AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
PEORIA AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
ILLINOIS ON-SITE CONSULTATION PROGRAM
AND
ILLINOIS FUNERAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Peoria Area Office, the Illinois Department of Labor's On-site Consultation Program and the Illinois Funeral Directors Association (IFDA) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA, Illinois On-site Consultation Program and IFDA hereby form an Alliance to provide IFDA members and others 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 from embalming and related funeral activities, and 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 IFDA 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:

• Share publicly-available information on OSHA's National and Regional Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
• Share publicly-available information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on recognizing common hazards associated with the funeral 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; hazard communication, chemical exposures, personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, bloodborne pathogens, walking-working surfaces and electrical hazards.
• Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by increasing hazard awareness training and reporting.

Training and Education

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

• Develop and deliver effective training and education programs for the funeral industry addressing hazard communication, chemical exposures, personal protective equipment, respiratory protection, bloodborne pathogens, walking-working surfaces, electrical hazards and other hazards and effective controls associated with the industry.
• Develop effective training and education programs for funeral industry employees at 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.

Outreach and Communication

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

• Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, and OSHA's and the IFDA web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• Provide free safety and health consulting using OSHA On-Site Consultation to assist in addressing site-specific hazards at individual locations.
• Encourage employers to create a site-specific safety and health program that include OSHA's Safe & Sound Campaign elements.
• Speak at local meetings, webinars or other related events.
• Collaborate 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 Peoria Area 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 10^th day of April, 2019.