AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. OSHA and ASSE therefore agree to form an Alliance to use their collective expertise to help advance a culture of prevention while sharing best practices and technical knowledge, especially in the area of ergonomics and reducing musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs).

OSHA and ASSE agree to establish an Alliance to promote safe and healthful working conditions by:

• Providing information and guidance that will help protect employees' health and safety by reducing and preventing employee exposure to ergonomic hazards.
• Reaching out with specific guidance for developing, implementing, or improving ergonomic programs.

ASSE and OSHA will work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

• Sharing information through educational opportunities that provide the best and most up-to-date information regarding ergonomics and MSDs.
• Seeking opportunities for ASSE members with industry-specific expertise in developing, implementing, or improving ergonomic programs to participate in stakeholder groups and other forums, and provide input into the development of ergonomic programs and MSD guidelines for the workplace.
• Establishing avenues and processes for ASSE members to mentor and assist OSHA personnel as OSHA personnel proceed with professional certification.

OSHA and the ASSE will work together to achieve the following goals related to promoting the national dialogue on workplace safety and health:

• Seeking joint opportunities to develop and disseminate information addressing ergonomics and MSDs at conferences, events and/or through print and electronic media, including informational links from OSHA's and ASSE's Web sites.
• Promoting opportunities to speak, exhibit and/or appear at conferences, local meetings, and/or other events in order to demonstrate the effectiveness of ergonomic programs.
• Participating in forums and roundtable discussions to help develop innovative solutions to ergonomic and MSD issues in the workplace.

An implementation team made up of representatives from both organizations will meet to develop a plan of action, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet on a regular quarterly schedule to track and share information on activities and results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. OSHA will afford the opportunity for representatives of the Occupational Safety and Health State Plan Association and the association of state Consultation Projects to participate as well.

This agreement will remain in effect for one year from the date of signing and will automatically be renewed annually thereafter. This agreement may be modified at any time with the concurrence of both signatories and may be terminated for any reason with 30 days written notice from either signatory.