Alliance -- An OSHA Cooperative Program<< Back to Concluded Alliances

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and El Refugio recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. OSHA and El Refugio hereby form an Alliance to provide El Refugio members in particular non-English or limited English speaking employees and others, with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help reduce the number of Hispanic workers killed and injured in work-related accidents caused by exposure to common general and construction industry hazards such as falls, amputations, electrical, struck-by/crushed-in as well as hazards associated with worker response to workplace emergencies such as fires and chemical spill emergencies. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and El Refugio recognize that OSHA’s State Plan and Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort.

OSHA and El Refugio will work together to achieve the following training and education goals:
  • Work with OSHA to provide expertise to develop workplace safety and health curricula, and training and education programs for El Refugio clients regarding hazards such as, falls, amputations, electrical, struck-by/crushed-in and in emergency response issues such as emergency evacuation procedures, and to provide expertise in communicating such information to employers and employees in the industry.

  • Deliver or arrange for the delivery of OSHA’s 10 Hour Construction and General Industry courses to Hispanic employers and employees in both Spanish and English. These courses will be provided by OSHA personnel in conjunction with El Refugio and others.
OSHA and El Refugio 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 the El Refugio’s Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry. El Refugio will share this information with their organization members.

  • OSHA will give priority consideration to requests from MCOHA for speakers and presenters, on safety and health issues.

  • Encourage bi-lingual individuals to take the OSHA Train-the-Trainer course(s) on the occupational safety and health standards for Construction and General Industry, or both, so that they can qualify to teach Hispanic workers the respective OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour safety and health outreach courses in Spanish.

  • OSHA will provide literature, such as OSHA publications in Spanish.
OSHA and El Refugio will work together to achieve the following goals related to promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health.
  • Raise others’ awareness of and demonstrate their own commitment to workplace safety and health whenever El Refugio’s leaders address groups.
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 a 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.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years from the date signing. Any 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 concurrence of both parties.

Signed this 29 day of March 2007.

 
Occupational Safety and Health Administration El Refugio
Su Hogar en El Condado de Sussex



 
Patricia K. Clark
Region Administrator		  


 
Lelia Gomez
Director		  



 
Philip Peist
Area Director
Parsippany Area Office		      



 
Diana Cortez
Area Director
Tarrytown Area Office
Region 2 Hispanic Coordinator		      



 
Leonard Katz
Assistant Commissioner
Labor Standards and Safety Enforcement
New Jersey Department of Labor