Region 8 - Alliance Agreement - May 24, 2012


ARRANGEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
DENVER, ENGLEWOOD AND BILLINGS AREA OFFICES
AND
THE CONSULATE GENERAL OF MEXICO IN DENVER, COLORADO


The U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Denver, Englewood and Billings Area Offices, and The Consulate General of Mexico in Denver, Colorado (the Consulate), hereinafter referred to collectively as "the Participants";

RECOGNIZING the joint commitment to protect workers' rights for Mexican workers acknowledged in the Letter of Arrangement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the United Mexican States and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the Department of Labor of the United States of America, signed at Washington, D.C., on June 1, 2010; and

RECOGNIZING that OSHA's Alliance Program provides for the establishment of cooperative relationships for purposes such as training and education, outreach and communication, and promoting a national dialogue on workplace health and safety;

Intend to form an Alliance to achieve the following:

Overall Objective

The Participants intend to establish a collaborative relationship to provide Mexican Nationals in Colorado and eastern Montana with information, guidance, and access to education and training resources to promote workers' rights in protecting their occupational health and safety, particularly with regard to reducing injuries and fatalities related to fall, electrical, struck-by, and caught in/between hazards, and to help them understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

Training and Education

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

  • To develop training and education programs for Mexican Nationals in Colorado and eastern Montana regarding safety and health hazards in the Construction and General Industries relating to fall, electrical, struck-by, and caught in/between hazards, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
  • To develop training and education programs for Mexican Nationals in Colorado and eastern Montana to promote understanding of workers' rights and the responsibilities of employers, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, and to communicate such information to employers and workers.
  • To deliver or arrange for the delivery of OSHA 10-hour Construction and General Industry Outreach Training Programs and other safety related courses.
  • To develop workplace curricula on safety and health hazards faced by Mexican Nationals in Colorado and eastern Montana.

Outreach and Communication

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

  • 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 links to OSHA's Web site from the Consulate's Web site) to Mexican Nationals in Colorado and eastern Montana and their employers.
  • To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or the Consulate's conferences, local meetings, or other events.

Promotion of a National Dialogue

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following goals related to promoting a national dialogue on workplace health and safety:

  • To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on general and construction industry hazards such as falls, struck-by, caught in/between, electrical, and amputations to help forge innovative solutions on issues concerning workplace health and safety, and understanding of workers' rights and responsibilities of employers.
  • To share information on applicable labor laws and standards, including those relating to workers' rights and the responsibilities of employers.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each Participant intends to meet to develop a plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the Participants. In addition, the Participants intend to meet at least three times per year to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance.

This Arrangement is intended to cease two (2) years from the date of signing. A participant should endeavor to provide thirty (30) days advance written notice of its intent to discontinue its participation in this Arrangement. This Arrangement may be modified in writing at any time by mutual consent of the Participants.

Signed at Denver, Colorado, in duplicate, this 24th day of May 2012, in the Spanish and the English and languages.

For the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Denver Area Office: Herb Gibson, Area Director

For the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Englewood Area Office: David Nelson, Area Director

For the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Billings Area Office: Trina Mailloux, Acting Area Director

For the Consulate General of Mexico in Denver, Colorado: Andres Chao Ebergenyi, Consul