AGREEMENT ESTABLISHING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
WILKES-BARRE, PITTSBURGH, ERIE AND HARRISBURG AREA OFFICES
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
STEPS of PA

---

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Wilkes-Barre, Pittsburgh, Erie and Harrisburg Area Offices and the Service, Transmission, Exploration, Production Safety of Pennsylvania Network (STEPS of PA) recognize the value of establishing a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and STEPS of PA hereby form an Alliance to provide oil and gas drilling and servicing employers and employees and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of workers, particularly by addressing hazards associated with oil and gas operations, 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 will summarize specific activities and timeframes for completion in a written work plan.

Through the Alliance, the organizations will use relevant 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 to evaluate the effectiveness of the Alliance and measure the impact of its overall effort on improving workplace safety for employers and workers. In developing this Alliance, OSHA and STEPS of PA recognize that OSHA's 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 of OSHA’s Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following goals related to raising awareness of OSHA's rulemaking and enforcement initiatives:

• To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on oil and gas safety and health issues to help forge innovative solutions in the workplace or to provide input on safety and health issues.
• To encourage worker participation in workplace safety and health by interacting directly with front line employees and oil and gas subcontractors at monthly meetings and providing information on worker rights to STEPS of PA.

Training and Education

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following training and education goals:

• To provide effective training and education programs for STEPS of PA members regarding oil and gas safety and health issues including heat stress, vehicle operations, air contaminants such as silica and other chemical exposures, the Focus Four hazards, and any identified trends within the oil and gas industry and to communicate such information to member employers and workers.
• To provide effective training and education tools for OSHA personnel to ensure that they remain abreast of industry specific hazards and effective abatement methods.

Outreach and Communication

The Participants intend to work together to achieve the following outreach and communication goals:

• To provide information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media and electronic assistance tools to include a link to OSHA on the STEPS of PA web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or STEPS of PA conferences, local meetings, or other events.
• To provide an OSHA representative at STEPS of PA Board of Director's planning and strategy meetings, in a non-voting capacity, to provide safety and health information, as resources allow.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding STEPS of PA good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.

OSHA's Alliances provide parties an opportunity to participate in a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as raising awareness of OSHA's rulemaking and enforcement initiatives, training and education, and outreach and communication. These Alliances have proved 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 OSHA and the STEPS of PA Network 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 at least three 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 Wilkes-Barre Area Office. OSHA will encourage OSHA On-site Consultation Projects' participation on the team.

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

Signed this 29^th day of March, 2017.