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UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
AUGUSTA AREA AND BANGOR DISTRICT OFFICES
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
MAINE SCHOOL OF MASONRY

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Augusta Area and Bangor District Offices, OSHA 21(d) On-Site Consultation Program – SafetyWorks! and Maine School of Masonry recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safety and health practices and programs to improve American workplaces. To that end, OSHA, SafetyWorks! and Maine School of Masonry hereby form an Alliance to provide Maine School of Masonry members and the public with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect workers by reducing and preventing exposure to silica hazards 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 effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety and health. In developing this Alliance, OSHA, SafetyWorks! and Maine School of Masonry recognize that OSHA’s State Plan and On-Site Consultation Project 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/Regional/Local Initiatives (Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, Outreach), and opportunities to participate in initiatives and the rulemaking process.
• To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• To 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’s, SafetyWorks! and the Maine School of Masonry Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s, SafetyWorks! or Maine School of Masonry conferences, or local meetings.
• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings regarding the hazards of silica in the workplace to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• To share information among OSHA and SafetyWorks! personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding Maine School of Masonry best practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
• To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by Maine School of Masonry.
• To collaborate with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on the hazards of silica in the workplace.
• To develop and disseminate case studies and best practices regarding the hazards of silica on Maine School of Masonry work sites and publicize their results.
• To encourage Maine School of Masonry to build relationships with OSHA’s Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including but not limited to the hazards of silica in the workplace and Safety Stand Down events.

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective training and education programs for Maine School of Masonry students regarding hazards of silica in construction and general industry, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for Maine School of Masonry students 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 deliver or arrange for the delivery of OSHA – 10 hour Construction Safety Courses

OSHA’s Alliances provide parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA and SafetyWorks! for purposes such as raising awareness of OSHA’s and SafetyWorks! initiatives, outreach, communications, training, and education. These Alliances have proven to be valuable tools for OSHA, SafetyWorks! and other 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 the Augusta Area and/or Bangor District offices and any other appropriate offices.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Any signatory may terminate it for any reason at any time, provided that they give 30 days’ written notice. This agreement may be modified at any time with the written concurrence of all parties.

Signed this 22 day of January, 2020.