CONN-OSHA Quarterly
September, 2009

Volume No. 57
September 2009

• A Summary of the OSHA Outreach Training Program: 10-Hour Construction vs. 10-Hour General Industry Program

• We Bid You Farewell and Good Fortune

• Information Bulletin - The 10-Hour OSHA Construction Safety and Health Course

• Hazard Corner

• Training Update

A Summary of the OSHA Outreach Training Program
10-Hour Construction vs. 10-Hour General Industry Program

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Outreach Training Program introduces workers to the basics of safety and health hazard recognition and prevention. OSHA authorizes trainers who complete construction and general industry train-the-trainer courses to conduct occupational safety and health classes for workers. Participation is voluntary.

The Outreach Training Program has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2008, OSHA distributed nearly 680,000 student cards to trainers who held over 43,000 classes – an average of almost 850 classes per week. While the number of students completing 30-hour construction training tripled from 2005 to 2008, over 80% of the classes are 10-Hour classes.

This growth is a result of industry-wide acceptance. Many employers use the Outreach Training Program to provide training for their employees. The building trades, general contractors, employer associations, insurance companies, and manufacturing firms have integrated the program into their safety and health training plans. Many employers have chosen to require this training as a condition of employment for workers.

Recent State laws enacted in Massachusetts, Rhode Is-land, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Missouri and New York require 10-hour Construction training for workers on publicly funded construction projects.

How to Find 10- or 30-Hour Construction Outreach Classes

OutreachTrainers.org is a free website that assists workers looking for 10- and 30-hour outreach training classes. OSHA encourages authorized outreach trainers to add their trainer profile and training schedules to the site. Users may search for trainers and schedules based on type of training and proximity.

The New England OSHA Training Institute Education Center (OTIEC) offers the 10- and 30-hour training throughout the New England area. See their listing of courses at: www.keene.edu/conted/osha.cfm.

Online training is also available. The New England OTIEC provides a link to approved online courses at www.keene.edu/conted/osha.cfm. To obtain a list of OSHA accepted on-line training, send an E-mail to outreach@dol.gov.

Active Outreach Trainer Lists

The New England OTIEC maintains a list of active outreach trainers for 10- or 30-hour outreach training. To obtain a list, call 1-800-449-OSHA (6742), visit www.keene.edu/conted/osha.cfm, or E-mail to oshaed@keene.edu. You must provide your e-mail address, fax number or mailing address; state(s) you are looking for; and area of training - Construction and/or General Industry.

10-Hour Construction Course Description

Designed for entry-level construction workers, the 10-Hour Construction Outreach Training Program provides an introduction to recognizing and preventing hazards on a construction site. Training should emphasize hazard identification, avoidance, control and prevention; not OSHA standards. Workers must receive additional training on hazards specific to their job. Construction topics include the OSHA Focus Four Hazards:

• Fall Protection (e.g. floors, platforms, roofs)

• Electrical

• Struck by (e.g. falling objects, trucks, cranes)

• Caught in/between (e.g. trench hazards, equipment)

Additional time is spent on introducing OSHA, the General Duty Clause, personal protective and lifesaving equipment, and health hazards in construction.

Participants that successfully complete the course requirements receive an OSHA 10-hour Construction Course completion card.

10-Hour General Industry Course Description

The 10-Hour General Industry Outreach Training Program provides entry-level General Industry workers a broad awareness on recognizing and preventing hazards. Training should emphasize hazard identification, avoidance, control and prevention; not OSHA standards. Workers must receive additional training on hazards specific to their job.

Newly revised General Industry Outreach topics include: The OSH Act, General Duty Clause, Employee rights and responsibilities, Whistleblower rights, Recordkeeping basics, Inspections, Citations and penalties, OSHA website re-sources, Walking/working surfaces including fall protection, Exit Routes, Emergency Action Plans and Fire Prevention/Protection, Electrical, Personal Protective Equipment and Hazard Communication.

In additional, optional topics include Hazardous Materials (Flammable and Combustible Liquids, Compressed Gases, Dipping and Coating), Materials Handling, Machine Guarding, Introduction to Industrial Hygiene, Bloodborne Pathogens, Ergonomics, Safety and Health Programs, and Fall Protection.

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We Bid You Farewell and Good Fortune

Five CONN-OSHA employees recently took advantage of the State’s Retirement Incentive Program. We wish them all health and happiness in their future endeavors and sincerely thank them for their years of service and dedication.

Those retiring include:

• Thomas Hozebin, Safety & Health Program Manager. Tom supervised the public sector consultation and enforcement programs. Prior to becoming a supervisor he spent many years as a CONN-OSHA Safety Compliance Officer. He worked for the State for 16 years.

• Joseph Weber. Joe supervised the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics unit. He was nationally recognized for his contributions to the Annual Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses. He also created a very unique and interesting OSHA Recordkeeping training agenda. Joe worked for the State for 34 years.

• Roger Rocheleau. Roger was a public sector Safety Con-sultant. He previously worked for CONN-OSHA as a Safety Compliance Office and also worked for the Wage and Workplace Standards unit as a Wage and Hour Investigator. He worked for the State for 21 years.

• Scott Horr. Scott retired as a Health Compliance Officer but spent most of his career with CONN-OSHA as a Safety Compli-ance Officer. He worked for the State for almost 17 years.

• Usha Maru. Usha was a private sector Health Consultant and a strong advocate of the SHARP recognition program. She worked for CONN-OSHA almost 16 years.

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Information Bulletin - The 10-Hour OSHA Construction Safety and Health Course

This bulletin is applicable to public works contracts as de-scribed by Connecticut General Statute § 31-53(g) entered into on or after July 1, 2009.

1. This requirement was created by Public Act No. 08-83, which is codified in Section 31-53b of the Connecticut General Statutes;
    

2. The course, program or training is required for public works contracts as described by Connecticut General Statute § 31-53(g) entered into on or after July 1, 2009;
    

3. It is required of private workers (not state or municipal workers) and apprentices who perform the work of a mechanic, laborer or worker pursuant to the classifications of labor under Connecticut General Statute § 31-53 on a public works project as described by Connecticut. Gen. Stat. § 31-53(g);
    

4. The ten-hour construction safety and health course, pro-gram or training pertains to the ten-hour Outreach Course conducted in accordance with federal OSHA Training Insti-tute standards, a new mining training program approved by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration in accor-dance with 30 CFR 48, or for telecommunications workers, a ten-hour training course conducted in accordance with fed-eral OSHA standard, 29 CFR 1910.268;
    

5. The website for the federal OSHA Training Institute is: www.osha.gov/fso/ote/training/edcenters/fact_sheet.html;
    

6. The statutory language leaves it to the contractor and its employees to determine who pays for the cost of the ten-hour Outreach Course;
    

7. Proof of course, program or training completion shall be demonstrated through the presentation of a “completion document” (card, document, certificate or other written re-cord issued by federal OSHA or by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration) as defined by Connecticut State Agencies Regs. § 31-53b-1(2);
    

8. Any completion document with an issuance date more than 5 years prior to the commencement date of the public works project shall not constitute proof of compliance with § 31-53b;
    

9. For each person who performs the duties of a mechanic, laborer or worker on a public works project, the contractor shall affix a copy of the completion document to the certified payroll required to be submitted to the contracting agency for such project on which such worker’s name first appears;
    

10. Any mechanic, laborer or worker on a public works project found to be in non-compliance shall be subject to removal from the project if such employee does not provide satisfactory proof of course completion to the Labor Commissioner by the fifteenth day after the date the employee is determined to be in noncompliance;
     

11. Any such employee who is determined to be in noncom-pliance may continue to work on a public works project for a maximum of fourteen consecutive calendar days while bring-ing his or her status into compliance;
     

12. The statute provides the minimum standards required for the completion of a construction safety and health course, program or training by employees on public works contracts; any contractor can exceed these minimum requirements;
     

13. Regulations pertaining to § 31-53b are located at Con-necticut State Agencies Regulations §31-53b-1 et seq., and are effective May 5, 2009. The regulations are posted on the CTDOL website;
     

14. Any questions regarding this statute or the regulations may be directed to the Wage and Workplace Standards Division of the Connecticut Labor Department by telephone at (860)263-6790 or via the internet website of http://www.ctdol.state.ct.us/wgwkstnd/.

THE ABOVE INFORMATION IS PROVIDED EXCLUSIVELY AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE, AND IS NOT INTENDED AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR LEGAL INTERPRETATIONS WHICH MAY ULTIMATELY ARISE CONCERNING THE STATUTE OR THE REGULATIONS.

This informational bulletin is available from the CTDOL Division of Wage and Workplace Standards website: www.ctdol.state.ct.us/wgwkstnd/InfoBull051109-ConstSafety.pdf.

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Hazard Corner

Employers in the construction industry are well aware of the serious, often fatal, injuries that occur when workers fall from scaffolding, roofs, or other elevated work areas. However, employers and workers alike often overlook the hazard of objects falling onto workers below. In 2007, falling objects and equipment killed 328 workers; 25 per-cent of those fatalities were in the construction industry.

In Connecticut, a 44-year-old landscaper lost his life when he was struck by a falling object at a construction site. While the landscaper was building a stonewall at ground level, another worker erected a tubular welded frame scaffolding above him. The scaffold worker was on the third level of the staging when he lost his grip on a wood board and dropped it. The board struck the land-scaping worker in the head, causing or resulting in fatal brain injuries.

Employees are at risk from falling objects when they are beneath cranes, scaffolds, etc., or where overhead work is being performed. Injuries can range from minor abrasions to concussions, blindness, or death.

In order to avoid injuries, follow these guidelines:

• Enforce the use of hardhats.

• Stack materials to prevent sliding, falling, or collapse.

• Secure tools and materials to prevent them from falling onto people below.

• Use debris nets, catch platforms, canopies, or toe boards to catch falling objects.

• Barricade hazard areas and post warning signs.

• Whenever possible, do not allow employees to work beneath staging, elevated work areas, or underneath moving loads.

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Training Update

OSHA Recordkeeping September 22 or December 10, 2009. Learn how to fill out the OSHA Log of Work-Related Injuries & Illnesses (Form 300) accurately and correctly. This class will be held from 9 am - 12 noon.

Powered Industrial Trucks October 29, 2009. This workshop includes the basic requirements of the OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 Powered Industrial Truck Standard which affects both General Industry and Construction material handling operations. This class will be held from 10 am - 12 noon.

Confined Space Safety November 18, 2009. This workshop includes the basic requirements and procedures involved with permit-required confined spaces as detailed in 29 CFR 1910.146. This class will be held from 10 am - 12 noon.

Lockout/Tagout: Understanding & Implementing Energy Control Procedures December 17, 2009. Discussion of OSHA’s 29 CFR 1910.147 standard requires the isolation of energy sources to prevent accidental re-energization. This class will be held from 10 am - 12 noon.

Breakfast Roundtable. This discussion group meets the third Tuesday of every month from 8:15 am to 9:45 am. Pre-registration is required. To be placed on the e-mail distribution list, contact John Able at able.john@dol.gov.

Classes are free and held at 200 Folly Brook Boulevard, Wethersfield, CT in Conference Room A/B. To register, contact John Able at able.john@dol.gov. Pre-registration is required. For more training information, visit the CONN-OSHA web site www.ctdol.state.ct.us/osha/osha.htm.

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Fatality & Casualty Reporting:

• State & Town: CONN-OSHA (860) 263-6946 (local) or 1-866-241-4060 (toll-free)

• Private Employers: Report to Federal OSHA at 1-800-321-OSHA (6742)

OSHA-Quarterly Index

Last Updated: March 29, 2021