CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for the next Ironworker Safety Directory Training Course!

June 12-16, 2023 at Iron Workers Local 63 Training Center, 2523 Lexington St., Broadview, IL 60155

Questions?

Contact the IW safety department at safety@iwintl.org or (833) 355-SAFE (7233).

COURSE SYLLABUS

 SAFETY DIRECTOR TRAINING PROGRAM

Course Description:

A 40-hour course designed to develop skilled ironworker safety directors, during the course participants will learn the roles and responsibilities of the safety director in the development, administration, implementation and maintenance of a health and safety management system.  In addition, they will learn how to identify, review and address various health and safety concerns specific to the work site including how to create an effective work team, communicate effectively, apply problem-solving skills, document and maintain records, maintain labor-management relations, plan and execute safe work plans and procedures.

Course Objective: 

The objective of the course is to develop skilled ironworker safety directors.

Learning Outcomes:

Upon successful completion of the course, the participant will be able to:

• Identify the roles and responsibilities of the ironworker safety director.
• Identify the application and installation methods of passive and active fall protection systems. 
• Demonstrate basic load calculations for common fall protection systems.
• Identify mandatory compliance standards of federal and state/provincial regulatory agencies and project contract safety specifications.
• Develop techniques for working with fabricators to incorporate fall protection anchorage points. 
• Describe role in the development, implementation and maintenance of written safety management programs.
• Describe the various methods of employee training for workplace activities and designating competent and qualified personnel.
• Demonstrate the ability to verify safety training using the ironworker Apprentice Tracking System (ATS).
• Describe how to develop and use a job hazard analysis (JHA) and a site-specific safety plan.
• Develop and maintain a system for conducting workplace inspections to identify unsafe acts and conditions in the workplace.
• Identify the threshold value limit (TLV) for airborne metals and compounds and determine methods to prevent absorption of chemicals into the body.
• Describe methods air sampling testing to determine methods of employee protection.
• Describe the requirements for reporting workplace incidents and posting OHSA and/or other information in the workplace.
• Identify and utilize the management procedure for workplace investigations following an alleged complaint, federal/state/provincial investigation or serious incident.
• Describe the specific responsibilities of the crane assembly-disassembly director and requirements for qualified riggers and signal persons.
• Describe the requirements for specific mobile equipment (aerial lift, forklift).
• Apply the use of innovative safety apps to implement and document workplace safety programs, inspections, employee instruction, training and hazard control.
• Describe how the frequency and severity of workplace incidents determines an employer’s experience modification rating (EMR), insurance costs and ability to qualify for project bidding.
• Describe the roles and responsibilities of the crane assembly-disassembly director.
• Demonstrate effective problem-solving skills.
• Document work activities and maintain records.
• Maintain labor-management relations.
• Apply safe work into productivity and quality through a safety management process.
• Apply technical and safety knowledge for ironworker safety directors.

Target Audience: 

The course is designed for new, experienced or future ironworker safety directors. The participant should be a skilled journeyman ironworker with basic reading, writing, math skills, first aid training (including CPR), and strong safety skills acquired in the apprenticeship program and/or specific safety training.

Qualified individuals (journeyman ironworker in good standing and a member of a local union that is signatory with IMPACT), or IMPACT signatory contractors’ selected individuals, who are potentially or currently ironworker safety directors within their organization.

 Length of Course: 

The course is designed to be offered during a total of 40 hours of classroom and lab instruction. 

Instructor Information:

Instructors for this course are subject matter experts and/or union ironworkers with experience as a safety director. 

Course Materials:

• Safety program reference material guides

  Sample safety programs and templates including workplace inspections, job hazard analysis, spreadsheets and regulatory interpretation.

• Course syllabus, course schedule and course outline

• Handouts for the various course exercises and supplemental information

• Supplemental resources as identified by the instructor

Course Attendance: 

All course sessions are mandatory to successfully complete the course. 

Course Schedule:

Given that this course requires a minimum of 40 hours, it is assumed the course will be offered during over five consecutive, eight-hour sessions.

Who:  Ironworkers & Contractors

IRONWORKER SAFETY PROGRAMS AND SKILLS PROVIDED:

·Application and installation of Fall Protection Systems and Calculations of Basic Lifeline Systems

·Recognizing Regulatory Compliance, Project Contract Requirements and Safety Program Development

·Assessment of Safety Training and Determining Competent and Qualified Persons

·Evaluating Industrial Hygiene Workplace Health Issues and Exposures

·Development of Job Hazard Analysis, Site Safety Plans and Workplace Inspection Programs

·Techniques for Managing Recordable/Reportable Incidents, Incident Management and Investigations

·Roles & Responsibilities of the Crane Assembly-Disassembly Director

·Utilizing New Technology Safety Apps to Manage Workplace Safety on Projects

PROVIDING IRONWORKERS WITH MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE WORKPLACE SAFETY:

·Ironworkers can be the best safety directors because we understand the work WE do!

·Combining work skills with new safety skills will produce a win-win for employers and members

·Increasing job opportunities for members in company safety roles

·Our contractors will benefit from competent and qualified ironworkers with new safety skill sets

·Increase your career opportunities by building on your trade knowledge

·Learn the administration, implementation and maintenance of safety & health programs

·Raise the standard of safety performance for our members and contractors

Ironworker Safety Director Training Course

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The ZERO Fatality-Incident campaign com­missioned by General President Eric Dean features the Ironworker Safety Director Training course as one of the programs designed to raise the standard of safety performance. We have members with great knowledge and skill, and we want to reach out and provide this specialized course to members wanting to pursue a safety career with our signatory contractors. The safety and health department has received numerous requests from signatory contractors and safety consulting firms expressing an interest in employing union ironworkers who are qualified to perform the safety duties and responsibilities as a company safety director. Assuming the role of a corporate safety director and managing safety programs for several projects requires some additional basic training and new skill sets. There are several fundamental safety and health tasks that must be routinely implemented to help recognize and avoid workplace hazards. Many safety responsibilities in the workplace are set forth by federal, state, local and contractual standards and requirements. The Ironworker Safety Director Training Course is offered at no charge to members or contractors who elect to sponsor an ironworker or employee to complete this course. 

The Ironworker Safety Director Training Course is designed to assist members with new skill sets to manage a comprehensive company safety program for a signatory contractor, project owner or general contractor. The training course is also open to current or future safety directors for signatory contractors needing additional training. The five-day training will consist of several breakout sessions focusing on specific areas of instruction. 

Please contact Jeff Norris, Canadian safety coordinator at (780) 459-4498, if you have any questions pertaining to the Ironworker Safety Director Training Course.

There is no doubt that union ironworkers can make the best safety directors and Dave Otey, member of Local 229 (San Diego) is living proof. Dave is the regional safety manager for Rebar International, Inc. and brings a recent success story of achieving over 2 million man-hours without a lost-time incident. This is only one of many successes Dave has achieved with the cooperative efforts of union ironworkers and the support of his employer, Rebar International, Inc. Dave’s motto as a union ironworker and regional safety manager is simple but effective, “I stay alongside my ironworkers.”

However, Dave’s journey to becoming one of the best ironworker safety directors in the country began in 1994 when he sustained a serious and potentially deadly injury. Dave was working inside a large horizontal rebar column that was being fabricated in his employer’s fabrication yard. When making some final adjustments to the column, it suddenly racked and collapsed, trapping him inside. He was hospitalized in critical care for several weeks. Dave was determined to return to work and stay in the industry as a union ironworker.