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OSHA Construction Training

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires training for employees in the construction industry. Title 29 from the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), part 1926 outlines these requirements. To help employers conduct this training, OSHA produced Publication 2254, Training Requirements in OSHA Standards and Training Requirements.

  1. Emergency action plan

    • All employees should be trained how to respond to a need to evacuate the workplace. An emergency action plan assigns each employee their task to conduct a safe and orderly evacuation. Training should include drills. The plan should be posted in a place accessible to all employees.

    Hazardous material

    • Hazardous material training involves handling, storage, and transportation of such construction materials as paints, solvents, insulation and gases (welding). Potential exposure to fumes, dust, asbestos and lead require the knowledge to recognize and react to hazards. Proper use of a respirator is a key element of this training. Employees shall also be trained on the purpose of a medical surveillance program, used to monitor exposure levels.

    Personal protective equipment

    • Personal protective equipment (PPE) training is required for anyone exposed to a hazardous environment. Required PPE depends on the hazard at hand. On a construction site, several types of PPE are required, including helmets, gloves, ear plugs, safety glasses, face shield and respirators. PPE must be in compliance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

    Woodworking

    • Woodworking safety training includes the proper operation of woodworking machinery, such as saws. Some of the preventive measures include using machine shields and guards, not wearing loose clothing, only using the machine for the purpose it is intended, not standing directly in line with the blade, and never leaving an unattended machine running.

    Welding

    • Safety training for welding operations should include proper use of the gases involved (also part of hazardous materials training). Bottles of welding gases are required to have a regulator between the bottle and the torch. Before "lighting" the torch, the welding system should be tested for leaks. If a leak is found, that part of the system (hose, valve, regulator, torch) should be removed from the area and repaired. A fire extinguisher should always be available in the area.

    Scaffolding/Fall protection

    • Scaffolding, ladders and lifts are used extensively on a construction site. Training on avoiding electrical hazards (power lines), as well as avoiding fall and falling object hazards is necessary. Employees are also trained on handling materials on scaffolding and the maximum weight capabilities of the devices.

    Excavations

    • Excavations can be extremely hazardous. This kind of worksite can have large moving vehicles, piles and stacks of building material, and people working on the ground. Multi-faceted training is required in this work environment. Not only equipment operator training, but people on the ground have to learn how to escape if the excavation collapses or floods.

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