After nearly five months of conversations and planning, OSHA and the IEC have reached an agreement on an alliance in which the two groups will promote safe and healthy working conditions for electrical contractors and employees. In particular, the agreement states that the two sides will work on reducing and preventing exposure to falls, rear-end automobile collisions, and material handling hazards.
John L. Henshaw, assistant secretary of labor for OSHA, and Gary Baumgartner, national president of IEC, met on Capitol Hill last week to sign the alliance agreement, and both believe their respective organizations have a lot to gain from the coupling.
“One of the most important outcomes of this alliance is that IEC members can now take advantage of the knowledge, experience, and resources provided by OSHA,” Baumgartner says. “We want to encourage voluntary compliance with OSHA regulations and better communication between the two organizations.”
The language in the agreement also states that IEC and OSHA will work together to achieve certain outreach and communications goals like seeking opportunities to jointly develop and disseminate information at conferences, events, and through print and electronic media.
The agreement remains in effect for one year from the date of signing and is automatically renewed annually thereafter.
