Photo by Roberto Hugo Gonzalez
Texas Border Business –
Safety training is a vital part of many places of employment and helps to save lives and minimize injuries in the workplace. South Texas College is no exception as they implement a rigorous safety plan. For this article, Texas Border Business contacted Rey Sanchez, he is the Design and Building Technology Program Chair at the Technology campus of the college. Yes. He has been working at the college since 1997 as faculty and Chair for Computer Aided Drafting & Design (CADD). In 2012 administration merged the CADD. “I managed and prepared all the construction estimates for a masonry construction company. We did work all over the valley and the state of Texas.”
He said that SAFETY is their priority in every construction project for the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and Refrigeration (HVACR), Electrician Technology, and Construction supervision.
“The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1971 set standards for every construction specialization to protect employees, owners, and occupants. As all other programs at the Technology Campus.” He said, “Every program, has a safety course which emphasizes the importance on proper tool handling, proper equipment and tool inspection, and proper personal protection safety gear.”
The SAFETY issues sometime could be a concern for companies or individuals asking about SAFETY programs that would be most relevant to their needs.
In this case, South Texas College has a Safety Manual, which is used to discuss all safety measures for any construction project on campus. Sanchez said that tools, equipment, and personal protection equipment (PPE) safety gear is a topic that is discussed during training.
It is important to note that most workplaces can benefit from OSHA safety training and OSHA standards set many important training requirements for employers, but specific training programs and requirements are usually determined by the employer or worksite.
Do you have ongoing training for faculty? “Each specialized program takes the initiative by providing the proper training for faculty. Example, the construction related programs undergo an OSHA Inspection training for safety,” Sanchez told Texas Border Business. He also said that these requirements are unique to each individual or setting, as each entity will encounter different hazards on each jobsite.
Also, I have seen students taking part in construction, what safety program do they take? “Construction Supervision students go through an OSHA (10-hour) training and pursuing an OSHA 30 certification (30-hours). The Construction Technology course I and II emphasize safety awareness and training at the job site. It is everyone’s responsibility to protect and be safe in a working environment”, Sanchez finalized.
He also pointed out that it is not difficult to take the OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 test. We have a faculty member in the Business Administration program certified to facilitate the training.
As per OSHA, generally, employers will instruct their employees on which version of Outreach training will be needed, so if you are unsure, it is important to contact your employer to have them make the decision for you. OSHA defines “construction work” as work for construction, alteration and/or repair, including painting and decorating.
Taken directly from OSHA standards, these descriptions are the best guidelines to determine which course would be best suited for your job, but another option is to check out the types of topics covered in each course and decide which are more relevant to the types of workplaces you will be in. TBB
