Workplace Safety Training Protects Workers and the Bottom Line

Equipment Today, August 2010

CHICAGO -- Who is responsible for safety on the jobsite - the individual, the government, the safety director, the worker or all of the above?

The answer is all of the above. This simple, but often incorrectly answered question is from a mini-quiz as part of biweekly Safety Stuffers, small flyers dispersed with weekly paychecks, created by the Mechanical Contractors Association (MCA) of Chicago to remind members of their United Association (UA) workforce of top safety concerns.

According to Stephen Lamb, Executive Vice President of the MCA of Chicago, that particular safety message is especially important. "Effective workplace safety can only be achieved when everyone involved takes responsibility," he said. "Once they do, it is easier for everyone to work together as a team and watch out for each other. That is why the association, our member contractors, and our union workforce, UA Local Union 597, stand together in our dedication to workplace safety training."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers in construction incurred the most fatalities of any industry in the private sector in 2008, despite the fact that the number of construction fatalities that year declined 20 percent from the previous year -- from 1,204 cases in 2007 to 969 cases. Fatality figures for 2009 have not yet been released.

"Safety must be a top priority on every jobsite," said Dan Bulley, Senior Vice President of MCA of Chicago and head of the Safety Committee. "We don't take chances with our workforce. Union safety training, in combination with the educational programs offered by our association, provides our contractors and workers with the knowledge needed to work in optimal safety conditions."

Research shows that union training in the construction industry provides more effective results than non-union programs. According to the study, "Building Trades Apprentice Training in Massachusetts: An Analysis of Union and Non-Union Programs, 1997-2007," released by the Labor Resource Center of the University of Massachusetts in Boston, union apprenticeship programs graduate a higher percentage of journey-level workers.

The ten-year study compared union and non-union training programs in Massachusetts and found that union programs enroll the majority of building trade apprentices. The study also revealed that union programs are both larger and longer lasting than non-union programs, and are more successful at recruiting minorities and women.

Educational Initiatives

MCA of Chicago offers safety training to member contractors through its Certified Safety Bureau, which offers both classroom training and online courses. State-of-the-art course offerings from the Bureau include: CPR and First Aid with Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Training; Asbestos Online Course; OSHA Online 10-Hour and 30-Hour Safety and Health; Fall Protection and more.

The workers at LU 597 also receive a cutting-edge education. Their training center in Mokena, IL, is the largest pipe fitters' learning facility in America and is equipped with state-of-the-art training technology, including equipment for virtual welding. Apprentices can practice welding with a heatless rod and watch a visual simulation while wearing a specially equipped welding helmet.

According to John Leen, Training Director of Local Union 597, virtual welding is popular with young people who like video games. "Students often use the system at lunchtime to work with it more," he said. "Apprentices who practice with virtual welding learn more quickly than those who only do hands-on welding."

These educational initiatives instill MCA of Chicago member contractors and their union workforce with a high degree of safety awareness. This is important to the bottom line of industry, since accidents cost American companies billions of dollars each year. According to the 2009 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index, the most disabling workplace injuries and illnesses in 2007 amounted to more than $52 billion dollars in workers compensation costs.

Member Contractor Safety Initiatives According to Lamb, many member contractors of MCA of Chicago have initiated safety programs that go above and beyond industry standards.

Indiana-based BMW Constructors, Inc. is a participant in the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The VPP promotes optimal workplace safety and health. In this program, management, labor, and OSHA establish a cooperative relationship to implement a comprehensive safety and health management system. BMW Constructors, Inc. has created added value for their customers by dedicating themselves to zero injury performance. "Each of our workers is responsible for helping to eliminate the barriers that prevent us from achieving a zero incident culture," said Fred Bowers, Director of Environmental, Health & Safety with BMW. "All accidents are preventable. In the long run, safety takes priority over production, schedule and cost -- because you can't buy back a worker's lost life."

Like BMW Constructors, Inc., AMS Mechanical Systems, Inc. of Burr Ridge, IL, has compiled its own zero accident program. "The plan has really cut down on serious injuries," said Mark Rook, Safety Director at AMS. "The safety philosophy of our company is this: we have a moral obligation that the workers leave each day the same or better than when they arrived that day. If they're going to work for us, we're going to protect them."

According to Rook, AMS workers receive classroom training, jobsite training, and online classes on the basics. "Sitting a guy in front of a computer doesn't compare to hands-on work with supervision," he said. "We invest time and effort in our apprentices so they understand what they need and how to use it. First-year apprentices wear a green helmet so that the other workers will keep an eye out for them. It has worked out well for us -- apprentice injuries don't happen anymore."

Rook noted that jobsites have a daily task-hazard analysis every morning. "All the workers have input," he said. "We take a look at what tasks will be performed, and analyze what hazards are associated with that task. The analysis is now a requirement of AMS."

Rook added that AMS investigates near-miss accident reports and discusses them with workers in weekly toolbox talks. "If something took place in the previous week, we talk about it," he said.

Scheck Industries of Countryside, IL, has been recognized for their excellent ongoing safety record. In both 2008 and 2009, Scheck Industries was recognized by the Mechanical Contractors Association of America for their excellent safety record: one-million-plus work hours each year with no lost work time.

"Those million-plus hours include projects with 400 to 500 workers," said Joe Lasky, Safety Director at Scheck. "It takes a lot of training and cooperation to keep that many workers safe on the jobsite."

Safety is so important to Scheck, they have developed a workplace program called JAWS: Job Aids for Working Safely, which includes daily talks and other components to help keep workers aware of safety concerns. MCA of Chicago has recognized Scheck with the Most Innovative Safety Program Award for the JAWS Program.

According to Lasky, their company's Employee Incentive Program gives safety points to workers for every hour worked safely. "We have a website where they can cash in their safety points," he said, "and receive polo shirts, jackets, hunting jackets and other items. It's our way of providing reinforcement for workers who are accident-free."

"Teamwork is an essential part of workplace safety," said Lamb. "That teamwork can be found in the collaboration between our association and our contractors and workers. It can also be found in the rapport between a member contractor, their workers and their client. We all have to look out for each other in life."

About MCA of Chicago

Mechanical Contractors Association of Chicago member contractors work to build powerhouses, install and service heating and air conditioning systems, and install piping wherever it is needed, from hospitals to oil refineries.

About the United Association

Work performed by members of the United Association (UA) includes installing and servicing piping systems, plumbing fixtures, heating, air-conditioning and ventilation systems.

Attention Grabbing Online Safety Training can be found here!

Workers Rate Safety Most Important Workplace Issue

Reposted from http://ehstoday.com/safety/news/workers-rate-safety-most-important-issue-9650/

More than eight out of 10 workers ranked workplace safety first in importance among labor standards, even ahead of family and maternity leave, minimum wage, paid sick days, overtime pay and the right to join a union, according to a new study from the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago.

The study, “Public Attitudes Towards and Experiences with Workplace Safety,” drew on dozens of surveys and polls conducted by NORC. The analysis sought to gain a picture of Americans’ experiences with workplace safety issues.

Despite widespread public concern about workplace safety, the study found that the media and the public tend to pay closest attention to safety issues when disastrous workplace accidents occur. Even during those tragedies, the fate of workers often is overlooked, such as during the recent oil well disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Workplace safety is too often ignored or accidents taken for granted,” said Tom W. Smith, director of NORC’s General Social Survey (GSS). “It is striking that coverage in the media and public opinion polls has virtually ignored the 11 workers killed by the blowout and destruction of the drilling platform.”

Instead, Smith pointed out, the media coverage and the polls focused on the environmental impact of the disaster while overlooking the worker safety aspects. But he noted that “if optimal safety had been maintained, not only would the lives of the 11 workers been saved, but the whole environmental disaster would have been averted.”

A Constant Concern

Robert Shull, Program Officer for Workers’ Rights at the Public Welfare Foundation, added, “Workplace safety should be a constant concern. Given the importance that workers themselves place on this issue, we should not have to mourn the loss of people on the job before government and employers take more effective measures to ensure that employees can go home safely after work.”

On Aug. 19, the U.S. Department of Labor reported in a preliminary count that the number of workers who died on the job in 2009 fell 17 percent from the previous year. While Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis called the results “encouraging,” she also noted that “no job is a good job unless it is also safe.”

Despite a decrease in workplace fatalities, the study found reports of incidents of injury at work to be high.

Although most workers say they are satisfied with safety conditions at work, they also report job-related stress, a contributing factor to injury. The most recent NORC study on job-related stress, done in 2006, reported that 13 percent of workers find their jobs always stressful, while 21 percent find their jobs often stressful.

“Exhaustion, dangerous working conditions and other negative experiences at work are reported by many workers,” Smith said. “Such conditions mean that workplace accidents are far from rare.”

The new study, which was conducted for the Public Welfare Foundation, found that about 12 percent of workers reported an on-the-job injury during the past year and 37 percent said they have required medical treatment at one time for a workplace injury.

“Unsafe working conditions end up costing the public dearly,” added Shull. “But no matter what the cost to the general public, the workers and their families pay the highest price.”

For more information, visit http://www.publicwelfare.org

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Effective Safety Training Benefits

Benefits of Safety Training


Safety Training can reduce or eliminate...
-The number of injuries and deaths
-Property damage
-Legal liability
-Illnesses
-Workers' compensation claims
-Missed time from work


A safety training program can also...
-Help a trainer keep the required OSHA-mandated safety training courses organized and up-to-date
-Establish a safety culture in which the employees themselves help promote proper safety procedures while on the job

While OSHA safety training has been voluntary since 1992, in the near future, it is predicted that safety training will become a mandatory requirement for all workplaces. Safety training is never a bad idea and can prevent many of the accidents and costs associated with those accidents. Better be safe than sorry...or bankrupt.

OSHA’s training guidelines follow a model that consists of:

• A. Determining if Training is Needed
• B. Identifying Training Needs
• C. Identifying Goals and Objectives
• D. Developing Learning Activities
• E. Conducting the Training
• F. Evaluating Program Effectiveness
• G. Improving the Program
• H. Training must align with job tasks.

Computer and Video Training Benefits

• Training employees in remote sites
• Employees who become bored with the same safety training
• Safety managers lack of time and resources to effectively train employees
• Lowering trainer fees or travel costs
• A self-paced, relaxed learning environment

Find great online safety training and safety training DVDs here!

Heat Stress - Protect Yourself and Your Employees!

With the weather heating up again, the need for heat stress safety training is imperative! Keep your employees and yourself protected and safe from heat illness!



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7 Secrets to Attention Grabbing Safety Training

How to Keep Their Attention

Here are seven strategies that can help you grab and hold trainees' attention during those all-important safety training sessions:

1. Plan training sessions in reasonable chunks. Say you're going to train on a particular hazard, procedures necessary to prevent injuries, and required PPE. Rather than delivering information about all three points in one continuous stream, break it up into three chunks interspersed with interaction between trainer and trainees and among trainees.

2. Use self-paced materials composed of short modules. Make sure each module offers interactive opportunities as well as opportunities to go back review information covered.

3. Include interactivity when you lecture. For instance, talk for a bit and then discuss what you've just covered, encouraging lots of trainee participation. Have a question and answer period between training points, or divide large training groups into small groups to discuss issues or complete training exercises. You can use quizzes and problem-solving exercises to challenge trainees and make them think about what they're learning. Or give trainees a chance to practice what they've learned for a few minutes before proceeding to the next point.

4. Think about attention span when planning training, especially if your training group is composed largely of younger workers who have grown up in the "electronic age." Realize that they may have shorter attention spans than older workers, and take that into account.

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5. Use a combination of training techniques. For instance, give a brief 5-minute introduction, show a short training video, have a discussion about key points, give a quiz, and then provide a handout and have a short review. Mixing it up helps keeps trainees alert and engaged.

6. Allow rest breaks during long training sessions so that trainees have a chance to get up and move around, have some water, and refresh themselves for the next round.

7. Let trainees know up front that they'll be evaluated. Tell trainees at the beginning of the session that there will be a quiz or performance evaluation at the end of the session, which they will be expected to pass. This will encourage them to pay attention during the session and ask questions about any information they don't understand.

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Team Building and Icebreakers

Benefits of Team Building
Employees...
-Work together to solve problems
-Learn and practice effective communication skills
-Identify strengths in themselves and others
-Create a support system and build trust in one another
-Bond as they go through the same experiences
-Face their fears and come out on top
-Increase their productivity

Ice Breakers
1 Truth/1 Lie - Participants tell one truth and one lie and others have to guess which one is the lie.
The Human Web - Participants make a circle and take 2 different people's hands across from them, then participants must untangle the web without letting go of each others hands
Ball Challenge - Participants have to toss the ball to another person while saying their name. As the game progresses, participants must toss the ball within 2 seconds of receiving it.
Guess the Famous Person Challenge - Names of famous people (actors, historical figures, scientists, artists, etc.) are placed on the backs of the participants. Participants must go around and ask each other yes/no questions about the person on their back. (i.e. Is it a person? Are they on TV? etc)

Benefits of an Ice Breaker
-Participants are more engaged in proceedings
-Contribute more effectively towards a successful outcome
-Allows participants to get to know one another
-Breaks down the barriers to communication
-Participants buy into the purpose of the event

When to Use Icebreakers
-Participants come from different backgrounds
-People need to bond quickly to work towards a common goal
-For a newly formed team
-Topics being discussed are new or unfamiliar to many people involved
-As facilitator, you need to get to know participants and have them know you better

Forklift Safety

OSHA created a new regulation (29 CFR 1910.178(l)) that spells out requirements for forklift operator training and evaluation with the intent of reducing the number or forklift accidents. Failure of the employer to comply with the new rules can result in expensive fines and loss of insurance coverage. This can be disastrous to the employer if a serious accident occurs.

There are 855,000 forklifts in the United States, 11% of which, will be involved in an accident. That is almost 95,000 vehicles involved in an accident next year alone, not including forklifts involved in more than one accident.

Learn about engineering principles, knowing the load center and capacity of your forklift, understanding stability (both latitudinal and longitudinal) and how to increase your chances of surviving a turnover.

Protect your company and your employees with forklift safety training provided by Wumbus Corporation.

What NOT To Do: