AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
AMONG
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
THE AMERICAN CHEMISTRY COUNCIL
THE CENTER FOR CHEMICAL PROCESS SAFETY
THE CHLORINE INSTITUTE, INC.
MARY KAY O'CONNOR PROCESS SAFETY CENTER
THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF CHEMICAL DISTRIBUTORS AND
THE SYNTHETIC ORGANIC CHEMICAL MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the American Chemistry Council (ACC); the Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS), a directorate of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers; the Chlorine Institute, Inc. (CI); the Mary Kay O'Connor Process Safety Center (MKOPSC) at Texas A&M University; the National Association of Chemical Distributors (NACD); and the Synthetic Organic Chemical Manufacturers Association (SOCMA) -- collectively "the Signatories" -- recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces and communities through better identification and management of chemical reactivity hazards (CRH). In developing this Alliance, OSHA and the Signatories recognize that OSHA's State Plan and Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort.

The Signatories hereby form an Alliance to provide their members, customers, contacts and others involved in the manufacture, distribution, use and storage of chemicals with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect communities and employees' health and safety through better identification and management of CRH.

Through this Alliance, the Signatories aim to (1) increase awareness of the need to identify and manage CRH among those who manufacture, distribute, use and store chemicals; (2) provide chemical reactivity hazards management information, methods and tools to a variety of audiences in meaningful and useful forms to those audiences; and (3) gain experience in the use of methods and tools to continuously improve identification and management of CRH.

The Signatories will work together to achieve the following training and education goal:

• Provide input and expertise to OSHA to deliver training addressing chemical reactivity hazards, to be delivered in conferences, meetings, OSHA Training Institute (OTI) Education Centers, or through distance learning.
• The Signatories will work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:
  • Develop and disseminate information through print and electronic media, including electronic assistance tools and links from OSHA's and the signatories' Web sites.
    • Make the CCPS publication, Essential Practices for Managing Chemical Reactivity Hazards, available in the open literature through Signatories' web sites and other means.
    • Disseminate and encourage the use of the CCPS publication, Essential Practices for Managing Chemical Reactivity Hazards, to ACC, CI, MKOPSC, NACD, and SOCMA members and their respective value chains.
  • Speak, exhibit, or appear at appropriate OSHA, EPA or other signatory conferences, local meetings, or other events such as:
    • ACC Responsible Care Regional Meetings,
    • AIChE Loss Prevention Symposium
    • AIChE local section meetings
    • Annual CCPS International Conference
    • CCPS Technical Steering Committee meetings
    • SACHE Workshops (process safety train-the-trainer for engineering professors)
    • NACD's Operations Seminar & Trade Show
    • SOCMA annual and regional meetings
    • Chlorine Institute Annual and fall meetings
    • MKOPSC Annual Symposium and Short Courses
    • MKOPSC engineering seminars and course work
    • PhD dissertations research on chemical reactivity hazards
  • Collaborate with other Alliances on specific issues and projects on the identification and management of chemical reactivity hazards that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.

The Signatories will work together to achieve the following goal related to promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health:

• Convene or participate in forums, round table discussions, or stakeholder meetings on chemical reactivity hazards 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 Program participants. By entering into an Alliance with a party, neither OSHA nor EPA are endorsing any of that party's products or services; nor do the Agencies enter into an Alliance with the purpose of promoting a particular party's products or services.

All commitments made by the Federal signatory agencies to this Alliance are subject to the availability of appropriated funds and each agency's budget priorities. Nothing in this Alliance, in and of itself, obligates any of the Federal signatory agencies to expend appropriations or to enter into any contract, assistance agreement, interagency agreement, or other financial obligations.

This Alliance is neither a fiscal nor a funds obligation document. Any endeavor involving reimbursement or contribution of funds between the parties to this Alliance will be handled in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, and procedures, and will be subject to separate subsidiary agreements that will be effected in writing by representatives of all parties.

This Alliance does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable by law or equity against the Federal signatory agencies their officers or employees, or any other person. This Alliance does not direct or apply to any person outside of the parties to the Alliance.

An implementation team made up of representatives of the Signatories 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 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 Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plan States? and OSHA Consultation Projects? participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for three years. Any signatory may terminate it's participation in the Alliance for any reason at any time, provided they give 30 days written notice to the other Signatories. This agreement may be modified at any time with the concurrence of all Signatories.