AGREEMENT RENEWING AN ALLIANCE
BETWEEN
THE DENVER AREA OFFICE OF
THE OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
AND
THE DJ BASIN SAFETY COUNCIL
The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Denver Area Office and the DJ Basin 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 the DJ Basin Safety Council hereby renew the Alliance signed February 6, 2013, with a continued emphasis on safety and health issues in the upstream oil and gas industry. Specifically, both organizations are committed to providing DJ Basin Safety Council 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 transportation/driving, chemical exposure, fire/explosion, falls and struck by hazards.
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, including temporary workers.
- To convene or participate in forums, roundtable discussions, or stakeholder meetings on upstream oil and gas safety 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 encouraging workers to attend monthly meetings, seminars and other training events.
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 oil and gas industry workers and employers regarding the most common hazards in the upstream oil and gas industry and other OSHA initiatives, and to communicate such information to constituent employers and workers.
- To develop effective training and education programs for oil and gas industry workers and employers 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 DJ Basin Safety Council's Web sites) to employers and workers in the industry.
- To speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA's or DJ Basin Safety Council conferences, local meetings, or other events.
- To share information among OSHA personnel and industry safety and health professionals regarding DJ Basin Safety Council member 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 oil and gas safety that are addressed and developed through the Alliance Program.
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 Denver Area Office.
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 both signatories.
Signed this 5th day of May 2015.
- Herb Gibson, Area Director, OSHA
- Carrie Jordan, President, DJ Basin Safety Council