AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN THE
FORT WORTH AREA OFFICE
THE DALLAS AREA OFFICE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE DRYWALL AND ACOUSTICAL CONTRACTORS’ ASSOCIATION

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Fort Worth Area Office, the Dallas Area Office, and the Drywall and Acoustical Contractors Association (DACA), continue to recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and DACA herein after referred to as "Participant," hereby renew the Alliance signed November 16, 2017, then renewed October 29, 2020, with a continued emphasis on providing the participant’s members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to worker falls and struck-by hazards, and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).

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 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, including but not limited to member surveys, to evaluate the Alliance and measure the impact on improving workplace safety and health. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and DACA recognize that OSHA’s State Plan and On-Site Consultation Program 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 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 occupational safety and health topics 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 outreach opportunities with minority owned businesses.

• To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., in person training such as OSHA 10-hour courses, print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and links to OSHA's Web site from the Chapters Web site) to employers and workers in the industry.

• To speak, exhibit, or appear at the participants' conferences, local meetings, or other events.

• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding the participants’ good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures developed by the participants and to publicize results through OSHA’s Quick Takes and associated media resources.

• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on workplace safety and health, to help forge innovative solutions on issues concerning workplace safety and health and understanding of workers' rights and responsibilities of employers under the OSH Act.

• OSHA Fort Worth request that DACA submit, on quarterly basis, success stories highlighting DACA members who have successfully implemented safe and healthful practices at their places of business. These success stories should consist of 1-2 paragraphs and photos when applicable.

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective free training and education programs for Drywall and Acoustical Tile Contractors in the Dallas and Fort Worth Region regarding hazards in construction and general industry, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.

• To develop effective free training and education programs for Drywall and Acoustical tile Contractors in the Dallas and Fort Worth Region 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 workplace safety and health awareness courses.

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 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 Fort Worth Area Office and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plans’ and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs’ 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 at Fort Worth, Texas, this 24th day of January, 2023.