CONSTRUCTION SAFETY:

Labor, builders unite to endorse bill to require training

But union leaders fail to turn out for hearing on proposal to strengthen OSHA’s role

Sam Morris

Union official Steve Ross, before the Commerce and Labor Committee Friday in Las Vegas, endorses a bill requiring safety training.

By Alexandra Berzon (contact)

Saturday, March 7, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Sam Morris

Victor Pulido, a member of Laborers Local 872, listens at the Grant Sawyer building in downtown Las Vegas to testimony during a hearing Friday of the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee in Carson City and Las Vegas.

CityCenter Construction

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A bill that would require 10 hours of safety training for construction workers received enthusiastic and unanimous support from union members and contractors who turned out in Carson City and Las Vegas for an Assembly committee hearing Friday.

The fast and furious pace of construction on the Strip in 2007 and 2008 “created an overload on the system,” Southern Nevada Building and Construction Trades Secretary-Treasurer Steve Ross testified to the Assembly Commerce and Labor Committee from a meeting room in the Grant Sawyer state building downtown.

Ross was referring to 12 deaths on the Las Vegas Strip during that period that created a public outcry and led unions to organize a massive walkout in June of the CityCenter and Cosmopolitan projects, both overseen by Perini Building Co.

Assembly Majority Leader John Oceguera, who introduced Assembly Bill 148, testified that construction speed and rapid growth had created work sites where safety was no longer the No. 1 priority.

“I think this bill is the first step to changing that culture,” Oceguera said.

Members of the laborers union wearing reflective yellow construction vests took up many of the seats in the packed room in Las Vegas. They cheered loudly when committee Chairman Marcus Conklin thanked them for their support for the bill.

The scene stood in sharp contrast to another meeting on worker safety, held Wednesday by Conklin’s counterpart in the Senate, Maggie Carlton, D-Las Vegas.

Carlton, chairwoman of the Senate Commerce and Labor Committee, had sharply questioned Nevada OSHA Chief Administrative Officer Tom Czehowski about weak enforcement of state workplace safety laws.

Carlton intends to consider a bill that would strengthen Nevada OSHA’s oversight of worker safety. She had asked union leaders to attend and to send workers and family members of accident victims to testify.

It didn’t happen.

In an interview Friday before the hearing on AB148, Ross explained he is “engulfed in what we’re doing with the building trades at the grass-roots level” instead of focusing on OSHA and workers’ compensation issues.

He said he spoke to Carlton and Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, on Thursday and agreed to participate in their inquiries of OSHA.

He declined to say whether he would like to see a bill that would reform Nevada OSHA.

“After visiting with (Czehowski) a couple of weeks ago, I have a much better understanding of how his office operates,” Ross said. “He’s under the gun this budget cycle. I think we all need to do whatever we can that would help OSHA in this state.”

AB148 would require that all construction workers in the state undergo a 10-hour safety training course developed by the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Supervisors would be required to undergo 30 hours of training.

The bill would require Nevada OSHA to issue certification cards to workers who show proof they’ve received the training, and to cite and fine employers who are found to be allowing an uncertified worker on the project for longer than 60 days.

Experts say the classes — known as “OSHA 10” classes — can have a modest effect on construction sites when taught well. That’s been Perini’s experience, company representative Leslie Pittman testified to the committee.

The general contractor began requiring workers to attend the classes as part of the settlement with the building trades that stemmed from the CityCenter/Cosmopolitan walkout. Perini has trained more than 10,000 workers in the past six months, Pittman said.

“It has been Perini’s experience this training strengthens workplace safety by increasing worker knowledge and awareness of best safety practices,” Pittman said.

Nevada OSHA has raised concerns about the agency’s ability to carry out the enforcement requirements in the bill, given funding restrictions, and it has filed an amendment that would reduce its role in certifying workers.

Czehowski said at the hearing that he plans to work with others to “refine” the bill and emphasized his support for the concept.

“We think it will certainly help increase awareness of safety in state,” Czehowski said.

Discussion: 6 comments so far…

By dressed2plz

3/7/09 at 6:55 a.m.

Suggest removal

It should surprise no one that actual safety and health professionals were not called upon to speak at the hearing. The many construction safety professionals in Las Vegas were never made aware of the hearing date and they are afraid of losing their jobs if they speak out on this topic. The unions and Steve Ross do NOT have the answers. (Regardless of what Ross says he is a conflict of interest.) Nor is changing OSHA the answer. You must ask upper management to change their culture, making safety and health a core value rather than a priority. Priotities change every day, core values never change. The safety and health professionals have many many ideas on how to improve worker behavior, so far none of them have been discussed at these hearings. If the safety professionals speak out and even hint that the unions are not 100 percent aligned with corporate culture they will be black balled by the unions. The congress will never hear the truth from the professionals who work this issue every day. If I ever win the lotto and no longer need to work, I'd be glad to speak out on the subject!
By Phyremedic

3/7/09 at 6:54 p.m.

Suggest removal

Amen!
By c_mum

3/10/09 at 9:54 a.m.

Suggest removal

You may want to checkout the program we have here in Phoenix. The Southwest Safety Training Alliance Inc. Has a 16-hour training program that is requiredby several industries in the area. We have trained over 40,000 workers and have the documentation to back it up.
Check it our at www.no1hurt.com
By Herb123

3/10/09 at 1:34 p.m.

Suggest removal

One can train, train, and train again, but that isn't the answer if there is no penalties for bad players. The contractor has no incentive to comply if there is a death and no citations for lack of safety compliance. Let face facts when a death occurs on a construction project something broke down. Start from the top management and work down. When the ball stops the citations and jail time start and go up. In 20 years dealing with safety on projects, I never seen one employee that wanted to kill themselves. But, they have had accidents and killed themselves doing things the companies allowed them to do.

Has anybody ever heard of the multiple employee job site rule and $1,000,000 fines for serious and stupid (lack of concern). By the time six people are dead on job sites somebody needs to be jail and a company in bankruptcy. It's on the books, my question is why hasn't someone enforced them?
By peteralt2

10/2/09 at 6:42 a.m.

Suggest removal

The passage of Assembly Bill No. 148 will require certain health and safety training for construction workers and supervisors. AB 148 was passed in response to a sharp increase in construction worker deaths at construction sites on the Las Vegas Strip over the past two years. The bill is aimed at increasing workplace safety by heightening worker awareness of safety concerns and knowledge of best safety practices.

1. New Safety Training Requirements for Nevada Construction Workers

Specifically, beginning on January 1, 2010, AB 148 will require:

All construction workers in the state to undergo a 10-hour safety training course (OSHA-10) developed by the U.S. Labor Department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) at least once every five years;

All Supervisors on a construction site to undergo a 30-hour safety training course (OSHA-30) approved by OSHA at least once every five years.

Proactive companies will ensure that all their employees are trained well in advance of the deadline but there will often be last minute rushs for seminar classes that are filled up and or sold out. Another convenient way to train all your employees is online. This "anywhere-anytime" convenience trumps lost time at seminars as down time in the office or at home can be put to use. What's more, many online providers can handle all of the registration for your students easily so all they have to do is log online with their id and password to start training. Costs for the cost have come down considerably and now there are great study guide resources that ensure students will learn as they go and assist them in passing grades. Make sure your provider has received OSHA acceptance for online training.

Peter Altuch, President
HR Training University
www.hrtraininguniversity.com
800-501-9440

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