may include; all or some of the following, Hazard Communication, Powered Industrial Trucks, Permit Required Confined Space, Lockout/Tagout, Electrical Safe Work Practices, Walking/Working Surfaces (slip/trip/fall hazards), personal protective equipment and outside contractor safety.
• To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by increasing hazard awareness training and near miss reporting/training.

Training and Education

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

• To develop and deliver effective training and education programs for craft breweries and including production technicians and stocking and delivery activities.
• To promote the shared, free access (regardless of membership) and use of existing Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance web-based training, which includes; Grain handling, Mashing, Transfer and Boiling, Whirlpool and Cooling, Fermentation Cleaning and Sanitizing (working with chemicals), Fermentation and Cellaring, Filtering and Carbonization, Filtering and Pumping, Keg Cleaning, Keg Filling, Bottling, Canning, Grain Handling and Grain Silos, Powered Industrial Trucks and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for brewery employees of all levels to promote understanding of workers' rights, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, and the responsibilities of employers and to communicate such information to workers and employers.
• To deliver or arrange for the delivery of outreach training and education courses as part of the annual Ohio Craft Brewers Association Conference or other similar events.

Outreach and Communication

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following outreach and communication 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 Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To provide free safety and health consulting using OSHA On-Site Consultation and Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation Loss Prevention staffs to assist in addressing site-specific hazards at individual brewery locations.
• To encourage Participants to create a site-specific safety and health program that include OSHA's Safe & Sound Campaign elements.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or the Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance conferences, local meetings, or other related events.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding the Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.
• To work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects 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 work plan, 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 Ohio OSHA Area Offices and Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and any other appropriate offices.

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 all signatories.

Signed this first day of October, 2018.