AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
NATIONAL WASTE AND RECYCLING ASSOCIATION (NWRA)

AND THE

SOLID WASTE ASSOCIATION OF NORTH AMERICA (SWANA)

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Waste and Recycling Association (NWRA), and the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA, NWRA, and SWANA hereby renew in part the Alliance signed September 29, 2019, with a continued emphasis on promoting the safety and health of workers in the solid waste and recycling industries. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing NWRA and SWANA members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers in the solid waste industry and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act). Through the Alliance, the organizations will continue to address transportation hazards such as backovers and distracted driving; slips, trips, and falls; needlestick injuries; heat and cold stress; musculoskeletal injuries; and other solid waste and recycling industry hazards, as appropriate, with particular emphasis on outreach to small- and medium-sized employers.

This agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance's activities. Alliance participants also agree to meet the requirements for program participation laid out in the "Fundamental Requirements for OSHA Alliance Program Participants" and the "Guidelines for OSHA's Alliance Program Participants: Alliance Products and Other Alliance Projects."

Through the Alliance, the organizations will use relevant injury, illness, and hazard exposure data, when appropriate, to help identify areas of emphasis for Alliance awareness, outreach, and communication activities. The Alliance will also explore and implement selected options, including but not limited to member surveys, to evaluate the Alliance and measure the impact on improving workplace safety and health. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA, and NWRA, and SWANA recognize that OSHA's State Plan and On-Site Consultation Program partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort, and that information about the products and activities of the Alliance may be shared with these partners for the advancement of common goals.

Raising Awareness: Outreach and Communication

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives:

• Share information on OSHA's National Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
• Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• Develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards such as backovers and distracted driving; slips, trips, and falls; needlestick injuries; heat and cold stress; musculoskeletal injuries; and other solid waste industry hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., via newsletters; the OSHA, NWRA, and SWANA websites; and other mechanisms, as appropriate) to employers and workers in the solid waste and recycling industries. Ensure information developed reflects the workforce and is available in multiple languages and formats.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and NWRA, and SWANA conferences, local meetings, or other events such as WasteExpo and the SWANA annual conference.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on solid waste and recycling industry hazards to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• Ensure Alliance activities are informed by the perspectives of non-managerial workers employed in the solid waste and recycling industry by establishing a worker safety and health advisory committee of non-management level employees that is reflective of the solid waste and recycling industries' workforce to: share information about workplace rights and responsibilities; gather information about safety and health practices in member facilities; and collect feedback on Alliance activities.
• Collaborate with other Alliance participants to address workplace safety and health issues, such as lithium battery hazards in waste and recycling collection and processing.
• Encourage NWRA and SWANA members and other industry stakeholders to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices; participate in OSHA's Cooperative Programs, such as the Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program and the Voluntary Protection Program; and utilize OSHA's On-Site Consultation Program to improve health and safety in solid waste workplaces.

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives:

• Develop effective training and education programs for the solid waste and recycling industry regarding transportation hazards, slips, trips, and falls; needlestick injuries; heat and cold stress; musculoskeletal injuries; and/or other industry specific hazards and communicate such information to constituent employers and workers. Ensure training materials/programs are made available in appropriate languages and formats to meet the needs of their target audiences.
• Develop effective training and education programs for the solid waste and recycling industry to promote understanding of workers' rights, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, and the responsibilities of employers and to communicate such information to workers and employers. Ensure training materials/programs are made available in appropriate languages and formats to meet the needs of their target audiences.

OSHA's Alliances provide organizations an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as raising awareness of OSHA's initiatives, outreach, communication, training, and education. These Alliances have proved to be valuable tools for both OSHA and Alliance participants. In entering this Alliance, OSHA, NWRA, and SWANA acknowledge that this agreement is not legally binding. This agreement does not obligate or authorize the expenditure or reimbursement of appropriations or other funds, nor does it require the parties to enter into any contract or other obligations. It does not confer any rights or responsibilities under U.S. law, nor does it limit or restrict the parties from participating in similar activities or arrangements with other entities. This agreement does not limit, supersede, or otherwise affect OSHA's normal operations or decisions in carrying out its statutory and regulatory duties and functions. OSHA's entering an Alliance with an organization does not imply the agency's endorsement or promotion of that organization's products or services.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each organization will meet one to two times per year to discuss the responsibilities of the participants, to share information on activities, and to track results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. OSHA team members will include representatives of the Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs the Directorate of Enforcement Programs, and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plans' and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs' participation on the team.

This agreement will be executed in full compliance with all applicable federal laws. It takes effect on the date of signing and will remain in effect for three years. Any signatory may terminate their organization's participation in the agreement 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 all signatories.

Signed this 25th day of August, 2025.