AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
SAN ANTONIO AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS SOUTH TEXAS CHAPTER

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) San Antonio Area Office and The Associated Builders and Contractors South Texas chapter (ABC) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and ABC hereby form an Alliance to provide ABC 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 fall, electrical, struck by, and caught in or between hazards, 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 ABC 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 information on OSHA’s National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
• To share 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 fall, electrical, struck-by and caught in between hazards to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by mentoring the workers on conducting daily job safety analysis to identify hazards and abating the hazards found in a in their worksites.

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective training and education programs for construction workers regarding fall hazards, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for ABC members and their contractors 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 OSHA 10 hour construction courses in English and Spanish.

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 ABC’s Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or ABC conferences, local meetings, or other community events.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding ABC’s 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 on construction safety and health 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 San Antonio 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 6 day of February, 2020.