Region 7 - Renewal Agreement - September 9, 2020


AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
KANSAS CITY REGIONAL OFFICE (REGION VII)
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
GREAT PLAINS OSHA EDUCATION CENTER (CONSORTIUM)


The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Kansas City Region VII (including the Regional Office, and the Des Moines, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, and Wichita Area Offices) and Great Plains OSHA Education Center (a consortium comprised of Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City, MO), St. Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice (St. Louis, MO), Barton Community College (Grandview Plaza, KS), and various host sites) 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 Region VII and the Great Plains OSHA Education Center hereby renew the Alliance signed May 5, 2018. Specifically, the Great Plains OSHA Education Center and OSHA Region VII are committed to providing OSHA Education Center students and others with information, guidance, and training to help them 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 and provide access to training resources that will help them protect workers, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to prevalent health and safety hazards in general industries and 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 Alliance and measure the impact on improving workplace safety and health. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA Region VII and Great Plains OSHA Education Center 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:

  • Share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
  • Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights of workers and responsibilities of employers.
  • To speak, exhibit, and/or appear at OSHA Education Center courses, safety and health conferences, local association meetings, Region VII VPPPA Conference, Field Federal Safety and Health Council meetings, and other related events.

Training and Education

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

  • Coordinate with Field Federal Safety and Health Councils by hosting meetings and providing instructors at meetings.
  • Collectively assessing the employer training needs in Region VII and the geographical distribution of host sites for the Great Plains OSHA Education Center.

Outreach and Communication

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

  • To speak, exhibit, and/or appear at OSHA Education Center courses, safety and health conferences, local association meetings, Region VII VPPPA Conference, Field Federal Safety and Health Council meetings, and other related events.

OSHA's Alliances provide organizations 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 Alliance participants. By entering into an Alliance with an organization, OSHA is not endorsing or promoting, nor does it intend to endorse or promote, any of that organization'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 Regional Office, and the Des Moines, Kansas City, Omaha, St. Louis, and Wichita Area Offices and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage the participation of State Plans and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Any 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 all signatories.

Signed this 9th day of September, 2020.

 



Kimberly Stille
Regional Administrator
OSHA Region VII


Dr. Donald Chrusciel
Vice Chancellor/ Chief Financial Officer
Metropolitan Community

 



Karena Lorek
Area Director
OSHA Kansas City Area


Chris King
Director
St. Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice

 



Mathew Thurlby
Area Director
OSHA Omaha and Des Moines Area Office


Lawrence Weber
Director
Barton County Community