OSHA Training moved online during pandemic

In late June, 26 Insulators attended an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 502 training event via digital conferencing.

For the first time in our Union’s history, the training was held online. Leading the virtual training during the week of June 22 was Local 17 Training Coordinator Bob McGuckin and Local 17 Instructor Shawn Craven, as the OSHA Master Trainers.

Every two years, the Insulation Industry International Apprenticeship and Training Fund (IIIATF) holds the OSHA 502 class, although this year’s session required a different approach due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For instance, instead of two group classes, everyone was combined into one larger session. Some of the presentations utilized online “breakout rooms,” while other presentations engaged with text and question time that included the whole class.

All the students who participated in the class have also completed the OSHA 500 Trainer Course in Occupational Safety and Health Standards for the Construction Industry and are authorized trainers in the OSHA Outreach Training Program.

OSHA defines their 502 class as an update course to offer each student the ability to display and practice their continued professional development in their field by applying effective adult learning principles and interactive training techniques to clearly identify, define and explain construction industry hazards and acceptable corrective measures, as they continue to teach the 10- and 30-hour Construction Outreach Training Program classes.

While most of the topics align with OSHA Standards that each of the attendees teach at their Local Unions, all are important to the health and safety of our members on the jobsite. This year, some of the online topics included Ergonomics, Scaffold Safety, Material Handling, Silica and Respiratory Protection along with the OSHA Mandatory Focus 4 Topics: Fall Protection, Electrocution, Caught-In or -Between Struck By.

Thanks go out to the following Insulator Brothers who participated the week of OSHA 502 Training: Ryan Duessel and Edward Seiler from Local 2; Daniel Ruiz from Local 5; Richard Rothwell from Local 6; Joseph Rodgers from Local 12; Kevin Greene from Local 14; William McGee from Local 23; Brian Cavey and James Hoos from Local 24; Derek Vergari from Local 32; John Behm and N. Scott Yoh from Local 38; Ronald Mahs and John Walker from Local 46; Eric Parsley and James Petrides from Local 50; Christopher Vance from Local 51; Jonathan ‘Shane’ Hammock and Joe Thomas from Local 86; Jason Brewer from Local 90; Dale Cullum from Local 92; Kirby Ketola and Jeremy Wicke from Local 127; Michael Freidhof and Robert Peinado from Local 135; and IIIATF Administrator John Stahl.

For the International, IIIATF Master Trainers Cavey, Mahs and Stahl were in attendance to recertify their status.

The IIIATF is proud to continually be a resource for our Locals and members in terms of safety and construction
industry best practices.