AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN
THE HOUSTON SOUTH AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND
THE TEXAS CHEMICAL COUNCIL

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Houston South Area Office and The Texas Chemical Council (TCC) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and The Texas Chemical Council hereby form an Alliance to provide TCC members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to the unique hazards of the Chemical and Refining Industries, in particular reducing and preventing hazards dealing with Process Safety Management, 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 "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 available 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, including but not limited to member surveys, to evaluate the Alliance and measure the impact on improving workplace safety and health. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and TCC recognize that OSHA's State Plan and On-Site Consultation Program 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:

• Share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
• Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and TCC websites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and TCC conferences, local meetings, and events.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on chemical and process safety topics to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding TCC's good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
• Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by promoting industry health and safety conferences across the region.
• Develop and disseminate case studies on process safety management that are issued by the Chemical Safety Board, OSHA, and other research material published by accredited academic or industry entities and publicize their results.
• Encourage TCC members to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including best practices and compliance.

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives:

• Promote education programs for TCC members to encourage 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.

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, communications, 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 Houston South Area Office 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 both signatories.

Signed this 6^th day of June, 2022.