Pacific Coast Safety Fest 2016 Offers Free OSHA Classes

Pacific Coast Safety Fest 2016, a free occupational safety and health training event sponsored by OSHA and hosted by Region IX OSHA Training Institute Education Centers, including the OSHA Training Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, takes place on March 14-18, 2016, in California, Nevada, Arizona and Hawaii. Contractors, small business owners, professional technical educators, businesses required to follow OSHA standards and anyone interested in creating a safer workplace are encouraged to attend.

Registration for Pacific Coast Safety Fest 2016 and a complete schedule of classes will be available starting Monday, February 1, 2016. All classes are offered free of charge. For more information visit the Pacific Coast Safety Fest 2016 website.

Updated OSHA Guidelines Emphasize Worker Education and Training to Prevent Workplace Hazards

OSHA has initiated a process to update and replace its voluntary "Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines" first published in 1989. The new draft, currently in the public comment phase of development, builds on lessons learned from successful approaches and best practices under the OSHA Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP), the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), and other OSHA safety programs.

The new "OSHA Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines" are expected to be published later this year and will provide employers, workers, and worker representatives with a sound, flexible framework for addressing safety and health issues in diverse workplaces.

OSHA will continue to emphasize the importance of worker education and training as a key to the prevention of workplace injuries and illness. Workers who are aware of potential workplace hazards and the measures in place to control them can work more safely and be more productive. Training and education are essential to ensure that workers can fully participate in workplace safety and health programs and are alert to finding and fixing potential hazards before they lead to injury or illness.

The OSHA Training Center offers a full roster of OSHA standards-based training, including:

OSHA 511 - OSHA Standards for General Industry

Jan. 19-22/Mar. 29-Apr. 1 | San Francisco Bay Area-Dublin, CA

February 1-4 | Southern CA - Carson

Feb. 22-March 3 | Phoenix, AZ - Gateway Community College

April 18-21 | Sacramento, CA Safety Center

April 19-22 | Reno, NV

Visit the OSHA Training Center website for a complete schedule of classes.

Cal/OSHA Ups the Ante on Federal OSHA Construction Safety

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH), better known as Cal/OSHA, has not only adopted all Federal OSHA standards related to California workplaces but also has expanded and enhanced OSHA standards for the construction industry in a number of important ways, including:

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs (IIPP) -

Implemented in the early 1990's, the California program has served as a model that Federal OSHA is now evaluating for possible adoption at the national level. This program requires every employer to have a safety and health program tailored to their specific jobsite. California employers have found that the benefits of these programs include improved safety and health, better morale, increased productivity and reduced costs of doing business.

Heat Illness Prevention Programs -

In 2006, Cal/OSHA implemented an emergency standard to protect outdoor workers from the hazards of working in high heat environments. Thousands of inspections and outreach, training and education sessions have been conducted to raise awareness of how workers can protect themselves. Since implementation of the program heat related fatalities have been reduced from a high of twelve to one last year, underscoring the value of a concentrated effort emphasizing both enforcement and voluntary compliance. Federal OSHA has no comparable program.

Permit and Certification Requirements

Cal/OSHA requires affected employers to obtain permits in the following areas:

• Construction - permits must be obtained for all trenches and excavations five feet or deeper where employee entry is required; for the construction/demolition of any building, structure, scaffolding or falsework more than three stories high or equivalent to 36" high; and erection/dismantling of vertical shoring systems more than three stories or equivalent to 36"
• Tower Cranes - permits are required for fixed and mobile cranes

• Operating cranes with a rated capacity of over three tons
• Asbestos consultants and technicians who contract to provide consulting activities relating to asbestos-containing construction material greater than 100 square feet must be certified

Cal/OSHA has set a high standard for OSHA State Plans and continues to develop and implement programs designed to reduce workplace hazards for California workers.

The OSHA Training Center offers a full roster of Cal/OSHA classes, including:

OSHA 5109 - Cal/OSHA Standards for the Construction Industry

January 19-22 | Southern CA - Carson

February 16-19 / March 7-10 | Sacramento, CA Safety Center

March 7-10 | Southern CA - Bakersfield

Visit the OSHA Training Center website for a complete schedule of classes.