Region 6 - Renewal Agreement - May 25, 2016


AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
DALLAS AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
REGIONAL HISPANIC CONTRACTORS - DALLAS

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Dallas Area Office and the Regional Hispanic Contractors Association - Dallas (RHCA) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and RHCA hereby renew the Alliance signed April 28, 2014, with a continued emphasis on Hispanic worker rights to work where they will not become injured or ill, nor be discriminated for voicing their safety and health concerns. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing RHCA 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 outreach efforts to inform communities of their rights as workers.

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 RHCA 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 of raising awareness of OSHA's rulemaking and enforcement initiatives, training and education, outreach and communication.

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 the Focus Four 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 motivating employers to have safety and health plans.
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 Hispanic communities regarding construction focus four hazards, worker rights, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
  • To develop effective training and education programs for Hispanic contractors and workers to promote understanding of workers' rights, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, the responsibilities of employers and to communicate such information to workers and employers.
  • To deliver or arrange for the delivery of OSHA 10 and 30-hour Construction Safety, and Focus-Four Hazard awareness courses.
Outreach and Communication

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

  • To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or RHCA -Dallas conferences, local meetings, or other construction safety outreach events.
  • To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding RHCA best 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 language barriers to creating safer construction work sites that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
  • To develop and disseminate case studies on Focus-Four safety hazards, heat stress, distracted driving, workplace violence at construction sites 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 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 Dallas 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 25th day of May, 2016.

Gregory R. Wynn
Acting Area Director,
Dallas Area Office
Occupational Safety and Health Administration

John H. Martinez
President
Regional Hispanic Contractors Association