The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is the DOL agency charged with protecting the health and safety
of the nation’s workers. Because worker use of alcohol and other drugs can create serious workplace safety concerns,
Working Partners works closely with OSHA to incorporate substance abuse prevention into its outreach and compliance assistance
activities.
Collaborative projects with OSHA focus on improving worker safety and health through drug-free workplace programs,
especially in industries traditionally at high risk for occupational accidents and injuries. Drug-free workplace programs
are not, however, required under OSHA regulations. Examples of Working Partners’ joint efforts with OSHA include the
following:
Drug-Free Workplace Alliance
The Drug-Free Workplace Alliance is DOL’s first-ever cooperative agreement focusing exclusively on improving worker safety
and health in the construction industry through drug-free workplace programs. Led by Working Partners and managed
cooperatively with OSHA and DOL’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), the Alliance brings together a range of
industry stakeholders to identify effective strategies for improving safety and health through prevention and intervention.
To learn more about the alliance visit the
Drug-Free Workplace Alliance Web Page.
National Federation of Independent Business Alliance
Working Partners also serves on the implementation team of the OSHA/National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB)
Alliance, the formal agreement for which includes promoting drug-free workplace programs to NFIB members as a goal.
Through this Alliance, Working Partners has disseminated drug-free workplace materials at NFIB events and written articles
about related topics for NFIB’s member publications. To read more about the Alliance, visit OSHA’s
NFIB Alliance Web page.
Publications
In support of these various efforts, Working Partners also has collaborated with OSHA to develop a special
Safety and Health Topic Web page and reproducible
fact sheet addressing workplace substance abuse.
In addition, Working Partners and OSHA have co-authored a number of articles about substance abuse and safety issues
and delivered joint presentations on the topic at relevant conferences.
|