OSHA ANNOUNCES ISSUANCE OF MORE SECURE TRAINING CARDS
OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 training can improve worker safety and reduce worker’s compensation claims. The growing success of this program has led OSHA to take steps to improve course completion security.
March 2019 – Little Rock, AR – SEA Inc., a major industrial safety, environmental services and training company, has announced that its long-running OSHA safety training program for manufacturers, construction companies, and other industrial customers will be adopting new, more secure student course completion cards consistent with recent guidance from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
SEA’s OSHA safety courses are part of OSHA’s Outreach Training, a program that gives individual workers and their supervisors structured safety training that helps them recognize, avoid, and address safety hazards in the workplace. Studies have shown that workers who have participated in safety training programs report fewer accidents resulting in significant reductions in workers compensation claims.
There are four general classes of training under Outreach OSHA safety training. The Construction Industry program is for workers employed at residential and commercial building sites. The Maritime program provides courses for employees of shipbuilders, marine terminals, and related on-shore facilities. The Disaster Site training is for workers involved with demolition and clean up in the wake of natural and man-made disasters. Finally, there is General Industry training, which supports those working in manufacturing and other industrial settings.
In each of the four general classes of Outreach training, workers can participate in a 10-hour (OSHA 10) or a 30-hour course (OSHA 30). OSHA 10 is intended for entry-level employees. OSHA 30 is for supervisors and/or those with broader safety responsibilities. Trainers giving these courses receive special OSHA certification and are authorized to issue student course completion cards.
The need for more secure student course completion cards has been driven by the Outreach Training Program’s increasing acceptance. While employers are not required by OSHA to participate, some cities and states are now mandating OSHA 10 for construction workers. This has led many companies to require job applicants to have already completed the OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 course.
In addition, other companies are making Outreach Training an integral part of their in-house safety programs. Over the past five years, some 3.6 million workers have participated in Outreach OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 training.
The new course completion cards will be more durable than the current paper cards and will include the student’s name, trainer, training date, and the name of the OSHA Training Institute that sponsored the course. The cards will also include a QR code that can be used by employers to check the employee’s name against a database of trainers and students.
SEA’s safety-training courses include OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 General Industry and Construction Outreach Training. Open enrollment courses are held in Little Rock and St. Louis. In addition, employers can schedule on-site training for their employees.
For more information about SEA’s OSHA Outreach Training, contact SEA at 501-568-3111 to speak with one of our training specialists.
A Quick Guide for Industrial and Manufacturing Facilities By Keina Jennings, CEO/CFO, SEA
By Don Harkness, East Coast Regional Manager, SEA Ladder Inspection Safety At-A-Glance Ladders of all types are useful in the workplace. They are tools that allow workers to safely reach another level. Working at elevated levels poses plenty of risks, ones that have been covered in many regulatory training courses you have attended. Walking, Working Surfaces and Fall protection all focus heavily on the different hazards, of which SEA would be honored to share with you, but today, I want to focus on what needs to happen prior to using the ladder. The Right Tool for the Job And make no mistake, ladders are tools, and only perform as well as we, the operators, allow them to. So, what do we need to consider when picking the right ladder for our job? Several key factors include, but aren’t limited to: What are we doing? What style do you need? Step Ladders, extension ladders, and platform ladders all serve different purposes! What is the weight limit of my ladder? Note that the weight limit includes you and all the tools/equipment you are wearing, including fall protection! What height do I need my ladder to be? Ladders come in all shapes and sizes, so ensure you pick one that allows you to not put yourself at risk, even if it takes a little extra time to go and get it! What material should my ladder be made of? Most ladders are fiberglass but also come in several other materials. Make sure you plan for the task and don’t pick a metal ladder when working with electricity, for example The Most Important Step After choosing the ladder for our task, we need to perform an all-around inspection of the ladder. How often do we need to perform this inspection? Does it need to be documented? Ladders must be inspected before every use to ensure that no damage has occurred. As far as documentation goes, it is required that a documented inspection occur once a year, but your company policy can dictate more frequent documented inspections.
By Alison Jennings, VP Operations, SEA Sometimes it takes a real-life moment to remind us how quickly routine tasks can turn into injuries. Recently, I had a reminder of just how quickly something simple can turn into an injury. I was hanging a picture frame at home. Nothing complicated—just one of those quick projects you knock out in a few minutes. I picked the frame up by the sides to move it into position. As I lifted it, the bottom of the frame suddenly gave out. The glass dropped straight down and landed directly on the top of my bare foot. Within seconds, what started as a simple task turned into a trip to urgent care. The cut was deep enough that I ended up needing eight stitches. Looking back, there were a few things I didn’t think about in that moment. I was barefoot. I didn’t consider the possibility that the frame might break. I didn’t think about what could happen if the glass slipped or fell. It really wasn’t a dangerous job. I wasn’t using power tools or heavy equipment. I was just hanging a picture. But that’s the reality of many injuries—they don’t happen during obviously dangerous activities. They happen during everyday tasks when we assume nothing will go wrong.