AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
REGION VIII
AND
EMPLOYBRIDGE

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Region VIII and Employbridge recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and Employbridge hereby form an Alliance to provide Employbridge members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to general industry hazards, including those arising from falls, electrical exposures, amputations, confined spaces, forklift use and chemical exposures. This alliance will specifically address employer responsibilities to maintain a safe and healthy work environment for temporary workers and focus on understanding the rights of all 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 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, 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 developing this Alliance, OSHA and Employbridge 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 related to raising awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives:

• 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. Specifically, this should include dissemination of the Temporary Worker Initiative bulletins to host employers as they are developed by OSHA.

• To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.

• To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA’s and Employbridge’s websites) to employers and workers in the industry.

• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding Employbridge’s 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 hosting events aimed at workers and/or encouraging the participation in OSHA’s annual Safe + Sound Week.

• To encourage Employbridge and their client members to build relationships with OSHA’s Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including general industry hazards such as falls, electrical exposures, amputations, confined spaces, forklift use and chemical exposures.

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 temporary workers and employers of temporary workers (host employers) regarding general industry hazards, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for temporary workers and host employers 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 the OSHA 10-Hour course and other safety and health training 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 initiatives, outreach, communications, 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 Region VIII 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 20th day of August, 2018.