AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE BISMARCK AREA OFFICE OF
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
A COALITION OF TRENCH TRAINING PARTNERS
INCLUDING
NORTH DAKOTA WORKFORCE SAFETY & INSURANCE (WSI), NORTH DAKOTA SAFETY COUNCIL (NDSC),
ASSOCIATED BUILDERS & CONTRACTORS (ABC) of MINNESOTA & NORTH DAKOTA,
ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS (AGC), ENERGY COALITION FOR CONTRACTOR SAFETY (ECCS),
NORTH DAKOTA ONE CALL, and BAKKEN BASIN SAFETY CONSORTIUM

The Bismarck Area Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Coalition of Trench Training Partners continue to recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful North Dakota workplaces. To that end, OSHA and the Coalition hereby renew the Alliance signed May 3, 2018, to provide North Dakota’s employers and workers with information, guidance and training resources that will assist them in implementing a robust systems approach to advancing the health and safety of employees within trenching and excavating in the construction industry and the energy services industry.

The overarching goal of this Alliance is to reduce the number of occupational exposures to physical and atmospheric hazards, which can result in injuries and fatalities. 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 and the Coalition 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.

The Coalition members will work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

• Collaborate to develop and communicate training and education programs for the construction industry and the energy services industry that meets or exceeds the requirements for trenching and excavating in 29 CFR 1926 Subpart P.
• Collaborate to provide continual awareness to its members through presentations and printed media on the hazards associated with trenching and excavations.
• Collaborate with other governmental agencies and private entities to facilitate occupational and environmental health and safety presentations, training and resources at quarterly organizational meetings specifically related to trenching.
• Encourage worker participation of their members in workplace safety and health training through surveys and observations to measure the effectiveness of alliance activities and gaps that need to be addressed.

The Coalition members will provide feedback to OSHA quarterly on this partnership’s effectiveness by:

• Identifying the total number of employers they have trained and the total number of employees affected by their training.
• Identifying the number of employees that have been trained as competent persons for trenching and excavating.
• Identifying the number of onsite inspections/monitoring’s their organization have conducted regarding trenching and excavating and the most prevalent hazards identified. Company names will not be provided to OSHA, to ensure employer confidentiality.

OSHA will support the Coalition’s efforts in the area of training and education by providing the following as requested:

• Providing specific training to Coalitions inspectors and auditors on how to identify trenching hazards.
• Provide outreach activities and presentations to these organizations relating to trenching and excavating.
• Assist in providing information for the development of training materials, hazard warnings, and safety alerts for coalition members.
• Coordinate quarterly meetings to monitoring overall alliance progress.

The Alliance provides parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with the Bismarck Area Office of OSHA for the purposes of training and education, outreach and communication, and promoting a dialogue on workplace safety and health.

The Alliance has proved to be a valuable tool for both OSHA and its participants. By entering into an Alliance, the Coalition does not endorse any of the participant’s products or services. Nor does the Coalition enter into an Alliance with the purpose of promoting a particular party’s products or services.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Any signatory may terminate it for any reason at any time, provided they give a 30 day written notice. This agreement may be modified at any time with the concurrence of all signatories.

Signed on June 21, 2021 in Bismarck, North Dakota.