AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
BATON ROUGE AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS
GREATER BATON ROUGE CHAPTER

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Baton Rouge Area Office and American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Greater Baton Rouge Chapter continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) Greater Baton Rouge Chapter hereby renew the Alliance signed December 19, 2008, with a continued emphasis on providing for those individuals seeking to increase their professional competency in safety and health with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees’ health and safety. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing ASSE Greater Baton Rouge Chapter members 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 have contributed to a significant number of fatalities investigated by OSHA’s Baton Rouge Area Office within the past three fiscal years. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and ASSE Greater Baton Rouge Chapter 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 to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace as well as to provide input on safety and health issues.
• To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by organizing a forum aimed at worker outreach whereby ideas and information can be exchanged.

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 workers of the Greater Baton Rouge ASSE 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 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 Greater Baton Rouge ASSE Web site to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or Greater Baton Rouge ASSE conferences local monthly meetings.
• Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA’s and the Greater Baton Rouge American Society of Safety Engineers Web site) to employers and employees.

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 share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. OSHA team members will include representatives of the Baton Rouge 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 17th day of March, 2011.