The Hispanic Contractors Association de
Tejas (HCAT) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) agree to establish an Alliance to promote safe and healthful
working conditions for Hispanic construction workers. The number of
Hispanic construction workers killed or injured on the job in
construction is disproportionate to those of other groups of
workers. To promote safer working conditions, better understanding
of safety and health practices, and cooperation between
stakeholders, HCAT and the OSHA agree to:
- Help construction contractors (employers) improve knowledge of
safe and healthful work practices and achieve compliance with
safety and health standards and other regulations promulgated
pursuant to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970;
and
- Increase access to safety and health training resources and
related materials in Spanish for construction employers and
employees who are not fluent in the English language.
Both organizations acknowledge that,
when English is not the first language of construction employers
and/or employees in the United States, access to training and
information about safe and healthful work practices may be limited
compared to native English-speakers. To bridge this language barrier
and other potential gaps in access, the HCAT and OSHA agree to work
together to:
- Identify existing resources and stimulate the development of
new resources for Hispanic construction employers and employees,
such as safety and health publications, audio-visual and other
reference materials that are in Spanish.
- Seek opportunities to jointly exhibit and disseminate safety
and health information at conferences, events, community-based
activities, and through electronic mediums.
- Establish an annual “Safety Day” event to promote free
Spanish-language safety hazard awareness training for construction
workers and employers in the State of Texas.
- Work with community and faith based organizations and other
leadership groups to build safety and health awareness within the
Hispanic community.
- Encourage bilingual individuals in construction to take the
OSHA train-the-trainer course on occupational safety and health
standards for the construction industry, so they qualify to teach
Hispanic workers the OSHA 10- and 30-hour construction safety and
health outreach courses in Spanish.
- Promote and encourage participation in the OSHA cooperative
programs (e.g. compliance assistance, consultation and mentoring)
among HCAT members.
- Working in mutual Cooperation to establish a partnering
program between HCAT and OSHA for each chapter.
- Participating member of the organizations will meet to
facilitate the goals of the Alliance. The participating members
will draft a document formalizing the Alliance procedures, and
establish methods to track, analyze, and evaluate the Alliance
activities.
- Two original copies of this present agreement are signed and
rectified on this 1st. day of April 2003. Thus validating dual
texts equally.
- THEREFORE, the Hispanic Contractors Association de Tejas and
Occupational Safety & Health Administration hereby enter into
this alliance.
Joe Reina
Deputy Regional Administrator for Region
VI
Occupational Safety and
Health Administration |
Date |
|
Javier Arias
Chairman
Hispanic Contractors Association
de Tejas |
Date |
|
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