The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association (ILCA) recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship that fosters safer and more healthful workplaces within the state of Illinois. OSHA and the Illinois Landscape Contractors Association hereby renew the Alliance signed on March 8, 2004. The Alliance provides ILCA members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to the most commonly identified general industry, construction, and agriculture-related hazards faced by this industry. The areas of particular interest are youth workers, “hard-to reach” and non-English speaking workers and the hazards of construction; manual material handling; amputations; motor vehicle crashes; as well as slip and trip injuries.

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

• Develop and disseminate information through print and electronic media, including electronic tools and links from OSHA’s and the ILCA’s Web sites along with applicable articles in their monthly publications.
  
  
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at ILCA conferences or local meetings to provide a forum for OSHA personnel to address members.
  
  
• Promote and encourage members of the ILCA to participate in OSHA’s cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Program, Consultation, and SHARP.
  
  
• Share information on best practices, as jointly determined by OSHA and ILCA, with others in the industry and publicize the results through outreach by ILCA and OSHA, and through ILCA-developed training programs and materials.

OSHA and the ILCA 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 ILCA leaders address groups.
  
  
• Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on best practices in the industry to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

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 continue to meet and develop a plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet twice 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 2 years from the date of signing. 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 concurrence of both signatories.