AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE GLOBAL COLD CHAIN ALLIANCE

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Global Cold Chain Alliance (GCCA) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and the GCCA hereby renew the Alliance signed July 30, 2010, with a continued emphasis on ammonia refrigeration systems safety. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing GCCA members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). Through the Alliance, OSHA, GCCA, and the Refrigeration Engineers and Technicians Association (RETA) will work to address the reduction and prevention of exposure to hazards related to chemical releases from ammonia refrigeration systems and improving the Process Safety Management (PSM) programs for these systems.

In addition, OSHA and GCCA will use relevant data on ammonia refrigeration systems safety in identifying areas of emphasis for Alliance awareness, outreach, and communication activities. The Alliance will also explore and implement selected options to evaluate the effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety for employers and workers using ammonia refrigeration systems. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and GCCA recognize that OSHA’s State Plan and On-site Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort, and that information about the products and activities of the Alliance will be shared with these partners for the advancement of common goals.

Raising Awareness of OSHA’s Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following goals related to raising awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives:

• To share information on OSHA’s National Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on ammonia refrigeration system related issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

Outreach and Communication

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

• To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, emphasizing ammonia refrigeration, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA’s and the GCCA’s Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or GCCA’s conferences, local meetings, or other events such as American Safety Training Institute Ammonia Safety Days, International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration conferences, and other GCCA conferences.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding ammonia refrigeration system good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, safety stand-downs, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.

OSHA’s Alliances provide parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as raising awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives, training and education, and outreach and communication. 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 or promoting, nor does it intend to endorse or promote, any of that party’s products or services.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each organization will meet to develop an Alliance project work plan (including key action steps, expected outcomes, evaluation), 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 team members will include representatives of the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plan States’ and OSHA On-site Consultation Projects’ participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for five 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 written concurrence of both signatories.

Signed this 28th day of July, 2014.