Construction workers should complete an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) course. There is a requirement that workers have certification in identifying workplace hazards and avoiding injuries. This certification ensures that workers have basic training and knowledge of workplace safety issues and avoidance.
OSHA has designed a 10-hour course for construction workers. The OSHA 10 training course educates workers regarding workplace safety. Although the courses are designed by OSHA and the actual curriculum must be approved, the courses are presented by certified trainers who have themselves passed an educational regimen prescribed by the government agency. Upon completion of the training, the worker is issued a card that can be presented to employers as proof of training and compliance.
The OSHA 10 training course for construction workers covers several topics that are related to the construction trades. A standard construction workers course will begin with an overview of the act and regulations. Workers are then introduced to general issues regarding safety and health at the workplace.
Once a worker can identify the safety and health issues, it is important to be able to communicate the information to a supervisor so that remedial action can be taken. The course describes the correct way of doing this along with how to handle hazardous materials that may be present on the worksite. Once the worker is able to identify and control general issues the course shifts to more specific types of hazards.
The general curriculum required by the agency in an OSHA 10 training course requires that workers become knowledgeable about electricity and how to safely handle electricity and electrical power tools at a workplace. Training in this area teaches construction workers the safest way to use power tools while avoiding contact with live electrical lines which can be potentially deadly. Safety around wet areas is also stressed.
The correct use of hand and power tools to avoid injury to oneself and others is supplemented by a section on using the proper personal protective equipment. Construction personnel are required to have proper hearing and eye protection as well as hard hats and harnesses when working on certain types of projects. These requirements are all discussed in the OSHA 10 training course.
Additional sections include the correct use of ladders and scaffolding, fall protection and what to do in a situation where a worker is struck by or caught between equipment while on the job.
Upon completion of the course an exam is administered. All persons who pass the exam are issued a certificate and will receive an OSHA 10 training card in a few weeks.
