AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE ALLENTOWN AREA OFFICE OF
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
LEHIGH VALLEY HEALTH NETWORK - SAFETY PEER GROUP

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Allentown Area Office and the Lehigh Valley Health Network - Safety Peer Group (LVHN - SPG) (collectively the "Participants") 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 LVHN-SPG hereby renew the Alliance signed September 20, 2017, and renewed September 16, 2019, with a continued emphasis on reducing and preventing exposure to ergonomic, healthcare, environmental (heat, cold and extreme weather), and chemical hazards and implementation of injury and illness prevention programs, effective safety training and medical management programs. Specifically, all participants are committed to providing the LVHN-SPG members 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 drugs in the workplace, injury and illness recording and reporting, ergonomic and chemical hazards. 

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 participants 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 the LVHN-SPG 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/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.
• Share 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 LVHN-SPG websites) to employers and workers in the industry. Ensure information developed encourages and reflects the diversity of the workforce and is accessible in multiple languages and formats.
• Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA and LVHN-SPG conferences, local meetings, or other events.
• Convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on various safety and health topics including but not limited to ergonomics, substance abuse testing and prevention programs, medical marijuana, legionella, silica, injury and illness prevention programs, OSHA Consultation Program, and OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program 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 good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum).
• Encourage LVHN-SPG members to build relationships with OSHA's Regional and Area Offices to address health and safety issues, including workplace safety and health management systems, workplace safety committees and workplace safety suggestions programs.

Training and Education

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

• Review and provide input into effective training and education programs for LVHN-SPG members regarding ergonomics, heat injury and illness prevention, substance abuse testing and prevention programs, workplace stress and management, injury and illness prevention programs, OSHA's Consultation Program, and OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers. Ensure training materials/programs are made available in appropriate languages and formats to equitably meet the needs of their target audiences.
• Review and provide input on effective training and education programs for LVHV-SPG members 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.

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 Allentown 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 effect for a period not to exceed two years. Any 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 20^th day of September 2024.