AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
REGION VIII
REGIONAL OFFICE
of
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
POWER GENERATION VPP WORKGROUP (PGVPP)

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Region VIII and PGVPP 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 PGVPP hereby form an Alliance to provide PGVPP members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to electrical power generation 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 “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 available 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 developing this Alliance, OSHA and PGVPP 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 and responsibilities of workers and employers.

• 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 and the PGVPP websites) to employers and workers in the industry.

• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and Voluntary Protection Program conferences, local meetings, or other events.

• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on electrical power generation to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding PGVPP good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

• Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by having front line employees present safety topics, safety moments and VPP Best Practices at quarterly meetings, safety conferences and any other networking or mentoring events identified by OSHA

• Encourage PGVPP to build relationships with OSHA’s Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues.

Training and Education

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

• Develop effective training and education programs for Qualified Electrical Workers regarding industry needs and hazards and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.

• Develop effective training and education programs for PGVPP 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.

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, communications, 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 Denver Regional Office and any other appropriate offices. This alliance will be reviewed periodically with the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs to determine the possibility of expanding this agreement to a national alliance. OSHA will encourage State Plans’ and OSHA On-Site Consultation program’ 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 10th day of March 2023.