Multiple safety risks exist for people working in the construction industry regardless of their exact job description.
Whether excavating a site, performing demolition, or painting the exterior of a business, construction workers perform various tasks. Many of these put them in potential danger. Along with standing on scaffolding and using power tools, some workers deal with hazardous materials.
If you work in construction, training is essential. In addition to the OSHA Outreach Training program, you should take advantage of online training to avoid injury or worse while on the job.
What is OSHA?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), founded back in 1971, helps reduce injuries and deaths in the workplace through proper training and set standards.
Ongoing OSHA training proves beneficial for many different industries. However, it’s vital for the construction industry considering it accounts for more than 20 percent of all annual worker fatalities. Proper training enhances your health and safety, as well as the people you work with on different job sites.
As for the type of OSHA training needed, there are two options for the Outreach program, one is 10 hours and the other is 30 hours. Whether for fall protection, personal protective equipment, general health and safety provisions, both of the OSHA Outreach Training programs are exceptional.
What makes this program unique is all trainers are OSHA-Authorized. What that means is you learn from someone with in-depth knowledge and expertise about work-related injuries and deaths within the construction industry.
For optimal training, you should take the OSHA program in conjunction with available online courses and on-site employer instruction. Together, they cover and support everything you need to know to remain safe and healthy while working construction.
Construction Jobs
There are multiple types of construction jobs such as engineering, carpentry, roofing, landscape gardening, electrical, plumbing, masonry, paving, glass work, machinery installation, and more. In fact, some maintenance also classifies as “construction” work.
According to OSHA’s regulations under 29 CFR 1910, section 1910.12(b), construction work includes any “work for construction, alteration, and/or repair, including painting and decorating.”
Proven Success
Since the founding of OSHA, the number of workplace deaths has dropped by a staggering 66 percent. That alone shows how valuable this organization is and why its outreach program is so vital. Realizing the fatality rate in construction is three times more than any other industry, training is even more critical.
Although OSHA doesn’t mandate its outreach training program, sometimes, the Department of Labor, jurisdictions, states, and individual employers require construction workers to complete it.
While this program covers a vast range of topics, it doesn’t include every requirement associated with OSHA’s standards. As mentioned, you can supplement this program by taking several online training courses from a reputable source.
Whether completing the 10- or 30-hour program, this is an excellent way to create a foundation on which to build your training. If you own a construction classified business, OSHA Outreach Training is vital.
This unique program will help you create, monitor, and control your company’s internal program. While not required, this program should be an essential part of your overall training.
Following are the current states that require OSHA Outreach Training for construction workers on specific jobs.
- Connecticut – Partially or fully state-funded public building projects valued at $100,000 or more.
- Florida – Projects under a private or Miami-Dade County public contract valued at $1 million or higher.
- Massachusetts – Public sector projects, regardless of value.
- Missouri – Municipal or state public works projects.
- Nevada – 10-hour Outreach Training for employees and 30=hour training for supervisors.
- New Hampshire – Public works projects valued more than $100,000.
- New York – Public works projects over $250,000.
- Pennsylvania – 10-hour training for construction employees and 30-hour training for supervisors of demolition work within the Philadelphia city limits or licensed contractors working on permitted projects.
- Rhode Island – Municipal and state construction projects valued at $100,000 or higher.
- West Virginia – Public improvement projects costing over $500,000.
Top Risks
- Falls – Statistics show falls accounted for 34 percent of all construction-related deaths. In those two years alone, more than 800 people lost their lives due to falls from ladders, scaffolding, roofs, and other working surfaces.
- Caught In Between – These hazards, which include compression, crushing, squeezing, or pinching someone between objects, accounted for 10 percent of construction site fatalities.
- Struck-By – Construction workers hit by flying debris, unsecured loads, and other airborne items was another significant construction-related safety issue. This hazard accounted for 24 percent of fatalities. This risk can impact all construction workers.
- Electrocution – This risk accounted for 11 percent of deaths. Licensed electricians and other workers dealing with electricity need proper training. The OSHA Outreach program and online courses help tremendously.
Training Benefits
At the same time, Go1, a leading Learning Management System platform, has incredible resources to further enhance your safety and health on the job.
We invite you to visit our site to identify courses you can complete and implement as part of your company’s training program. Keep production high and costs down by providing your employees what they need to stay safe and healthy on the job.
