AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
NEW YORK CITY REGIONAL OFFICE
AND
BUILDING TRADES EMPLOYERS’ ASSOCIATION OF NEW YORK

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) New York City Region and the Building Trades Employers’ Association (BTEA) 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 BTEA hereby form an Alliance to provide construction industry employers, construction workers, and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to the dangerous and potentially fatal hazards that may arise during construction activities, and understand the rights of workers 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 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 impact on improving workplace safety and health. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and the BTEA 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, and Outreach Initiatives), 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.
• Distribute information on the recognition and prevention of recognized workplace hazards, and communicate such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA and BTEA websites) to employers and workers in the construction industry.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and BTEA conferences, local meetings, or other training sessions and events including, but not limited to, BTEA’s annual SafeBUILD Conference, an industry partnership forum.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings regarding recognized construction hazards 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 the BTEA’s good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
• Ensure Alliance activities are informed by the perspectives of non-managerial workers employed in the construction industry by engaging with labor representatives from the local area construction building trades and councils at Alliance meetings.
• Develop and 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 publicize their results.
• Promote awareness of suicide prevention, mental health challenges, and available resources. Recognizing the ongoing crisis of suicide among construction workers, which continues to claim too many lives, the participants are committed to prioritizing worker well-being and mental health. They will work cooperatively and actively to ensure that workers have access to the support they need.
• Encourage BTEA members to build relationships with OSHA’s Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues in the construction industry.

Training and Education

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

• Distribute training tools and resources to communicate and reinforce construction industry-wide safety and health best practices, such as hazard fact sheets, hazard alert notices, and potential special-emphasis optional topics (i.e., mental health and suicide awareness).
• Provide resources for effective training and education programs for the industry on recognized hazards in construction. Promote the 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.
• Leverage relationships with New York City based organized building trade unions and councils, including but not limited to the Building and Construction Trades Council, Laborers' International Union of North America, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners, as well as International Union of Operating Engineers, for the purpose of encouraging worker participation in workplace safety and health training. Engage the building trade unions in joint communication, training, and education efforts. 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 its 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 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 New York City Regional Compliance Assistance Specialists and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage the New York State Plan’s and New York State On-Site Consultation program’s participation through this Alliance.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Either signatory organization 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 all signatories.

Signed this 14th day of May, 2025.