Region 5 - Renewal Agreement - December 9, 2022


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 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; and Master Brewers Association of the Americas District Midwest (hereafter referred to as the Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance) continue to 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 renew the Alliance signed November 16, 2020, and originally signed on October 1, 2018, with a continued emphasis on providing 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. Specifically, the Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance organizations are committed to providing Ohio Craft Brewers Association and the Master Brewers Association of the Americas District Midwest members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers 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 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 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: Outreach and Communication

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

  • Share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
  • Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
  • Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and Ohio Craft Brewers Alliance conferences, local meetings, or other related events.
  • 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.
  • Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by increasing hazard awareness training.
  • 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.
Training and Education

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

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.

OSHA's Alliances provide organizations an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as raising awareness of OSHA's initiatives, outreach, communication, training, and education. These Alliances have proven to be valuable tools for both OSHA and Alliance participants. By entering into an Alliance with an organization, OSHA is not endorsing or promoting, nor does it intend to endorse or promote, any of that organization's products or services.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each organization will meet one to 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. OSHA will encourage State Plans' and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs' 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 all signatories.

Signed this 9th day of December 2022.

 


Larry M. Johnson
Columbus Area Director
Occupational Safety and Health Administration


Ken Montgomery
Cincinnati Area Director
Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 


Howard B. Eberts
Cleveland Area Director
Occupational Safety and Health Administration


Todd Jensen
Toledo Area Director
Occupational Safety and Health Administration

 


Mark Reams
Acting Director of Loss Prevention Operations Division of Safety and Hygiene
Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation


Mary MacDonald
Executive Director
Ohio Craft Brewers Association

 


Chris Davison
Midwest District President
Master Brewers Association of the Americas