AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION OKLAHOMA CITY AREA OFFICE
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
OKLAHOMA DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OSHA CONSULTATION DIVISION
AND
METRO TECHNOLOGY CENTERS

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Oklahoma City Area Office, the Oklahoma Department of Labor OSHA Consultation Division (OSHA Consultation), and Metro Technology Center (Metro Tech) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA, OSHA Consultation, and Metro Technology Centers hereby form an Alliance to provide Metro Technology Centers students, partners, and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure occupational hazards issues 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, OSHA Consultation, and Metro Tech 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 related to raising awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives:

• 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 Metro Tech websites) to employers and workers in the industry.

• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and Metro Tech conferences, Safety Awareness For Everyone (S.A.F.E.@14:00), local meetings, or other educational events.

• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on occupational safety and health 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 occupational safety and health 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 forwarding emails with OSHA outreach information to stakeholders.

• Collaborate with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on occupational safety and health.

• Develop and disseminate case studies on occupational safety and health and publicize their results.

• Encourage Metro Tech students and partners to build relationships with OSHA’s Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues.

Training and Education

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

• Develop effective training and education programs for general industry and construction regarding occupational safety and health and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.

• Develop effective training and education programs for employers and employee representatives 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:

• 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 Metro Tech’s website) to employers and workers in general industry and construction.

• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or Metro Tech’s conferences, local meetings, or other general industry and construction events.

• To share information among OSHA personnel and general industry and construction safety and health professionals regarding industry 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 general industry and construction safety that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

• To develop and disseminate case studies on OSHA general industry and construction regulations, inspections, accidents and fatalities and publicize their results.

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 Oklahoma City Area Office, OSHA Consultation, Metro Tech, and any other appropriate offices.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Any 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 24th day of July 2023.