The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Foundry Society (AFS) hereby renew the Alliance agreement signed on March 22, 2004. OSHA and AFS continue to recognize the value of collaborative efforts to achieve workplace safety. Both groups will encourage AFS members and others, including small businesses, in the metalcasting industry to increase employee access to safety and health information and training resources on workplace issues, including personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilation and reducing and preventing exposure to silica. In renewing this Alliance OSHA and AFS recognize that OSHA's State Plan and Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort.

OSHA and AFS will work together to achieve the following training and education goals:

• Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop training and education programs for the metalcasting industry regarding PPE, ventilation and silica, and to provide expertise in communicating such information to employers and employees in the industry.
  
  
• Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop workplace safety and health curricula on the foundry workplace issues including, PPE, ventilation and silica.

OSHA and AFS will work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

• Work with OSHA to provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to provide expertise in developing ways of communicating such information (e.g. print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools and OSHA's and AFS's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
  
  
• Speak, exhibit, and/or appear at OSHA and AFS conferences, local meetings, and other events such as the annual Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) conference and the Washington Conference.
  
  
• Share information among OSHA personnel, including Compliance Safety and Health Officers, and industry safety and health professionals regarding AFS's best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by AFS and through OSHA- or AFS-developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
  
  
• Promote and encourage AFS chapters or worksites' participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Programs, and the Consultation Program and its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program.
  
  
• Work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects regarding PPE, ventilation and silica issues that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
  
  
• Encourage AFS chapters' or worksites' to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including PPE, ventilation and silica.

OSHA's Alliances provide parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as training and education, outreach and communication and promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health. These Alliances have proved to be valuable tools for both OSHA and its Alliance participants. By entering into an Alliance with a party, OSHA is not endorsing any of that party's products or services; nor does the Agency enter into an Alliance with the purpose of promoting a particular party's products or services.

An implementation team made up of representatives of both organizations will meet to develop a plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet at least three times per year to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. OSHA will encourage State Plan States' and OSHA Consultation Projects' participation on the team. Team members will include representatives of OSHA's Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plan States' and OSHA Consultation Projects' participation on the team.

This renewal will remain in effect for two years. The signatories 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 concurrence of both signatories.