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ALLIANCE REPORT

Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the
Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

October 20, 2002 – October 20, 2005
I. Alliance Background

Date Signed

November 20, 2002

Overview

The St. Louis Area Office of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA-SLAO) and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis (HCCMSL) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful workplaces. OSHA-SLAO and the HCCMSL therefore agree to form an Alliance to use their collective expertise and resources to help foster a culture of prevention and openness while sharing best practices and technical knowledge.

This agreement establishes an Alliance to promote safe and healthful working conditions for employees of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater St. Louis’ membership by:
  • Providing HCCMSL with information and guidance that will help them protect employees’ health and safety, and

  • Increasing access to safety and health information and training resources.
OSHA-SLAO and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis will work together to achieve the following training and education goals:
  • Develop training and education programs on safety & health issues.

  • Provide members of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis with greater access to safety and health information provided through the OSHA-SLAO, including Spanish-language publications.
OSHA and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis will work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:
  • Seek opportunities to jointly develop and disseminate information at conferences, events, or through print, electronic and mass media, including links from OSHA’s and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis’ web sites.

  • Seek opportunities to speak, exhibit, or appear at conferences, local meetings, or other events.

  • Promote and encourage HCCMSL members’ participation in OSHA’s cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Program, Consultation, and SHARP. In addition, act as mentors to the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis’ members/worksites that aspire to excellence in safety and health.
OSHA-SLAO and the HCCMSL will work together to achieve the following goals related to promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health:
  • Where appropriate, perform case studies and publicize their results through print or electronic media, promotion at conferences, or other means of reaching out to others in industry.

  • Convene or participate in forums and round table discussions on safety and health issues to help forge innovative solutions to issues in the workplace.
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, the implementation team will meet at least quarterly to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. Team members will include representatives of OSHA’s St. Louis Area Office, and the Executive Director and President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis. OSHA-SLAO will afford the opportunity for representatives of the Missouri 21(d) consultation program to participate as well.

This agreement will remain in effect for one year from the date of signing and will automatically be renewed annually thereafter. This agreement may be modified at any time with the concurrence of the OSHA-SLAO and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan St. Louis, and may be terminated for any reason with 30 days written notice from the OSHA-SLAO and/or the HCCMSL. This Alliance becomes effective upon the date of the last signature on this agreement.

II. Implementation Team Meetings

During the course of this evaluation period, the OSHA Implementation Team members, Isaac LaSalle and Larry Davidson, met several times with the Executive Director of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Gilberta Pinela, regarding opportunities for information exchange.

III. Events and Products

The St. Louis Area Office attended monthly meetings with the Hispanic Chamber. The focus of these meetings centered on OSHA services that can be provided to the Chamber and it’s constituency.

The St. Louis Area Office has provided literature on an ongoing basis to the Chamber for its use and dissemination.

The St. Louis Area Office has proposed to co-host a conference for its members to explain OSHA services.

IV. Upcoming Milestones

The St. Louis Area Office will continue to support the training efforts and information needs of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater St. Louis as requested.

A meeting with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce is currently being scheduled with its Executive Board. This meeting will focus on trying to improve services. The Hispanic Chamber has not been receptive to OSHA’s attempts to provide a meaningful dialogue. This meeting will determine if a new commitment by the Chamber is present to take advantage of our services. Following this meeting a recommendation will be made to continue or discontinue this alliance.