The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA),
the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the National Fire Protection Association
(NFPA) agree to establish an Alliance to promote safe and healthy working conditions
within the petroleum and petrochemical liquid storage industries. Specifically this
Alliance will promote safe tank entry, cleaning, maintenance, and rescue
operations and work within and around petroleum and petrochemical liquid storage
tanks. The workers include, but are not limited to tank owners and operators,
tank maintenance and repair workers, tank contractors and rescue personnel. In
developing this Alliance, OSHA, API, and NFPA recognize that OSHA's State Plan
and Consultation Project partners are an integral part of the OSHA national
effort.
OSHA, API and NFPA will work together to achieve the following outreach and
communication goals:
- Encourage petroleum and petrochemical industry workers including tank owners and
operations supervisors, tank repair and maintenance supervisors, tank contractor
supervisors and confined space rescue leaders to take the OSHA train-the-trainer
course on occupational safety and health standards and to carry that knowledge
back into field to train operators, workers and rescuers in safe work practices
in the petroleum and petrochemical liquid storage industry.
- Share information on best practices and lessons learned, as jointly determined
by OSHA, API, and NFPA, with others in the industry and publicize the results
through outreach by API and through OSHA-, API- or NFPA-developed training
programs and materials.
- Develop and disseminate information through print and electronic media,
including electronic assistance tools and links from OSHA's, API's, and NFPA's
Web sites.
- Speak, exhibit, or appear at OSHA or industry conferences such as the API/NFPA
Safety Tank Entry Workshop.
- Promote and encourage the petroleum and petrochemical industry's participation
in OSHA cooperative programs such as compliance assistance, the Voluntary
Protection Programs, and Consultation and its Safety and Health Achievement
Recognition Program.
OSHA's Alliances provide parties an opportunity to participate in
a voluntary cooperative relationship with OSHA for purposes such as training and
education, outreach and communication and promoting a national dialogue on workplace
safety and health. 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 any of that party's products or services; nor does the Agency
enter into an Alliance with the purpose of promoting a particular party's
products or services.
An implementation team made up of representatives of each of the organizations
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 quarterly to track and share information on activities and
results in achieving the goals of the Alliance. Team members will include
representatives of OSHA's Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs and any
other appropriate offices. OSHA will encourage State Plan States? and OSHA
Consultation Projects? participation on the team.
This agreement will remain in effect for two years. Any signatory may terminate
the agreement or their participation in the agreement for any reason at any
time, provided they give 30 days written notice to the other participants. This
agreement may be modified at any time with the concurrence of all signatories.
_____________________ ________
John Henshaw
Date
Assistant Secretary
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration
_____________________ ________
Red Cavaney
Date
President and CEO
American Petroleum Institute
_____________________ ________
James M. Shannon
Date
President and CEO
National Fire Protection Association
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