OSHA regional offices in Dallas and Chicago form alliance with the Philippine consulate general in Chicago to promote worker safety and health

DALLAS, Texas — The U.S. Department of Labor's Dallas and Chicago Occupational Safety and Health Administration regional offices signed an alliance with the Consulate General of the Philippines in Chicago establishing a collaborative relationship to keep workers safe and healthy on the job. The goal of the alliance is to increase access to education and training resources that promote worker rights and employer knowledge of their responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act.

"All workers have the right to safe and healthful jobs, and it is important to educate workers about their rights, which includes the right to receive training about job hazards in a language and vocabulary they understand," said Eric S. Harbin, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Dallas.

Alliance participants in OSHA's Dallas region, which includes Philippine nationals employed in Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma, will develop training and education programs in general industry and construction. OSHA's Chicago region will include Philippine nationals employed in Illinois, Wisconsin and Ohio. Some of the serious safety and health issues the alliance will focus on involve preventing falls from elevated work surfaces, electrocution, heat illness, exposure to hazardous chemicals and struck-by dangers.

"This cooperative agreement allows us to work together to ensure that workers have a safe workplace, so that at the end of each day, they can go home to their families," said Nick Walters, OSHA's regional administrator in Chicago.

The signing ceremony was held at the OSHA Chicago Regional Office and was signed by Harbin, Walters and Consul General of the Philippines Leo M. Herrera-Lim.

Through its Alliance Program, OSHA works with businesses, trade associations, unions, consulates, professional organizations, faith- and community-based organizations, and educational institutions to prevent workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses. The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and to educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/index.html.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.