Region 6 - Alliance Renewal Agreement - June 15, 2017
AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
SAN ANTONIO AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS OF AMERICA,
SAN ANTONIO CHAPTER
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) San Antonio Area Office and The Associated General Contractors of America, San Antonio Chapter (AGC) continues to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and AGC hereby renew the Alliance signed January 22, 2015, with a continued emphasis on fostering safer and healthful workplaces for workers. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing AGC 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 fall, electrical, struck by, and caught in or between hazards, and understanding the rights of workers and the responsibilities of their employers.
This renewal agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance's activities. Alliance participants will summarize specific activities and timeframes for completion in a written work plan.
Through the Alliance, the organizations will use relevant 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 to evaluate the effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety for employers and workers. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and AGC recognize that OSHA's State Plan and On-site Consultation Project 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 of OSHA’s Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives
The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives 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 fall, electrical, struck-by and caught in between 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 mentoring the workers on conducting daily job safety analysis to identify hazards and abating the hazards found in a in their worksites.
Training and Education
The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following training and education objectives:
- To develop effective training and education programs for construction workers regarding fall hazards and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
- To develop effective training and education programs for AGC members and their contractors 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 OSHA 10 hour construction courses in English and in Spanish.
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 AGC's Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
- To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or AGC conferences, local meetings, or other community events.
- To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding AGC'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 construction safety and health issues and projects that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
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 written work plan, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet at least 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 San Antonio Area Office and any other appropriate OSHA 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 15th day of June 2017.
Alejandro Porter
Area Director
San Antonio Area Office
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Michael Sireno
President
Associated General Contractors of America,
San Antonio Chapter