OSHA and National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) Alliance
Close-Out Report

On August 12, 2003, OSHA and the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) formed an Alliance focusing on providing NECA members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources to help them protect employees' health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to electrical and construction hazards.

Based on the success attained through the agreement and NECA’s interest in expanding its cooperative relationships with OSHA’s Regional and Area Offices, OSHA and NECA have agreed to conclude their National Alliance as of March 31, 2005.

OSHA and NECA mutually agreed to conclude the National Alliance agreement so both organizations could maximize their use of limited resources. In particular, the NECA National office will focus their activities on the implementation of a National Electrical Transmission and Distribution Construction Contractors and Trade Association Strategic Partnership with OSHA and encourage the NECA chapters to develop their own Alliances with the OSHA Regional and Area Offices. A number of NECA chapters have established Alliances with the Regional and Area Offices. For example, NECA, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and the Southeastern Line Constructors of Apprenticeship Training (SELCAT) developed a SELCAT safety training course, as well as a course catalog, which lists all of the training courses offered by the organization through a Region IV Alliance.

However, the following successes have resulted from the groups’ work together to meet the Alliance goals:

• On March 1, 2004, Paula White, Director, Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs, USDOL-OSHA, updated NECA members about OSHA's cooperative programs; including Alliances, in particular the NECA Alliance, and Strategic Partnerships during the NECA Association Executives Institute Conference at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
   
• Through the Alliance, NECA updated the Safety section of their Web page to include a link to the Alliance agreement on OSHA’s Web page. In addition, OSHA provided recommendations to NECA regarding the materials to include on the safety section of their Webpage.
   
• Members of NECA participate on the Electrical and the Electrical Contractors Safety and Health Topics pages Editorial boards. These pages provide links to resources that provide safety and health information relevant to the electrical industry.