GCA OSHA Safety conference aimed at reducing hazards at work

by Jude Lizama Variety News Staff

THE 14th Annual Guam Contractors Association Safety Conference, a three-day safety awareness summit, opened yesterday at the Guam Marriott Resort and Spa in Tumon.

“With over 100 participants registered for the first two days, we are quite pleased with the outcome,” GCA president James Martinez said. “Any opportunity to reach out and educate the workforce on job safety is an opportunity to avoid an accident and save a life.”

“Safety plays an important role in any industry, not just construction. Safety training is about saving lives by educating and raising awareness on potential safety hazards that may exist in the workplace,” Martinez said “It helps the employer and employees recognize and mitigate these hazards to prevent potential injury and even fatality on the job.”

The conference kicked off early yesterday morning with opening remarks from Jim Wulff, director of enforcement investigations for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration Region 9.

Martinez said that due to budget cuts over the past five years, OSHA was “unable to participate in the annual event during this period.”

“With the expected rise in construction activity on Guam during the next few years, we expect to see OSHA play a more active role in the education and outreach of the OSHA safety standards,” he added.

“This training is a minimum requirement for all construction workers working on military projects,” Martinez said.


Training trainers

Another component of the conference to be held one week after the conference is a “Train-the-Trainer” course for OSHA outreach instructors.

“Successful completion of this course will give local instructors the credentials to teach the OSHA 10-hour and 30-hour outreach courses,” Martinez said.

“A select few going through this course will also be able to teach the OSHA-numbered courses under a Memorandum of Understanding between the GCA Trades Academy and an OSHA Education Center, Chabot –Las Positas Community College District.

Martinez added that the memorandum of understanding will allow the GCA Trades Academy to become a satellite education center for OSHA. Participants who enrolled in the safety courses at the GCA Trades Academy will receive OSHA-recognized training as part of the MOU, he added.


Construction boom

Martinez noted that the military buildup will result in an “unprecedented” amount of construction activity on Guam.

“This increase in construction activity also increases the potential for industrial accidents at the jobsites. Any opportunity to train and educate our workforce on job safety will mean another opportunity to keep our workers safe,” Martinez added.

Although extreme in importance, Martinez stated that the safety conference plays “a small part in the scheme of things” and “offers the most basic training that anyone would need for any job.”

“Developing a safety culture in the workplace-- whether it be a construction company, retail operation, hotel or warehousing-- is the key to keeping our workers safe and having them go home to their family and being able to look forward to another safe day at work,” Martinez said. “This requires a commitment from the top down. By creating a safety culture in the workplace, safety becomes a continuing training program and not just a one-time training.”