AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE BETWEEN
THE HOUSTON NORTH AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE HOUSTON CONTRACTORS ASSOCIATION

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Houston North Area Office and the Houston Contractors Association (HCA) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and HCA hereby renew the Alliance signed March 17, 2020 with a continued emphasis on providing HCA 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 "Construction's Focus Four" hazards, assist member companies with information to develop and improve small contractor's safety and health programs, and other areas specific to construction industry safety and health. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing HCA 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). Through the Alliance, the organizations will continue to address the "Construction Focus Four" hazards including struck by, caught between, falls, and electrical safety.

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 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 renewing this Alliance, OSHA arid HCA 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 the HCA websites) to employers and workers in the industry.

• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and HCA conferences, local meetings, and other events as requested.

• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on Focus Four Hazards and small contractor development 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 HCA good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures.

• Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by distributing workplace safety information to the field through local hazard alerts.

• Develop and disseminate case studies on local incident trends and publicize their results.

• Encourage HCA to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including the Construction Focus Four hazards.

Training and Education

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

• Develop effective training and education programs for small employers regarding the Construction Focus Four hazards and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.

• Develop effective training and education programs for small construction employers 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.

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 Houston North 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 15th day of July, 2022.