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

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Billings Area Office and the Montana Logging Association (MLA) 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 Montana Logging Association (MLA) hereby renew the Alliance signed April 4, 2023, with a continued emphasis on moving or falling trees, logs, and branches, contact with dangerous moving and rotating machinery or equipment parts, repetitive motion, overexertion, awkward postures, heavy lifting, and other physical stressors, vehicles and heavy equipment, and noise. Specifically, OSHA and MLA organization(s) are committed to providing Montana small businesses in the logging and support industries with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them comply with OSHA standards related to the above hazards to 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). Through the Alliance, the organizations will continue to address improving logging safety in Montana.

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 MLA 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, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and the MLA websites) to employers and workers in the industry. Ensure information developed reflects the workforce and is available in multiple languages and formats.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and MLA conferences, local meetings, or other National Safety Stand-Down events such as Safe + Sound Campaign.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on addressing the hazards associated with logging 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 MLA best practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).

Training and Education

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

• Develop effective training and education programs for Montana loggers regarding safe logging and log transportation 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 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. 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 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.

This agreement will 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 19th day of May 2025