New York City and Philadelphia Region - Alliance Agreement - September 9, 2024
AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
NEW YORK AND PHILADEPHIA REGIONAL OFFICES
AND
THE MID-ATLANTIC CONSTRUCTION SAFETY COUNCIL
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Regions 2 & 3, and the Mid-Atlantic Construction Safety Council (MACSC) (collectively, the Participants) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, the Participants hereby form an Alliance to provide construction industry employers, construction workers, and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help reduce and prevent exposure to OSHA's "Focus Four" hazards (falls, electrocution, struck-by, and caught between) and other recognized hazards that may arise during construction, and understand the rights of workers and the responsibilities of employees and 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 organizations 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 member surveys, to evaluate the Alliance and measure the Alliance's impact on improving workplace safety and health. In developing this Alliance, the Participants 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:
- To share information on OSHA's National Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and Outreach Initiatives), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
- Distribute information on the recognition and prevention of "Focus Four" hazards and other recognized workplace hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and MACSC websites) to employers and workers in the construction industry.
- To speak, exhibit, or appear at conferences, local meetings, or other training sessions and events.
- Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings regarding OSHA's construction "Focus Four" hazards and other recognized hazards to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
- Disseminate non-company specific case studies on incidents, injuries, and fatalities within the construction industry that include information about type of work, tasks being performed, applicable standards, and training/education received, and publish their results.
- Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by engaging with labor representatives from IBEW and other labor organizations at alliance meetings to ensure that worker perspectives are taken into account and that resources developed and offered through this alliance are made available in appropriate languages to equitably meet the needs of their target audiences.
Training and Education
The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following objectives:
- Distribute training tools and resources to communicate and reinforce industry-wide safety and health best practices, such as hazard fact sheets, hazard alert notices, and potential special-emphasis optional topics for use in the 10/30-hour Outreach courses.
- Provide effective training and education programs for the construction industry on "Focus Four" hazards and other recognized hazards in construction 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 equitably meet the needs of their target audiences.
- Encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by engaging them in joint communication, training, and education efforts.
- Identify and pursue training opportunities to assist OSHA, including educating its compliance and other field staff on construction and hazards associated with that work.
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 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 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 Region II and Region III offices 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 signatory organization 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 9th day of September 2024.
Michael J. Rivera
Regional Administrator, Region III
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Shane Skennonto
President
Mid-Atlantic Construction Safety Council
Richard Mendelson
Regional Administrator, Region II
Occupational Safety and Health Administration