AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
CLEVELAND AREA OFFICE
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE CLEVELAND SAFETY FORUM

---

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Cleveland Area Office and The Cleveland Safety Forum continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and The Cleveland Safety Forum hereby renew the Alliance signed May 23, 2014 and renewed June 6, 2016, with a continued emphasis on hazards that affect the health and safety of construction workers. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing The Cleveland Safety Forum members and others with information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect the health and safety of 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 safety and health hazards including falls, electrical, struck-by, caught in or between, confined space, and air contaminants such as silica and carbon monoxide.

This renewal 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 renewing this Alliance, OSHA and The Cleveland Safety Forum 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 of OSHA's Rulemaking and Enforcement Initiatives

The Participants intend to work together to achieve and following goal related to raising awareness of OSHA's rule making and enforcement initiatives:

• To share information on OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, regulatory agenda, and provide opportunities to participate in the rulemaking process.
• To share information on occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective training and education programs for the local construction industry regarding construction hazards such as falls, silica exposure, electrical, and caught in or between hazards, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for the local construction industry to promote understanding of workers’ rights, and the responsibilities of employers and to communicate such information to workers and employers.
• To deliver or arrange for the delivery of seminars on construction related topics aimed at reducing workplace hazard, including training workers on the new silica standard and revised standards, industry best practices, as well as the new confined space standard.

Outreach and Communication

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

• To develop information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards, and to develop ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA’s Web site) to employers and workers in the construction industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA’s or The Safety Forum local meetings, or training events, such as the OSHA Outreach Trainers and Construction Safety Council of Northeast Ohio meetings to share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals. Topics may include best practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures developed by participants.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding The Safety Forum’s good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.
• To develop and disseminate literature on occupational hazards in the construction industry, including, but not limited to falls, electrical, caught in or between, confined space and silica exposures.

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 each organization will meet to develop a work plan, determine working procedures, and identify the roles and responsibilities of the participants. In addition, they will meet at least 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 Cleveland OSHA Office. OSHA will encourage State Plan States’ and OSHA On-site Consultation Projects’ participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for five years. Any signatory may terminate it 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 6th day of June, 2016.