Alliance Among OSHA Region VIII's Denver and Englewood, Colorado
Offices and Colorado Safety Association Provides Training
Since this success story was posted in May 2006, representatives
of the Alliance have trained and certified many more employees in the Basic Orientation Plus (BOP)
Contractor Training course. In 2006, 2,856 employees were BOP trained and certified; in 2007, the
number grew to 3,275. As of January 2008, 7,447 employees have been trained and certified; of
these, 545 are Spanish speakers. The 4.5-hour BOP contractor training course is offered by
Colorado Safety Association (CSA) instructors every Friday at the CSA office in Denver and every
Monday at the Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado. In addition, periodic on-site BOP
training courses are offered at the Suncor Refinery and at various other establishments throughout
the State upon request. OSHA representatives routinely discuss the course during outreach
activities and promote it via local e-newsletters. CSA promotes the training course on its Website
and in its brochures.
As of April 2008. |
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On November 17, 2004, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Region VIII Denver,
Colorado, and Englewood, Colorado, Area Offices and the Colorado Safety Association (CSA), a chapter
of the National Safety Council, signed an Alliance to work together to improve health and safety of
Colorado's employees, including Spanish-speaking workers. Through the Alliance, OSHA and CSA are
helping industrial and construction contractors, especially small businesses, reduce injuries and
illnesses related to work performed on Colorado's multi-employer worksites.
In early 2003, CSA contacted Region VIII's Denver and Englewood Area Offices to discuss developing
an Alliance after association members asked about the availability of affordable safety training for
their contractors. After signing the Alliance, the organizations worked
together to review courses that could be used to provide safety and health training to employees
that work at multi-employer worksites. As a result, OSHA Region VIII Compliance Assistance
Specialists (CASs) Megan Meagher and George Flynn and Compliance Program Manager Ray Nellor met with
CSA on January 3, 2005 to preview the Basic Orientation Plus (BOP) Contractor Training course.
CSA's Web site states that this 4.5 hour course was " . . . developed by the Association of
Reciprocal Councils (ARSC) and is offered in many locations across the country. The training was
developed to meet the classroom training requirements of OSHA Standards." The target audience for
the BOP Contractor Training course comprises contractor employees working on industrial and
construction sites and new employees needing basic safety orientation. The topics covered include
general and personal safety considerations, hazard communication, personal protective equipment,
respiratory protection, hearing conservation and electrical safe work practices.
In January 2005, CSA began offering the BOP Contractor Training course at its offices every Friday.
The association charges $55 per student. According to CSA, from January through November 2005, it
trained 1,269 people (including approximately 100 Spanish speakers). In January and February 2005,
CSA also presented an overview of the course to OSHA's Compliance Safety and Health Officers in the
Denver and Englewood Area Offices.
"The Alliance that we have had with OSHA has resulted in a successful outcome for owner companies
and their contractors. In the first three months of 2006, we have doubled the number of employees
trained during all 12 months of last year. We are especially pleased with the large number of
Spanish speaking workers who have taken the program" said Melodye Turek, CSA President.
In addition, OSHA and CSA jointly deliver a one-hour presentation about the agency's Multi-Employer
Worksite Policy and the BOP Contractor Training course to safety and health groups around the state.
During the presentation, an OSHA CAS explains the safety and health challenges encountered at a
multi-employer work site. Then, a CSA trainer explains how the course can be used by an employer to
help meet the challenges of training its workforce.
On January 11, 2005, OSHA and CSA made the Multi-Employer Worksite Policy and the BOP Contractor
Training course presentation to the Pueblo Safety and Health Promotion Council. In May, July,
September, October and November 2005, OSHA and CSA presented the information at the Voluntary
Protection Program Participants' Association Region VIII Chapter Conference, the Colorado Rural
Electric Association, the Mesa County Safety and Health Council, the Northern Colorado and Denver
chapters of the American Society of Safety Engineers. Approximately 200 safety and health
professionals attended the presentations.
OSHA and CSA are working to share the success of their Alliance and the impact of the BOP Contractor
Training course. For example, the Denver and Englewood Area Offices include information about the
course in each quarterly issue of its electronic newsletter, Colorado Compliance Assistance
Newsletter. The offices send the newsletter to about 2,500 email addresses. In addition, the CSA has
formed a partnership with and Pueblo Community College (PCC), another OSHA Region VIII Alliance
participant, to present the BOP Contractor Training course at the college.
Through their Alliance, OSHA and CSA will continue to work together to provide the Multi-Employer
Worksite Policy and the BOP Contractor Training course presentation to safety and health and
business organizations around the state. OSHA and CSA are also committed to reaching out to and
encouraging all small businesses in Region VIII to provide safety and health training for their
employees.
"This successful Alliance has encouraged the idea that everyone is responsible for workplace safety
and health" said John Healy, Region VIII Englewood, Colorado, Area Office Director.
For additional information on this Alliance and its activities, please contact OSHA Region VIII
representatives; George Flynn,
Compliance Assistance Specialist in the Englewood Area Office, or
Megan Meagher, Compliance
Assistance Specialist in the Denver Area Office.
-- As of May 2006.
Alliance Between OSHA Region VIII And The Montana Utility Coordinating Council Improves
Awareness Of "Call Before You Dig" Law
On October 2, 2003, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Region VIII, Billings,
Montana, Area Office and the Montana Utility Coordinating Council (MUCC) signed an Alliance designed
to promote worker safety by reducing the number of trenching accidents. Specifically, the Alliance
is working to encourage the implementation of the "Call Before You Dig" law, which protects the
health and safety of workers by reducing the hazards (e.g., fires, explosions) associated with
trenching and excavation when an underground utility is inadvertently struck. In the past,
contractors have struck underground utility lines disrupting service to homes and businesses and,
occasionally, causing injury.
MUCC, which was formed in 1989 by Bud Criner, oversees the Montana state law on excavation near
underground facilities. MUCC is a chapter of the Utility Notification Center—a one-call agency
dedicated to safeguarding citizens and construction personnel who work around utilities as well as
safeguarding the underground infrastructure of pipes, mains and lines that bring utilities to a
community. The Utility Notification Center serves Montana, Washington and Oregon, and conducts
outreach and training to most of the excavation contractors operating in Montana. For more
information on the Utility Notification Center, contractors and citizens can log on to
www.callbeforeyoudig.org.
During the first year of the Alliance, OSHA and MUCC formed an implementation team to develop an
action plan, to determine working procedures and to identify the roles and responsibilities of the
participants. They met quarterly to track and share information on activities and results in
achieving the goals of the Alliance. Together, they developed training and education programs for
excavation contractors on the requirements for locating and identifying underground utilities and
for implementing the "Call Before You Dig" law. From October 2003 to October 2004, MUCC traveled
throughout the State and:
- Presented information about the Alliance to over 500 contractors and sub-contractors at over 40
locations;
- Represented the Alliance in outreach and training sessions to associations, contractors and
sub-contractors at over 65 meetings;
- Attended four conventions of contractors and displayed materials and written information
explaining the "Call Before You Dig" law;
- Promoted and encouraged MUCC members to participate in OSHA's cooperative programs such as
compliance assistance, the Voluntary Protection Program, Consultation, and SHARP; and
- Conducted a training session for OSHA Region VIII compliance staff.
As a part of the Alliance, the OSHA Region VIII, Billings Area Office has:
- Written and disseminated information on the "Call Before You Dig" campaign in its electronic
newsletter, called the Montana OSHA Compliance Assistance Network
Newsletter, that is sent quarterly
to 195 subscribers; and
- Given over 20 speeches to contractors, groups, associations, and students defining the hazards
associated with trenches and excavations.
Mike Foreman, Compliance Assistance Specialist, from the OSHA Region VIII, Billings
Area Office has conducted many outreach sessions and at nearly every one he has discussed the Alliance.
An estimated 1400 people were in attendance during the past 12 months.
After the first year of the Alliance, MUCC noted a slight increase in the number of calls to the
Utility Notification Center from contractors requesting information on the location of utility
lines. OSHA and MUCC plan to increase their outreach efforts in order to reach more contractors
through training, the OSHA Region VIII, Billings Area Office newsletter, speeches and other
available methods. In the event that a contractor does strike an underground utility line, the MUCC
and the Billings Area Office will work together to determine the cause.
According to David DiTommaso, Area Director at the OSHA Region VIII, Billings Area Office, "OSHA's
Billings Office is more than happy with the results of its Alliance with MUCC. Our Alliance with
MUCC was our first Alliance, and it has proved beneficial to both the Council and us. For example,
Mr. Bud Criner of the MUCC, conducted a well received training session for our compliance staff
which improved our understanding of the "Call before You Dig" process here in Montana. We are well
pleased with the Alliance."
Both parties are very interested in promoting MUCC, the OSHA rules and regulations and the Montana
state laws about trenching and excavation near underground utility lines. OSHA and MUCC will
continue to conduct outreach and training sessions to contractors throughout Montana. In addition,
MUCC will develop outreach materials defining the "Call Before You Dig" campaign to be distributed
to contractors and associations. This Alliance was extended for one year and indications are that it
will be renewed again in October 2005.
-- As of June 2005.
Region VIII Alliance Providing Training and Developing Safety Programs for Electrical Contractors
Providing Colorado workers in the electrical construction and maintenance industry with safety and
health information and training is the primary goal of the Alliance the Occupational Safety and
Health Administration's (OSHA) Region VIII Denver and Englewood Area Offices signed with Kimsey-Guarantee
Electrical Contracting, the Denver Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee, and the
Mountain States Line Constructors Apprenticeship and Training Committee. Through the agreement
signed on October 13, 2003, the groups are working together to reduce and prevent workers' exposure
to electrocution, fall, ergonomic, and motor vehicle hazards.
Training events that the Alliance has sponsored include the presentation of OSHA's 30-hour course
focused on the National Fire Protection Association 70E standard on seven occasions in 2004 at the
Denver Joint Electrical Apprenticeship Training Center. It covered many issues such as work
practices, maintenance, special equipment requirements, and safe installations. Nearly 300 attendees
participated in the course including Kimsey employees, journeyman electricians and Denver area
apprentices registered with the Denver Electrical Joint Apprenticeship and Training Program.
In addition, as part of the Alliance Kimsey's Colorado employees that operate company vehicles have
completed the National Safety Council's defensive driving course. The employees also learned about
the changes to the trucking industry's hours-of-service rule from the Colorado State Patrol.
Through the Alliance, Kimsey created near miss reporting system which has been adopted by the Rocky
Mountain Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA). Kimsey employees now
report circumstances where an electrical-related accident or injury almost occurred, but did not
happen. The NECA chapter's Safety Action Committee reviews and reports to members with quarterly
emails of the Near Miss Information Program.
Larrel Scott, Director of Industry Services for NECA Rocky Mountain Chapter said, "What happens then
is that our member companies use the near miss information to educate employees about safety. They
conduct safety meetings and hold tool box talks to create an atmosphere of open discussion around
every day safety issues."
The training courses and programs developed through the Alliance have been successful in helping to
reduce Kimsey's injury rate by more than 25% percent. In 2004, the American Subcontractors
Association recognized Kimsey's safety achievements and awarded the company two prestigious awards;
"Excellence in Safety for 2004" and "Best Overall Safety Program."
For additional information on this Region VIII Alliance, please contact
Bill Wright the Denver, Colorado OSHA
Regional Office.
-- As of March 2005.
Pueblo Community College (PCC) hosts the first Excavation Awareness
Seminar as part of its Alliance with OSHA's Englewood Area Office.
Colorado Compliance Assistance Specialists Megan Meagher (Denver Area Office) and George Flynn
(Englewood Area Office) recently launched an Excavation Awareness Seminar Series designed to educate
contractors on the hazards associated with trenching and excavating. By involving a diverse network
of co-sponsors, more than 500 workers have been trained in basic excavation hazard awareness.
One such collaborative effort involved the Pueblo Community College (PCC). PCC had entered into an
agreement with the OSHA Englewood Area Office in October 2003, to establish an Alliance to promote
safety and healthful working conditions for all workers, including Spanish-speaking workers, in the
southeastern and southwestern regions of Colorado. As part of this Alliance, the Pueblo Community
College hosted the first Excavation Awareness Seminar. This event was co-sponsored by trench shoring
vendors: Trench Shoring Services, United Rentals Trench Safety, and Wylaco Supply Company. Thanks to
the generous contribution of time and resources on the part of the college and the vendors, the
seminar was offered free of charge and took place on June 18, 2004, on the campus of PCC. This
seminar was 4-hours long and was offered twice during that day. There were 150 attendees at this
event.
Similar seminars were also offered free of charge in Denver, Greeley and Loveland, Colorado, during
the last week of August 2004, thanks to the cooperative support of Xcel Energy and the City of
Greeley, as well the vendors listed above. Total attendance for these events exceeded 350.
The vendors provided the training materials and conducted the training. Classroom topics included an
excavation standard overview and soil classification/sloping and benching options. Following the
3-hour classroom training sessions, seminar attendees were led to a demonstration trench located
nearby. The trench shoring vendors coordinated the digging of the trench and installed an array of
protective systems throughout the excavation. The trench was sloped to various angles and spoil
piles were located both properly and improperly. The purpose of the field portion of the training
was twofold to provide visual reinforcement of concepts introduced in the classroom and to allow
seminar participants to observe Compliance Safety and Health Officers (CSHOs) conducting mock
inspections. During this portion of the seminars, CSHOs pointed out many available protective system
options, led participants in soil testing procedures, discussed commonly observed violations, and
answered questions. Seminar participants expressed their satisfaction with the benefits of this kind
of demonstration and the "hands-on" exposure to the trench inspection process.
-- As of October 2004.
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