AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
BATON ROUGE AREA OFFICE
AND
BOAT PEOPLE SOS

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Boat People SOS recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. OSHA and Boat People SOS hereby form an Alliance to provide Boat People SOS members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect Vietnamese-American employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to falls, machine guarding, logout/tagout, chemical hazards, struck-by, caught-in or between, electrical hazards and unsafe acts or hazards addressing local issues. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and Boat People SOS recognize that OSHA's State Plan and Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort.

OSHA and Boat People SOS will work together to achieve the following training and education goals:

• Develop training and education programs targeted to Vietnamese-American workers and employers on reducing and preventing exposure to falls, machine guarding, logout/tagout, chemical hazards, struck-by, caught-in or between, electrical hazards and unsafe acts or hazards addressing local issues.
  
  
• Deliver or arrange for the delivery of at least six (6) educational workshops each year.

OSHA and Boat People SOS will work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

• Work 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 Boat People SOS's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry.
  
  
• Participate in speeches, exhibits, or appear at OSHA's or Boat People SOS' conferences, local meetings, or other OSHA-related events.
  
  
• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding Boat People SOS best practices or effective approaches and publicize results through outreach by Boat People SOS and through OSHA or Boat People SOS developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
  
  
• Promote and encourage Boat People SOS members' participation in OSHA's cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), and the Consultation Program and its Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP).
  
  
• Encourage Boat People SOS members to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues.

OSHA and Boat People SOS 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 Boat People SOS leaders address groups.
  
  
• Develop and disseminate case studies illustrating the business value of safety and health and publicize their results.
  
  
• Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on OSHA issues 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 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. Team members will include representatives of OSHA's Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage OSHA Consultation Projects' 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 concurrence of both signatories.