The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) works with the public
to promote safety and health in the workplace by offering compliance assistance services and programs
to businesses and organizations. These services and programs help organizations work collaboratively
with the Agency and comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
Through the Alliance Program, OSHA works with groups committed to safety health, including
businesses, trade or professional organizations, unions and educational institutions, to leverage
resources and expertise to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and share information
with employers and employees to help prevent injuries, illnesses and fatalities in the workplace.
Benefits of an Alliance
There are many benefits to participating in an Alliance with
OSHA. The agreements, which are signed for two years, help
organizations to:
- Build trusting, cooperative relationships with the Agency.
- Network with others committed to workplace safety and health.
- Leverage resources to maximize worker safety and health protection.
- Gain recognition as proactive leaders in safety and health.
Organizations may be cooperating with OSHA for the first time, or they may be
continuing existing relationships with the Agency established through other cooperative programs.
Getting Started
The Alliance Program supports OSHA's strategic areas of emphasis by addressing the plan's
occupational trends, emerging issues and the Agency's priorities. There are few formal program
requirements for Alliances and the agreements do not include an enforcement component. However, OSHA
and the participating organizations must define, implement and meet a set of short and long-term
goals that fall into three categories:
- Training and Education, such as developing training and education programs and seminars aimed
at reducing workplace hazards, providing the OSHA Training Institute with educational and training
materials on specific safety issues upon request, and providing peer review of OSHA training
curricula.
- Outreach and Communication, such as sharing the most up-to-date ergonomic information for
educational purposes, promoting participation in OSHA's cooperative programs, and providing
information in Spanish and other languages.
- Promoting the National Dialogue on Workplace Safety and Health, by sharing data on safety and
health hazards, participating in various forums and groups to discuss ways of improving workplace
safety and health programs, and demonstrating the effectiveness of safety and health programs.
Alliance Implementation
OSHA and the Alliance participants form implementation teams. The teams, consisting of representatives
from OSHA and the organizations, are responsible for developing strategies and implementing programs
or processes that meet the defined goals.
Products and Activities
Current Alliances have developed a number of products and undertaken many activities, including:
- Assisting OSHA in developing interactive, web-based training tools on occupational safety and
health topics;
- Helping develop Safety and Health Topics pages;
- Appearing at trade shows and conferences.
Information
For national Alliances, contact OSHA's Office of Outreach Services and Alliances at 202-693-2340.
For regional or local Alliances, contact your area's Regional OSHA Office. Visit OSHA's website at
www.osha.gov for more information about the Alliance Program and the Regional Offices.
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