AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE NATIONAL SERVICE, TRANSMISSION, EXPLORATION & PRODUCTION
SAFETY NETWORK
AND
THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA); the National Service, Transmission, Exploration & Production Safety (STEPS) Network; and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) continue to recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA, the National STEPS Network, and NIOSH hereby renew the Alliance signed December 2, 2014 with a continued emphasis on preventing fatalities, injuries, and illnesses in the United States onshore exploration and production sector of the oil and gas industry. Specifically, each organization is committed to providing employers and workers in the industry 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). This renewal agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance’s activities. Alliance participants will summarize specific activities and timeframes for completion in a written work plan.

Through the Alliance, the organizations will use relevant data, such as injury and illness data, workers’ compensation experience, and data on known and suspected exposure to hazards in the United States onshore exploration and production sector of the oil and gas industry to help identify 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 effort to improve workplace safety and health for employers and workers. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA, the National STEPS Network, and NIOSH 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 the 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 objective related to raising awareness of OSHA’s rulemaking and enforcement initiatives:

• To share information on OSHA’s enforcement, rulemaking, and other initiatives.

Outreach and Communication

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

• To develop products that increase awareness of, and promote effective controls for, identified workplace hazards.
• To enhance OSHA’s oil and gas materials.
• To improve the collection and dissemination of NIOSH fatality and injury and illness data to identify and address safety and health issues in the industry, including emerging issues.
• To promote the dissemination and adoption of NIOSH oil and gas research findings and recommendations.

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following training and education objectives:

• To support training events, such as the OSHA Oil and Gas Safety and Health Conferences, other conferences, and oil and gas safety stand-downs.
• To provide guidance and resources for development of training for those groups at greatest risk of injury and illness, such as contractors, small companies, short services employees, and temporary workers.

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 a work plan, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet at least two 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, Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management, Directorate of Enforcement Programs, and Regions. 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. Any 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 all signatories.

Signed this 29th day of November, 2016