Iron Workers Union, MHSA Sign Alliance Agreement

The Iron Workers Union of Washington, D.C., and the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) of Arlington, Va., signed an alliance earlier this week calling for collaboration on safety and health initiatives and procedures, according to a January 12 news release. Iron Worker and MSHA officials have called the alliance agreement a "huge industry step toward comprehensive safety programs across all agencies."

MSHA and the Iron Workers Union will work together to achieve a number of alliance agreement initiatives. Among these initiatives is the creation of injury and industry case studies to identify hazardous safety and health conditions and practices. The two will also develop training programs for individuals working on or near mine construction projects.

The alliance agreement between the Iron Workers Union and MSHA also calls for a comprehensive outreach and communication strategy, which incorporates awareness and outreach initiatives aimed to educate workers and industry officials about safety and health operations around mine construction sites.

"These are the kinds of alliances and partnerships that really make a difference in bringing about that basic goal of seeing that workers-whether they are Ironworkers or miners-have the chance to fulfill that opportunity to pick an occupation in this country and be able to live their life in that occupation and return home safely like everyone else," says Joe Main, MSHA assistant secretary of labor, in the release. "I hope that others pay attention to this program and incorporate these values into other workplace initiatives."

The Iron Workers-MSHA alliance agreement arrives this week along with the Iron Workers' "Countdown to Zero Fatalities" awareness campaign, which was launched on January 1.