AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN CHICAGO REGIONAL OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
AND
THE OSHA TRAINING INSTITUTE
EDUCATION CENTERS IN REGION 5

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Chicago Regional Office and the three OSHA Training Institute Education Centers (OTIECs) located in Region 5, the Great Lakes OSHA Education Center, Mid-America OSHA Education Center, and National Safety Education Center, recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and the OTIECs in Region 5 hereby form an Alliance to provide OTIEC students and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to prevalent health and safety hazards in the general, maritime, and construction industries, and enhancing their understanding of workers' rights and the responsibilities of employers under the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act).

This agreement provides a framework and objectives for the Alliance's activities. Alliance participants also agree to meet 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 participants will use available 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, surveys to evaluate the Alliance and measure the impact on improving workplace safety and health. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and the OTIECs in Region 5 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/Regional/Local Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and rulemaking processes.
• Share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA- and OTIEC-sponsored conferences, local meetings, or other events, such as the Field Federal Safety and Health Council (FFSHC) meetings.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on National, Regional and Local Emphasis Programs to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• Collaborate with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects, such as the Regional Safety Stand-Downs.
• Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health programs while speaking at OTIEC-sponsored training programs.

Training and Education

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

• Develop and/or deliver effective training and education programs for the public and private sectors regarding hazards in the general, maritime, and construction industries, and communicate such information to constituent employers and workers, including the Field Federal Safety and Health Councils in Region 5.
• Deliver or arrange for the delivery of health and safety training to targeted industries in support of OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs.
• Develop and/or deliver effective training and education programs for the general, maritime, and construction industries to promote the understanding of workers' rights, including the use of the OSHA complaint process, as well as the responsibilities of employers, and to communicate such information to workers and employers.
• Encourage OSHA Region 5 Area Directors to make recommendations of the occupational safety and health programs provided by OTIECs to employers entering into citation settlement agreements that require training and education.
• Enhance delivery of OTIEC training courses by including presenters and content that represent the interests of OSHA Region 5 and its Area Offices.

OSHA's Alliances provide participants an opportunity to engage in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as raising awareness of OSHA's initiatives, outreach, communications, training, and education. These Alliances have proven to be valuable tools for OSHA and Alliance participants. By entering into an Alliance with an organization, OSHA is not endorsing or promoting, nor does it intend to endorse or promote, any of that organization's products or services, although it makes recommendations of the OTIECs' safety and health programs to employers entering into citation settlement agreements that require training and education.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each Alliance participant will meet at least twice annually to track and share information about activities and results intended to achieve the goals of the Alliance. OSHA team members will include representatives of the OSHA Chicago Regional Office and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plans' and OSHA On-Site Consultation programs' participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Any Alliance participant may terminate participation in this agreement for any reason at any time, provided they give 30 days' written notice.

This agreement may be modified at any time upon the written concurrence of all Alliance participants.

Signed this 23rd day of October 2024.