Region 6 - Alliance Renewal Agreement - August 28, 2018


AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
WORKERS DEFENSE PROJECT


The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Austin Area office and Workers Defense Project 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 Workers Defense Project hereby renew the Alliance signed August 22, 2014 and renewed August 30, 2016, with a continued emphasis on Hispanic construction worker safety. Specifically, both organization(s) are committed to providing Workers Defense Project 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 immigrant worker safety in construction.

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 effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety and health. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and Workers Defense Project 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: Outreach and Communication

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

  • To share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
  • To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
  • To speak and appear at Workers Defense Project local meetings.
  • To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding Workers Defense Project good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
  • To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by informing Hispanic workers of their rights under OSHA.
  • To collaborate with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on construction worker safety.
  • To encourage Workers Defense Project to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including worker's rights and construction safety.

Training and Education

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

  • To develop effective training and education programs for construction workers regarding the focus four hazards, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
  • To develop effective training and education programs for construction workers 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 parties 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 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 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 Austin 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 three 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 28th day of August, 2018.


R. Casey Perkins, CSP
Area Director
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration


Alondra Johnson
Austin Staff Attorney
Workers Defense Project