AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
BILLINGS AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
MONTANA SAFETY SERVICES COUNCIL

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Billings Area Office and the Montana Safety Services Council (MSSC) 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 and MSSC hereby renew the Alliance signed January 20, 2023, with a continued emphasis on reducing and preventing exposure to the hazards associated with transportation, construction, warehousing, agriculture, Native American Tribal employment, and heat illness prevention. Specifically, OSHA and MSSC organization(s) are committed to providing Montana stakeholders and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers 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 improving workplace safety for employers and workers.

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 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 MSSC 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, as resources permit:

• Share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local 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, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and the MSSC websites) to employers and workers in the industry.

• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and MSSC conferences, local meetings, or other National Safety Stand-Down events such as Safe + Sound Campaighn.

• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on addressing the hazards associated with construction operations to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.

• Share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding MSSC good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

• Collaborate with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on regarding and Native American Tribal Employers/Employees and Cannabis Employers/Employees.

• Encourage MSSC to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including AVERT – Active Violence Training.

Training and Education

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

• Develop effective training and education programs for tribal employers, employees, and temporary workers engaged in transportation, construction, warehousing, and agriculture, regarding the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards associated with those industries and communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.

• Develop effective training and education programs for small employers 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 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.

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 proven to be valuable tools for both OSHA and Alliance participants. By entering 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.

An implementation team made up of representatives of each organization will meet one to 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 Billings Area 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 remain in effect for two years, either 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 both signatories.

Signed this 11 day of April 2025.