AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
BATON ROUGE AREA OFFICE
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
GULF COAST SAFETY COUNCIL

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The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Baton Rouge Area Office and Gulf Coast Safety Council continue to recognize the value of maintaining a collaborative relationship to foster safer and more healthful American workplaces. To that end, OSHA and Gulf Coast Safety Council hereby renew the Alliance signed July 17, 2009 with a continued emphasis on petro-chemical industry personnel and industry contract workers, including non-English or limited English speaking employees, with information, guidance, and access to industrial education training resources that will help protect employees' health and safety. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing members and others with information, guidance, and access to industrial education 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 associated within the local petro-chemical industry, such as fall hazards, equipment operation hazards and chemical hazard communication. In renewing this Alliance, OSHA and Gulf Coast Safety Council recognize that OSHA's State Plan and On-site Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national effort.

 

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 OSHA's National/Regional/Local Emphasis Programs, Regulatory Agenda, and 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.
• To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on foundation drilling issues such as fall protection, equipment operation hazards and chemical hazard communication and 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 encouraging members to have proactive programs that identify and abate hazardous working conditions in the petro-chemical industry.

 

Training and Education

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

• To develop effective training and education programs for petro-chemical processing facility personnel and industry contract worker and non-English or limited English speaking employees regarding fall hazards, equipment operation hazards, chemical hazard communication and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
• To develop effective training and education programs for petro-chemical processing facility personnel and industry contract worker and non-English or limited English speaking employees 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.

 

Outreach and Communication

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

• 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 and the Gulf Coast Safety Council's Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
• To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or the Gulf Coast Safety Council conferences, local meetings, or other special events.
• To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding the Gulf Coast Safety Council's good practices or effective approaches through training programs, workshops, seminars, and lectures (or any other applicable forum) developed by the participants.
• To work with other Alliance participants on specific issues and projects on petro-chemical industry that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
• To develop and disseminate case studies on petro-chemical industry and publicize their results.

 

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 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 Region 6, Baton Rouge Area Office and any other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plan States' and OSHA On-site Consultation Projects' participation on the team.

This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Either 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 29th day of April, 2014.