AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE EL PASO AREA OFFICE/LUBBOCK DISTRICT OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE WEST TEXAS SAFETY TRAINING CENTER

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Lubbock District Office and The West Texas Safety Training Center continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and The West Texas Safety Training Center hereby renew the Alliance signed April 23, 2007, revised on June 11, 2007 and renewed August 27, 2009, with a continued emphasis on oil and gas industry safety and health. Specifically, OSHA and the West Texas Safety Training Centers are committed to providing West Texas Safety Training Center students of industry employers and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of 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 hazards that are inherent to the oil and gas industry and the four focus hazards in construction. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and The West Texas Safety Training Center recognize that OSHA’s State Plan and On-site Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort.

Raising Awareness of OSHA’s Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following goals 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 oil and gas industry specific 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 providing training and information that educates workers on the importance of prevention of unsafe procedures and behaviors.

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective training and education programs for oil and gas industry employers and workers regarding fall hazards, electrical hazards, caught and struck-by hazards, and fire and explosion hazards, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for oil and gas industry 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 oil and gas specific and fundamental curriculum courses.

Outreach and Communication

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

• 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 West Texas Safety Training Center’s Web site) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or West Texas Safety Training Center’s conferences, local meetings, or other community events.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding West Texas Safety Training Center’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 the oil and gas industry employers and their employees that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
• To develop and disseminate case studies on hazards inherent to the oil and gas industry and publicize their results.

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 plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet at least three times per year to track and shareinformation on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. OSHA team members will include representatives of the El Paso Area Office and the Lubbock District 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 year. 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 14th day of December, 2011.