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OPA News Release: [07/11/2002]
Contact Name: Ms.
Layne Lathram
Phone Number: (202) 693-1999
U.S. and Mexican Occupational Safety and Health Experts Meet to Fulfill
Commitments Under Ministerial Consultations
The inaugural session of the U.S.-Mexico Bilateral Occupational Safety
and Health Working Group opened in Mexico City on July 8 for a two-day session.
Chaired by John L. Henshaw, U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational
Safety and Health, and Dr. Alberto Aguilar Salinas, Mexican Director General of
Safety and Health, and under the guidance and direction of both the U.S. and
Mexican National Administrative Offices, the working group agreed to establish
technical expert subgroups to foster ongoing cooperation by the governments in
four key areas of occupational safety and health: handling of hazardous
substances; safety and health management systems and voluntary protection
programs; training of technical assistance staff and possibly inspectors; and
the development of a trinational (U.S.-Mexico-Canada) web page for ongoing
exchanges of information and good practices.
Mexican Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare Carlos Maria Abascal
Carranza opened the inaugural session. Secretary Abascal emphasized the
important role that occupational safety and health plays in Mexico, and the
benefits that result from bilateral collaboration in this area. Secretary
Abascal stressed the shared commitment with U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L.
Chao that the establishment of the working group settles the occupational
safety and health issues raised in public submissions US 9702, 9703, 9901,
2000-01 and MEX 9804. The submissions were filed with the U.S. and Mexican
governments under terms of the North American Agreement on Labor Cooperation
(NAALC), the labor side agreement to NAFTA.
The working group discussed and reviewed issues raised in the public
communications consistent with the Joint Declaration signed by both Secretaries
on June 11, 2002, as well as occupational safety and health trends and
priorities, safety and health management systems, methods for compliance
evaluation, voluntary programs, and workplace joint safety and health
committees. The working group agreed to meet again in October 2002 in San
Diego, Cal. to define the parameters for the technical expert subgroups in each
of the four areas. The subgroups will begin their work shortly thereafter and
make reports to the working group.
The establishment of this working group results from commitments made by
Secretary Chao and Secretary Abascal in a Ministerial Consultations Joint
Declaration signed pursuant to the NAALC less than one month ago on June 11,
2002, resolving U.S. public submissions 9901 and 2000-01 and Mexico public
submission 9804.
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